Chelsea vs Leeds United

A place in the FA Cup quarter-finals is up for grabs as Chelsea and Leeds United go head-to-head in an exciting fifth-round tie at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea must dust themselves up following another grand-final heartache as Liverpool’s narrow 1-0 extra-time win in the weekend’s Carabao Cup final condemned them to a sixth consecutive showpiece defeat. After spurning their best chance of avoiding another trophyless campaign, the Blues turn to their FA Cup duties, looking to extend an eye-catching six-game winning streak in home encounters against Leeds. While this is only their first H2H in the oldest football cup competition since Chelsea lifted the title in 1970, Mauricio Pochettion’s side can draw confidence from progressing from 13 of their last 15 fifth-round ties. On a less positive note, Chelsea’s formidable run of ten successive unbeaten home games (W8, D2) ended in their most recent outing at the Bridge as Wolverhampton thumped them 4-2.

In the meantime, Leeds United will take the field in high spirits after a ten-minute blitz saw them overhaul a halftime deficit in a 3-1 home league triumph against Leicester City at the weekend. Too hot to handle in the Championship, the Whites have stitched together nine league victories in the build-up to this fixture. Yet they needed a replay to oust fellow second-tier rivals Plymouth in the previous FA Cup, running out 4-1 extra-time victors to set up this tie. Worryingly for manager Daniel Farke, Leeds’ long-standing FA Cup struggles mean they can reach the quarter-finals for the first time in 21 years. However, winning five of their last six away matches ‘to nil’ should be a significant confidence booster as they must defy the odds to end that lengthy barren run.