Wembley Stadium will play host to Sunday's English FA Cup Final game between Chelsea and Leicester. The game kicks off at 2:15 am with Chelsea heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Chelsea vs. Leicester game and give you our free tips and bets.
When: Sunday May 16, 2021 at 2:15 am
Where: Wembley Stadium
Bet: Bet On This Match HERE
Chelsea vs Leicester Odds
Chelsea vs Leicester Preview
In terms of history in this competition, Leicester and Chelsea could not have more different stories.
Chelsea is chasing their ninth win in this competition, their sixth since 2007 and are in the final for the fourth time in five years.
After losing a bruising encounter against Arsenal last year, the Blues will be out to make amends in 2021 with new manager Thomas Tuchel enjoying a fantastic start to life in London.
Leicester fans are still dining out on their unlikely Premier League triumph in 2015/2016 however their fortunes since then have been somewhat mixed.
In the FA Cup, the Foxes have not reached the Final since 1969 and have lost on all four occasions that they played for the trophy.
Can they end their drought and hand Brendan Rodgers his first trophy with the club?
Read on four our FA Cup Final Preview and best bets.
How They Got Here
It would have been more than reasonable to expect Leicester to throw the FA Cup away as they chased a Champions League spot through the Premier League.
Rodgers instead has expertly juggled two competitions with his side currently in third place and chasing their first trophy since the Premier League triumph five years ago.
It was a smooth entry to this tournament in January with a 4-0 win at Stoke followed by a 3-1 win away to Brentford later that month.
Up next was their first all Premier League tie where they hosted and defeated Brighton in dramatic circumstance with a 94th minute winner from Kelechi Iheanacho to set up a clash with Manchester United.
Leicester recorded an impressive 3-1 win in the Quarter Finals to book a Wembley date against Southampton in the Semi Final, which they won thanks to another goal from Iheanacho.
Chelsea also began their campaign with a 4-0 win which came over League Two side Morecambe, before a 3-1 win over Luton in Frank Lampard’s final match in charge.
The Fifth Round saw them made to work by Barnsley in the Fifth Round, coming away with a 1-0 win as Tuchel settled into his new role.
The Blues knocked out Championship-bound Sheffield United in the Quarter Finals before edging Manchester City in a tense Semi Final.
Goals Markets
We are not going to be treated to a high scoring, back and forth contest on Saturday night, both of these sides know what their best path to victory is.
Chelsea have conceded just one goal in the tournament and have kept 18 clean sheets in all competitions since their German boss took over (possibly 19 after their match with Arsenal Thursday morning).
Leicester knows that style points do not matter in Cup football and even though they are more than capable of putting four or five past anyone on their day, they will be happy to engage in an arm wrestle here.
Historically these sides tend to play in low scoring matches with two or fewer goals through 90 minutes hitting in seven of their last eight contests in all competitions.
Under 2.5 Goals is not quite an even odds play but there’s still enough value in that market looking at how the two clubs are tracking heading into this match.
Player Markets
In the interests of keeping this preview fair and balanced (or thereabouts), I’ve found an anytime goalscorer play on both sides.
Based on the build up he has received thus far in the preview, it should be no surprise to find out I have landed in Iheanacho for Leicester.
While Jamie Vardy gets plenty of headlines, the Nigerian has been one of the standouts not just in the Leicester side but in the Premier League over the last two months, scoring 13 goals and setting up three more since the start of March.
The former Manchester City man has scored four goals in the FA Cup to date and will be primed for a big game on this stage here.
As for Chelsea, it’s a slightly tougher proposition settling on a player with a number of different striking options for Thomas Tuchel.
Tammy Abraham started off on fire scoring four goals across the Fourth and Fifth Rounds before an injury saw him miss over a month of action and be relegated to a bench role.
Timo Werner is a hot and cold prospect who could have the game or his life or need to be hooked at halftime while Olivier Giroud may not have the chance to make a real impact on the match depending on how it unfolds.
With the uncertainty over who will lead the line, it is worth exploring some of the secondary goalscorers and trying to find some value.
Two names leap out ahead of the pack here, Christian Pulisic dominated last season’s FA Cup Final before being forced off due to injury while Mason Mount has popped up with nine crucial goals for his club this season.
Both players have featured a lot for Tuchel in recent fixtures and are well worth a value play, but I’ll back Mount as he seems to find himself in good positions a bit more often.
Content provided by Ladbrokes
Head To Head Bet
We're tipping Chelsea to win at $1.86 odds.
:
: Chelsea 1-0 at $6.00.