It’s too bad for Chelsea FC that they couldn’t close the deal in the League Cup Final yesterday. Liverpool was forced to play a large number of kids, and thus, they were there for the taking. After going to extra time, added time, added extra time goalless on both sides, the Blues just couldn’t finish. Now they’ll face Leeds United, in the other domestic cup competition.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino badly needs a trophy, to try and redeem what feels like a lost season.
FA Cup Round of 16 FYIs
Fun Fact: This is the first FA Cup meeting between Leeds and Chelsea since the 1970 Final
Kick: Wed. Feb. 28, 7:30 pm, Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Chelsea Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
A win here gets Pochettino one major step closer, as they would then be in this competition’s round of 8. Expect a lot of changes to the lineup here, from the one that lost 1-0 to Liverpool at Wembley.
Chelsea FC Starting XI Prediction vs Leeds United (FA Cup 5th Round)
Robert Sanchez; Alfie Gilchrist, Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill, Ben Chilwell; Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher; Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku, Mykhailo Mudryk; Nicolas Jackson.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.