FA Cup Final: Leicester just need to go for it

The FA Cup Final takes place on Saturday 15th May between Chelsea and Leicester and we’re excited for this one! Both sides have been good this season and we’ll even be able to see fans at Wembley once again. 8,000 people will be allowed in, which while being a far cry from the stadium’s 90,000 capacity, is a step in the right direction and a welcomed relief.

It is very difficult to pick out a winner in a final. Leicester City have had a good season, while since Thomas Tuchel took over at Chelsea, the Blues have been brilliant. So much so that they are chasing a double this season, having made it into the Champions League final by beating Real Madrid.

The turnaround at Chelsea has been mind blowing. Tuchel has only tasted defeat twice since taking over and has elevated performances from the likes of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz. Those two marquee signings were failing to find their feet under Frank Lampard, but once the managerial change took place, things started to click into shape. Yes, Werner is still not the player he was last season, however his confidence is increasing and with that comes sharpness too.

As for Leicester City this will be their fourth FA Cup final. Despite that achievement, they’ve never managed to get their hands on that gorgeous trophy. Brendan Rodgers has transformed the Foxes into an entertaining bunch and his summer signings have been excellent. Their 2-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening showed us a more matured Leicester side, who managed the game well. Stunningly though they did crash to a 4-2 home defeat to Newcastle prior to that, which was painful to watch. Their inconsistencies might end up costing them this great opportunity, so there is only one thing for Brendan to do:

Go for it

This is a Cup Final. THE Cup Final. Football’s oldest trophy. The missing piece of silverware for Leicester. Brendan Rodgers doesn’t need to over think this one. Shock Chelsea by throwing the tactics book out of the window. Let passion take over, take the reins off and just go for it. The Foxes need to let their noses guide them. Hunger and desire need to be the key factors here.

Tactically, Chelsea are by far the better team. Man to man, Chelsea are, again, the better team. They’ve gelled in such a strong way that even Pep Guardiola himself should be worried ahead of their Champions League final. 

What Leicester can’t do is sit back and let Chelsea dictate the phases of play. Leicester need to be fast and snappy in possession. Grab a goal and then try to grab another one. Yes Vardy’s been in poor form but you can’t write off this warrior, especially not when you dangle silverware in front of his hungry eyes. Meanwhile Ihenacho has been in sensational form. He’s outscored anyone in the league since march and indeed is the FA Cup’s top scorer this season with four goals so this side packs a goal threat.

Tactical Tuchel needs to be spot on

We do hope Leicester go for broke, it is the FA Cup Final afterall. Chelsea most likely won’t. They’ll try to hog the ball as long as they can and move it up to the pitch in Tuchel’s regular fashion. They will try to be efficient in possession and lethal in attack. They are a solid, experienced unit defensively and this will be their platform on the day. 

The early exchanges in this game will set a pattern for the 90 minutes. If Leicester can go out of the blocks quicker, there’s a chance they will lang a glove on their opponent and score. The longer that takes however, the more likely it is that Chelsea will go on to be victorious.

It will be a fascinating affair and we can’t wait for kick off. 

Full time score prediction: Chelsea 1-0 Leicester, priced at 23/4 or 6.75

 

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