Chris Sutton makes prediction on Chelsea vs Leicester City

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Chelsea host Leicester City in FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday, March 17, 2024.

Ahead of the game, BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton has made his prediction. According to Sutton, the game will end in the Blues’ 3-0 win.

“I suspect there will still be a massive disappointment at the way Chelsea laid down in extra time of the Carabao Cup final, when they lost to Liverpool’s kids – so the main incentive for them here is to get back to Wembley to put that right,” said Sutton.

“That’s not the only reason the FA Cup has become very important for the Blues, however. Their Premier League form has actually improved recently, but they are not going to get a Champions League spot, which would have been the aim when it started.

“At the moment there is quite a lot of negativity from Chelsea fans towards the club’s owners as well as manager Mauricio Pochettino, and I don’t think that is going to change whatever they do in the league between now and the end of the season.

“But they can still finish the season on a high with the FA Cup, where they have a good record in recent seasons – they were runners-up three years running from 2020 to 2022, including their defeat to Leicester in the 2021 final.

“Chelsea have got home advantage here and I also just wonder how Leicester manager Enzo Maresca will approach this game. His side are still top of the Championship but they have had a bit of a wobble recently, with only one win in their past five league games.

“Maresca’s focus will definitely be on their automatic promotion bid, which will be decided in the nine league games they play between 29 March and 4 May.

“They have the international break too of course, but he will be looking further ahead at his side’s run-in, and that might influence his team selection at Stamford Bridge.

“Chelsea had to battle to see off another high-flying Championship side, Leeds, in the last round but I can see them winning this one pretty comfortably.”

The Blues reached quarter-finals following a 3-2 win over Leeds United, while Leicester City beat Bournemouth with a 1-0 score.