The spoils when Chelsea met Leicester in the 2021 final, when Wembley’s capacity was limited to 20,000 by pandemic restrictions, went to the Foxes – their only victory over the eight-time winners in this competition.

At home the East Midlanders’ pre-match fanfare is a hunting tune played on a horn, but it’s Chelsea who are on familiar ground, pursuing a second visit to the national stadium in a month’s time.

No lower-league team has won at the Bridge in England’s oldest cup competition since Bradford City in 2015.

That said, Enzo Maresca’s second-tier table-toppers beat Premier League Bournemouth on their own patch to reach the last eight.

Leicester are the best team on the road in the Championship, losing half as many away league games as second-placed Leeds – visitors that Chelsea saw off in round five.

The Blues, the first Football League club from the capital to reach the final in 1915, are London’s sole survivors in the last eight.

This is the second of four fixtures in succession where Chelsea will enjoy home advantage, and we have lost just once at the Bridge across all competitions since October.

Leicester have bowed out at this stage in five of their past six attempts, and lost on eight of their last 13 trips to Fulham Road.

The Londoners, who’ve lost only one of our past 21 matches as hosts in this famous race for silverware, are on a run of five straight victories in quarter-final ties, of which this is our 40th.

Route to the quarters

Chelsea 4-0 Preston North End
Chelsea 0-0 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 1-3 Chelsea
Chelsea 3-2 Leeds United

Millwall 2-3 Leicester City
Leicester City 3-0 Birmingham City
Bournemouth 0-1 Leicester City

Team news

Enzo Fernandez’s suspension in this competition complicates Chelsea’s plans, though Carney Chukwuemeka played a sharp cameo in Monday’s 3-2 victory over Newcastle. Another midfield option, Cesare Casadei, is cup-tied having scored against Millwall in this competition while on loan with the Foxes.

Mauricio Pochettino used a back four of Malo Gusto, Axel Disasi, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Cucurella in the stirring Newcastle win, but his defensive plans could be altered by the possible return of Ben Chilwell and Benoit Badiashile.

Cucurella, who may yet retain the left-back role this weekend, was player of the match in his home Premier League debut against the Foxes in 2021.

Levi Colwill, Reece James, Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku could all resurface during the international break that follows this fixture.

Pochettino will be less concerned about his firepower upfront which has recently averaged over two goals per game at home.

Monday’s opener by selfless frontman Nicolas Jackson was our earliest league strike at the Bridge since Pedro’s left-footer four minutes into the defeat of Fulham on 2 December 2018 (when we became the third side to record 1,000 home Premier League goals).

Raheem Sterling’s first goals in the famous royal blue were scored against Leicester at the Bridge in August 2022. Could Mykhailo Mudryk be offered a start? The Ukraine Express has found the net in two of his past three games – against Leeds and Newcastle.

Difference-maker Cole Palmer has now scored and assisted in the same match five times in the league – unequalled by any top-flight player. Monday’s astute finish ended a run of six goalless appearances – the longest ‘drought’ this season for the 21-year-old.

Goal contributions in all competitions 2023/24

Opposition scout: Leicester City

Attacking midfielders Dennis Praet and Kasey McAteer, plus Ricardo Pereira, look likely to miss this weekend’s game for Leicester. On the other hand Wilfred Ndidi, who had scored four goals and made six in a more attacking role, could return for his first appearance of the year.

Head coach Maresca will be well-versed in Palmer’s qualities, as he was manager of Manchester City’s development squad, then Pep Guardiola’s assistant, before his summer arrival at the King Power Stadium. The Italian is the type of coach who likes his team to build from the back and tucks a full-back inside to protect the midfield against transitions when attacking.

With Premier League-seasoned Conor Coady and Harry Winks drafted in, plus winger Stephy Mavididi from Arsenal’s academy, Leicester stormed 11 points clear at the top of the Championship by mid-February. More recently, though, they’ve claimed one win in five league outings alongside three losses.

Last Saturday the Championship leaders twice from behind twice to draw 2-2 at Hull City, and their lead was reduced to three points with nine games left to play.

A crucial league clash with Southampton was postponed to accommodate this fixture, meaning Leeds would go top by beating Millwall, while Ipswich could be just a point behind in third. Maresca’s team selection this weekend could reflect the club’s overall priorities.

Back-up keeper Jakub Stolarczyk has been the Foxes’ cup goalkeeper this season, handing first-choice Mads Hermansen a rest. Regular centre-back Wout Faes has sat out every knockout fixture to date, while midfield anchor Hamza Choudhury may continue at right-back.

Last weekend both goals were scored by Jamie Vardy, making it eight in eight games for the veteran hitman, who had missed training. Creative partner Abdul Fatawu – 17 years Vardy’s junior at the age of 20 – grabbed the extra-time winner at top-flight Bournemouth in the previous round.

FA Cup quarter-final regulations

Each tie will be decided on the day, with no replays. The VAR system is in operation. Five substitutions are permitted, plus an additional sixth if extra time is required.

Should the scores be level after second-half stoppage time, 30 minutes of extra time will be played and, if necessary, the winner will be determined by penalty kicks.

The draw for the semi-finals will be carried out on ITV, BBC and social media after live coverage of Manchester United vs Liverpool. Those ties will be played over the weekend of 20/21 March.

FA Cup quarter-final schedule

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Coventry City, ITV, Saturday 12.15pm
Manchester City vs Newcastle United, BBC, Saturday 5.30pm
Chelsea vs Leicester City, BBC, Sunday 12.45pm
Manchester United vs Liverpool, ITV, Sunday 3.30pm

Chelsea vs Leicester: The FA Cup history

Fellow quarter-finalists Liverpool, Man Utd and Newcastle are already among Chelsea's most common adversaries in this competition, and Leicester will squeeze in among them this weekend. The rich FA Cup history between the two clubs spans 11 decades.

Most FA Cup matches by opponent

Of course, the Londoners will aim to avenge the narrow loss to Ben Chilwell’s former side in the 2021 final – our sole defeat among those 10 previous meetings.

Encounters include the unique 1945/46 experiment, when from round one to the quarter-finals teams played each other home and away over two legs, to generate much-needed postwar revenue. The great Tommy Lawton opened the scoring at Filbert Street in a 1-1 draw on the Saturday, before goals from Len Goulden and Reg Williams without reply sealed the Foxes’ fate the following Thursday.

There were three previous encounters at this stage, all in the 2010s and each on the way to the final. Fernando Torres netted the first domestic brace of his Chelsea career against Nigel Pearson’s side in March 2012, contributing to a 5-2 drubbing at the Bridge. Roberto Di Matteo’s team went on to lift the trophy.

Six years later a rare Pedro header secured a 2-1 extra-time victory at the King Power Stadium for the reigning Premier League champions. Again, Antonio Conte’s team went all the way and won the trophy for the eighth time (and most recent).

In 2020, Frank Lampard had substitute Ross Barkley to thank for the only goal in the East Midlands, but this time Blues controversially lost the final to Arsenal.

A year later, the Blues and the Foxes clashed at a Covid-restricted Wembley for the final itself. Chelsea’s performance was surprisingly low-key and Leicester won through Youri Tielemans’ long-range strike. Frustratingly, three days later in the league, the Londoners won 2-1.

Further back in 1997, a controversial last-gasp penalty at the Bridge is still etched in the memory. A round five replay was poised at 0-0 with a shootout beckoning, when surging centre-back Erland Johnsen was knocked over and referee Mike Reed pointed to the spot.

Moments later Frank Leboeuf was accepting thunderous acclaim for his successful dispatch, a victory that proved pivotal in the new era for Chelsea under Ruud Gullit.

Previous FA Cup meetings

1919/20, third round, Chelsea 3-0 Leicester
1945/46, third round first leg, Chelsea 1-1 Leicester
1945/46, third round second leg, Leicester 0-2 Chelsea
1996/97, fifth round, Leicester 2-2 Chelsea
1996/97, fifth round replay, Chelsea 1-0 Leicester (after extra time)
1999/00, fifth round, Chelsea 2-1 Leicester
2011/12, quarter-finals, Chelsea 5-2 Leicester
2017/18, quarter-finals, Leicester 1-2 Chelsea (after extra time)
2019/20, quarter-finals, Leicester 0-1 Chelsea
2020/21, final, Chelsea 0-1 Leicester

Card count

Accruing two yellow cards in the FA Cup results in a one-match suspension, and Enzo Fernandez will sit out Sunday’s game.

The cut-off point is the quarter-finals so that no player can miss the final through cumulative cautions.

FA Cup bookings

Fernandez 2, Caicedo 1, Chalobah 1, Petrovic 1, Thiago Silva 1

Last roll-call of the season

International squad members will head off around the globe following this weekend’s action.

It is the final FIFA international break of the season and their next national service will be in the Euros and Copa America this summer.