Chelsea vs Leicester: FA Cup final preview, TV channel, live stream, team news & prediction

It's FA Cup final day!
It's FA Cup final day! / Getty Images/Getty Images
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It's FA Cup final weekend as Chelsea and Leicester do battle in front of 21,000 fans at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Thomas Tuchel's side come into the game as favourites despite a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal in midweek - where the German coach rotated his team despite the club still being in a race for the top four in the Premier League.

Brendan Rodgers, on the other hand, saw his Foxes bounce back from an embarrassing 4-2 defeat to Newcastle with a 2-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Tuesday to all but secure top four for themselves.

Caglar Soyuncu, James Maddison
Soyuncu got the winner at Old Trafford / Pool/Getty Images

As England's oldest competition comes to a close for another year, here is 90min's preview of the game.


What TV channel is the FA Cup fiinal on?

UEFA Champions League Previews - Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium / UEFA/Getty Images

What time is kick off? Saturday May 15th - 17:15 BST
Where is the game being played? Wembley Stadium, London
How to watch on TV in UK & US: BBC One/BT Sport 1 (UK), ESPN+ (US)
Referee: Michael Oliver
VAR: Chris Kavanagh


Chelsea team news

Chelsea have a near full squad to choose from with only Mateo Kovacic definitively ruled out with a knee injury. Andreas Christensen is a doubt with a hamstring problem but Tuchel will be hopeful he can recover in time to start.

Kepa Arrizabalaga will start in goal after the manager confirmed he got the nod against Arsenal to 'get him ready' for this game, meaning Edouard Mendy will watch on from the bench.

Kepa Arrizabalaga
Kepa will start in goal / Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Leicester team news

Leicester aren't so fortunate when it comes to their squad's fitness, with four first-teamers ruled out. James Justin, Cengiz Under, Wes Morgan and Harvey Barnes are all unavailable through injury and likely to miss the rest of the season.

Centre-back Jonny Evans has missed the last two games with a heel injury but Rodgers revealed he's hopeful of having him back for the final.


Chelsea vs Leicester predicted lineups

Chelsea: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger; James, Kante, Jorginho, Chilwell; Mount, Havertz, Werner.

Wesley Fofana, Kelechi Iheanacho
Leicester have some injuries but their starting lineup is at it's strongest / Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Leicester: Schmeichel; Fofana, Evans, Soyuncu; Pereira, Ndidi, Tielemans, Castagne; Maddison; Iheanacho, Vardy.


FA Cup final prediction

Leicester have never won the FA Cup, losing four finals previously and unfortunately for them, it doesn't look likely to be a fifth time lucky.

Tuchel has got his Blues so well drilled and they have risen to the big occasion multiple times since he took over, beating a whole host of top teams since he arrived at the club. Their three-at-the-back system has got the best out of several key players, and with Leicester not having as much individual quality as Chelsea, the Foxes will likely struggle to break the Blues down.

Mason Mount
Mount will be influential if Chelsea are to be successful / Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Chelsea are likely to have most of the ball and while they don't tend to score a bucket load of goals, defensively they're so solid that you can't put it past them keeping a cleansheet and sneaking a 1-0 win.

Prediction: Chelsea 1-0 Leicester