"That might influence his team" - Chris Sutton makes big scoreline prediction for Chelsea vs Leicester City

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has backed Chelsea to win their FA Cup clash against Leicester City this weekend at Stamford Bridge.

Mauricio Pochettino's men will be hoping to book their place in the next round of the prestigious cup competition, and make a claim for silverware this season.

A win for Chelsea against Leicester City will also see them play once again at Wembley, where they recently suffered a disappointing defeat during the League Cup final against Liverpool.

Pochettino's men also face a Leicester City side, who could be more focused on securing a qualification for the Premier League next season, rather than fighting to win the FA Cup.

Speaking ahead of the game, Sutton revealed that Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca could opt against fielding a strong XI against the Blues, which could give the home side an upper hand in the tie.

In his words via BBC, he said:

"I suspect there will be a massive disappointment at the Chelsea laid down in extra time at the Carabao Cup final when they lost to Liverpool's kids. So the main incentive for them here is to get to Wembley to put that right.

"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 the Champions League spot, which should have been the aim when they started."

On the visiting team Leicester City, Sutton said:

"Maresca's focus with definitely be on the automatic promotion bid which will be decided in the next nine league games they play between 29 March and 4 May."

He continued:

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

Sutton went on to predict an emphatic 3-0 victory for Chelsea against Leicester City. It will be interesting to see if the Blues secure a victory against the Foxes this weekend.

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How has Chelsea and Leicester City faired heading into the FA Cup clash?

Both teams are expected to face each other in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup. A win for either side will automatically secure their passage into the semi-finals at Wembley.

Home team Chelsea have been quite inconsistent in their last couple of fixtures, picking up just two wins in their last five games.

Visiting side, Leicester City also boast of similar stats, as they have picked up just two wins in their last five games, despite being top of the Championship.

Meanwhile, the last time both teams met in the FA Cup, Leicester City came out surprise 1-0 winners during their 2021 final showdown at Wembley Stadium. It will be interesting to see how both teams fair this time around.