Chelsea vs Preston prediction: ENGLAND: FA Cup betting tips on match 2024-01-05 17:30.
Eight-time FA Cup winners Chelsea begin their quest to win the trophy for the first time since 2018 on a high having won four of their last five matches across all competitions (L1). âIt is a good feeling to finish 2023 in this way,â manager Mauricio Pochettino said after they beat Luton 3-2 in their final league game of the calendar year, although they almost slipped up having led 3-0, with improvements still needed across the board at Stamford Bridge during the second half of this campaign.
Now with their sights on a third FA Cup meeting with Preston North End this millennium, Chelsea would gladly take a repeat of both prior wins via two-goal margins. Such an outcome wouldnât be a surprise either given that the Blues are now unbeaten in six home matches (W5, D1) and havenât lost an FA Cup game here since February 2019 (W9), scoring at least twice in all three such fixtures last season.
Preston havenât beaten Chelsea since 1981, when both sides were in Englandâs second tier, and they wonât be heading to London full of confidence after being beaten 2-0 by Sunderland on New Yearâs Day. Theyâre still in a good position to challenge for a play-off place in the Championship, and this fixture could be a welcome diversion after they ended 2023 and started 2024 with league defeats âto nilâ.
Few North End fans will remember the last of their two FA Cup titles in 1938 and as theyâve won only one of their last five away games (D1, L3), there appears little chance of a giant-killing happening here. Another reason to suggest theyâre unlikely to cause a big upset is that theyâve lost each of their last three FA Cup away games, all of them against sides also in the Championship at the time.
Players to watch: Cole Palmer has scored three times across Chelseaâs last five matches, while two of his three strikes at home this term opened the scoring. Prestonâs Alan Browne is another man used to opening the scoring as each of his last three strikes broke the deadlock â two of them on the road.
Hot streak: Chelsea last lost an FA Cup third-round tie at home in January 1998 (W19, D1).