Chelsea’s problems deepened on Tuesday night with a 3-0 defeat to Brighton, doing little to ease concerns ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United.
Liam Rosenior’s side have now lost five straight Premier League games without finding the net, their worst run in 114 years, which is far from ideal preparation for such a big occasion.
Leeds, on the other hand, come into the tie on the back of wins over Manchester United and Wolves and will be full of confidence, no matter the outcome of their trip to Bournemouth later tonight.
Former Chelsea star Jason Cundy has already backed Leeds to beat the Blues on Sunday, and more pundits are joining the queue to anoint Leeds as the favourites.
Stuart Pearce makes a huge claim ahead of Leeds vs Chelsea showdown
The former England star has admitted that the script has completely flipped since the semi-final draw came out, when Chelsea were deemed the favourites.
He is certain that Chelsea cannot beat Leeds if they play the way they did against Brighton on Tuesday night, and concedes that he cannot see how the Blues will improve in such a short period of time before Sunday.
Given Chelsea’s form, Pearce is expecting Leeds to reach the FA Cup final this season.
“When the draw came out a few weeks ago, Chelsea were overwhelming favourites to beat Leeds in this upcoming semi-final – now I’m not so sure”, Pearce said on talkSPORT.
“Especially when you compare the way Chelsea have been playing to the way Leeds have been playing, there is no comparison.
“For Liam Rosenior, this has become a must-win game. Who knows? If they can win a semi-final and go on and win the FA Cup, then opinions might change on him.
“But in all honesty, it is hard to see it. I don’t see much improvement from them week to week.
“I think they have lost momentum, and at Wembley, if they play like they have tonight against Brighton, then Leeds are going to be in an FA Cup final in a few weeks.”
Daniel Farke’s men have the edge
Chelsea have found things tough against Leeds this season, losing 3-1 at Elland Road late last year before settling for a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in February.
Leeds, meanwhile, have made the most of those encounters, taking four points from a possible six against one of their traditional rivals.
That said, a Wembley semi-final is a different test altogether, and Chelsea may hold the edge when it comes to players experienced in high-pressure moments.
Still, those earlier results won’t be forgotten. Leeds will head into the game believing they can get the better of a Chelsea side currently struggling for form, confidence and fitness.
As it stands, Leeds are somewhat surprisingly going into the FA Cup clash as favourites to beat the Blues.
