Chelsea – Leeds United: Wembley for redemption or confirmation? 
Wembley is set for a FA Cup semi-final with all the weight of history and plenty of doubt hanging over it. Chelsea, in the middle of an institutional mess after Liam Rosenior’s exit, badly need some stability against a Leeds United side on the rise. For Chelsea, this is the only realistic route to salvage a rotten season and hand something back to supporters fed up with the way the club is being run. The prize is huge: a place in the final on 16 May against one of the two Manchester clubs or Southampton.
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Chelsea looking for a fresh start 
The London club are going through one of the bleakest spells in their modern history. Chelsea are in a period of soul-searching after Rosenior was binned with barely a fuss, leaving Calum McFarlane in charge on an interim basis. They are now on a dreadful run of six matches without scoring, a brutal statistical blip for a squad of this size. And yet Chelsea have flown through the earlier rounds, scoring at least four goals in each tie against weaker opposition. For this one, Chelsea could get major boosts with Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro back in training, two returns that might finally give their attack a pulse. The defence, though, has looked shaky for weeks and will be without Reece James and Levi Colwill. Chelsea know there is no room for error at Wembley if the BlueCo project wants even a little breathing space. Win here and Chelsea reach a 17th FA Cup final, a milestone that would at least put a bit of shine back on the badge.
Leeds United arrive with swagger 
Unlike their opponents, Leeds United are carrying themselves with real calm. Daniel Farke has built momentum, with seven games unbeaten, and virtually shut the door on any relegation worries in the Premier League. That lets Leeds go into this semi-final with real ambition, aiming to end 53 years of waiting for a cup final. Leeds may not have scored at Wembley since 1992, but Dom Calvert-Lewin’s form and the midfield steel provided by Ampadu make the Whites dangerous. Leeds have already shown they can get the better of Chelsea this season and will fancy their chances of feeding off the chaos inside the Blues camp.
Likely line-ups
Chelsea : Sanchez ; Acheampong, Chalobah, Hato, Cucurella ; Fernandez, Caicedo ; Palmer, Pedro, Neto ; Delap
Leeds United : Perri ; Struijk, Bijol, Rodon ; Bogle, Ampadu, Tanaka, Gudmundsson ; Aaronson, Okafor ; Calvert-Lewin
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Football prediction Chelsea vs Leeds United
Leeds to qualify
The form gulf between these two clubs is stark. While Chelsea sink deeper into an unprecedented attacking and managerial crisis, Leeds United have the cohesion and belief that the London side simply do not.
Chelsea’s chronic instability, highlighted by Rosenior’s departure and a long injury list including Mudryk, James and Estevao, makes McFarlane’s job close to impossible against a side as well-drilled as Farke’s. Leeds have the tools to punish Chelsea’s uncertainty and book their place in the final, with Wembley often a stage where outsiders come looking for their moment.
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