In Profile: Sunday's FA Cup Quarter-Final Opponents, Chelsea

First Team
26 Jun 2020
4 Minutes
Chelsea visit King Power Stadium for a behind-closed-doors Emirates FA Cup Quarter-Final against Leicester City on Sunday (4pm kick-off).

The two sides have already met twice in the Premier League this season, drawing on both occasions, while the third-placed Foxes are currently above the Blues by one spot in the top-flight standings.

Ahead of the last-eight tie on Filbert Way - due to be played without spectators present for the safety of all due to COVID-19 - LCFC.com takes a closer look at Frank Lampard's side...

The manager

The former Blues midfielder has enjoyed a productive first season as manager in the capital.

Romford-born Frank Lampard is a man who requires no introduction to football followers around the world after a trophy-laden, 13-year spell at Stamford Bridge as a player.

Lampard, son of West Ham United legend Frank Lampard Sr., initially followed in his father's footsteps during his early playing career, emerging through the Upton Park club's academy.

Signed by future Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri at Chelsea in 2001, the midfielder would go on to carve his name into Stamford Bridge folklore forever.

It was under the management of José Mourinho when Lampard would truly flourish, winning both the Premier League title and the League Cup during their first season together.

While managers changed at the Bridge, Lampard's winning touch remained and his 211 goals in 646 appearances coincided with the most successful spell in the Club's history.

Domestically, Lampard won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups and two Community Shields, while UEFA Champions League and Europa League honours came in 2012 and 2013.

Before retirement, he also starred for Major League Soccer's New York City and Manchester City, on loan, and in the summer of 2018 he was named as manager of Sky Bet Championship side Derby County.

Lampard guided the Rams to the Play-Off Final, where they were beaten by Aston Villa, but last summer, following the departure of Maurizio Sarri, an emotional return to Chelsea was announced.

This season, the Blues are competing for a place in the top four of the Premier League and remain in this season's Champions League campaign - though they trail 3-0 after their Round of 16 first leg defeat to Bayern Munich.

The squad

Pulisic opens the scoring against 2018/19 champions Manchester City on Thursday.

While Chelsea supporters will be disappointed to have lost two-time league winner Eden Hazard to Real Madrid last summer, the Blues have performed admirably on several fronts this term.

The west London side have a series of experienced operators, including Willian, Marcos Alonso and César Azpilicueta, but the likes of Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Tammy Abraham have progressed well.

Spanish midfielder Pedro, meanwhile, has an incredible CV following Chelsea's UEFA Europa League success, taking his tally of major honours to 25 since emerging on the scene in the Tercera División.

The 32-year-old has now won the World Cup, European Championship, Club World Cup, Champions League, Super Cup, Europa League, Premier League, FA Cup, La Liga, Copa Del Rey and Supercopa de España.

In Chelsea's squad, Foxes supporters will recognise two figures - N'Golo Kanté and Danny Drinkwater (on loan at Aston Villa) - the midfield pairing which won the title with City at King Power Stadium in 2016.

Abraham is their top goalscorer this season with 15 goals, including four assists, while Willian and Christian Pulisic both have eight efforts to their names after netting in Thursday's 2-1 win over Manchester City.

Earlier this month, Chelsea completed the signing of RB Leipzig's Timo Werner, signing a five-year deal at Stamford Bridge, after also securing Ajax's Hakim Ziyech in February - both for next season.

The trophy cabinet 

A Champions League triumph in 2012 is among the highlights in Chelsea's history.

Chelsea enjoyed success during their early seasons, lifting a combined eight trophies before the millennium, but it was the arrival of owner Roman Abramovich which inspired their post-2003 achievements.

Across their entire 114-year history, the Blues have won the English title on six occasions - in 1955, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015 and 2017 - alongside eight FA Cup triumphs and League Cup successes. 

An indicator of Chelsea's regular presence at the top table of English football comes with the fact that they have just two Second Division titles to their name, in 1984 and 1989.

Meanwhile, in the 21st century, Chelsea have lifted 17 trophies, including the UEFA Champions League in 2012, where they beat Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena, the German club's own stadium.

They've also won the Europa League on two occasions and have secured two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups and one UEFA Super Cup. Four Community Shields complete the impressive list.

The stadium

The record attendance at Stamford Bridge was 82,905 in 1935.

Stamford Bridge has been Chelsea's permanent home venue since the club's foundation in 1905, although it had in fact been used by other local sports clubs since 1877.

It has staged England internationals, FA Cup finals and semi-finals and Community Shield fixtures, as well as hosting cricket, rugby union, speedway, greyhound racing, baseball and American football.

With just over 40,000 seats, Stamford Bridge is the ninth-largest stadium in the Premier League and plans to expand the ground to a capacity closer to 60,000 are in discussion. 

The stadium's largest attendance, meanwhile, was 82,905, for a match between Chelsea and Arsenal on 12 October, 1935, before Stamford Bridge was modernised in the 1990s into an all-seater venue.

The fixtures

Willian celebrates netting his side's second goal against Manchester City.

Chelsea followed up a victory at Aston Villa with a 2-1 win over Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, a result which confirmed Liverpool's status as Premier League champions.

Following Sunday's visit to Leicester in the FA Cup, meanwhile, Frank Lampard's men head to London Stadium to tackle West Ham United on Wednesday (8:15pm kick-off).

Their remaining games also then include Watford (H), Crystal Palace (A), Sheffield United (A), Norwich City (H), Liverpool (A) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (H).

In August, on the other hand, it is scheduled for the Blues to resume their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie against Bayern Munich. They lost the first leg 3-0.

Support your club. Stay safe. Follow at home.

All times BST.