Chelsea will aim to secure a spot in the FA Cup semi-finals when they welcome Port Vale to Stamford Bridge for the quarter-final on Saturday.
The dreaded international break is finally behind us, and clubs will be fully focused on ending their 2025/26 campaigns on a high. In England, all eyes will be on the FA Cup quarter-finals this weekend, and Chelsea vs Port Vale may be the most one-sided match of this round.
Chelsea may have fizzled out after a solid start to life under Liam Rosenior, but they have been exceptional in the FA Cup. The Blues have often scored goals for fun, beating Charlton Athletic 5-1, Hull City 4-0, and Wrexham 4-2 to secure a spot in the quarter-finals. While Wrexham gave the West London club a scare in the fifth round, they eventually wrapped up the victory in extra time.
However, the Blues have been horrendous in recent weeks, and they lost four consecutive games before the international break. On the other hand, Port Vale entered the 2025/26 FA Cup in the first round, and they have been one of the fairytale stories of this season’s competition. The Valiants began their campaign with a 5-1 win over Maldon & Triptree before beating Bristol Rovers, Fleetwood Town, and Bristol City.
However, the shock victory came over Sunderland in the fifth round, as they produced a resolute display to secure a 1-0 victory. That result was surprising, as Jon Brady’s charges are at the bottom of the EFL League One table, with safety a faint dream for Port Vale.
Team News & Tactics
Chelsea
Liam Rosenior has received a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Chelsea head coach will be bereft of the services of as many as half a dozen first-team players vs Port Vale on Saturday.
Enzo Fernandez is the latest absentee for the home side, with Liam Rosenior confirming his unavailability on disciplinary grounds. Additionally, Filip Jorgensen (groin), Levi Colwill (knee), Reece James (thigh), and Trevoh Chalobah (ankle) remain in the treatment room, while Mykhailo Mudryk continues to serve a suspension. However, Benoit Badiashile and Jamie Gittens should be available to take on Port Vale.
Robert Sanchez is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Port Vale this weekend. The backline will feature Josh Acheampong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, and Jorrel Hato. Mamadou Sarr will start at the heart of the defence if Badiashile is not fit enough to feature from the get-go.
As for the midfield unit, Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo should make rare starts as they continue to improve their fitness. Estevao Willian will reprise the no. 10 role, with Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho being the two wide attackers. Finally, Joao Pedro will lead the line for Chelsea against Port Vale on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Acheampong, Tosin, Badiashile, Hato; Lavia, Essugo; Neto, Estevao, Garnacho; Pedro
Port Vale
Unlike his counterpart in the Chelsea dugout, Jon Brady has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge. The Port Vale head coach may be without four first-team players on Saturday.
Ben Heneghan, George Byres, and Jayden Stockley remain in the treatment room, while Ryan Croasdale faces a late fitness test to determine his availability. Otherwise, Brady has a full-strength squad to take on Chelsea.
Joe Gauci should take his spot between the sticks, with Port Vale lining up in a 3-4-3 formation in front of him vs Chelsea on Saturday. The central defensive unit will feature Connor Hall, Cameron Humphreys, and Kyle John. Meanwhile, Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel and Liam Gordon will be the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will primarily protect the three centre-backs but also look for opportunities to provide width in the final third. As for the midfield unit, Funso Ojo and Rhys Walters will pair up in the central areas, aiming to hold the fort in the middle of the park. Finally, Dajaune Brown will spearhead the Port Vale attack against Chelsea, with Ben Waine and Ethon Archer completing the numbers in the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Gauci; Connor Hall, Humphreys, John; Lawrence-Gabriel, Ojo, Walters, Gordon; Waine, Brown, Archer
Key Stats
- Chelsea and Port Vale last met in any competition in April 1929 in a league encounter, which the Valiants won 1-0. All 14 meetings between the teams were in the second tier between 1905/06 and 1928/29 (7 Chelsea wins, 4 draws, 3 Port Vale wins). Port Vale have never won an away game against Chelsea in seven attempts (D1 L6), with only four teams playing more times there without a win: Hull City (23 games), Bristol City (13), Reading (10), and Swindon Town (8).
- Chelsea have progressed from 64 of their last 66 FA Cup ties against sides from outside the Premier League, failing in this run only against Barnsley in 2007/08 and Bradford City in 2014/15. In domestic cup competitions since 2015/16, the Blues have taken part in 37 ties against lower-league teams and progressed from all 37.
- Port Vale will play in their second-ever FA Cup quarter-final, previously reaching this stage in the 1953/54 campaign when they knocked out Leyton Orient. In the time between the Valiants’ last appearance at this stage, Chelsea have played 30 quarter-final ties.
- After beating Sunderland in the fifth round, Port Vale will aim to become the first side from the third tier or lower to eliminate two Premier League clubs in an FA Cup campaign since Wigan Athletic in 2017/18 (3 – Bournemouth, West Ham United, Manchester City). The Valiants also achieved this feat in 1953/54 (the season of their only previous quarter-final), knocking out Cardiff City and Blackpool.
- Ben Waine has scored three FA Cup goals this season, including Port Vale’s winner in the fourth and fifth round ties with Bristol City and Sunderland. The last player to score four times in a campaign in the competition for the club was Tom Pope in 2019/20.
Player to Watch
Joao Pedro
While Ben Waine, Dajaune Brown, and Estevao Willian were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Joao Pedro as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s FA Cup clash between Chelsea and Port Vale at Stamford Bridge.
The Brazilian international has scored seven goals in his last seven FA Cup appearances. Six of these strikes have come since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, with no player netting more times in the competition in this period. So, with Chelsea in trouble amid the losing streak, Pedro will be the go-to player for the home side this weekend.
Prediction
Chelsea 3-1 Port Vale
Chelsea’s struggles in recent weeks may fill Port Vale with confidence ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final clash. With the away side having nothing to lose, they will take the game to the Blues and may even secure a shock lead in the first half.
However, as the minutes wear on, the gulf in quality between the two sides will become clear, and the home side will blow Port Vale away. Joao Pedro and Estevao Willian will deliver the goods in the final third, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Liam Rosenior and his charges.
