Chelsea travel to the KCOM Stadium to face Hull City on Saturday as both sides look to book their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
A Tom Evans hat-trick saw Hull overcame Rotherham in the previous round, while Chelsea advanced with a comfortable 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Hull come into this game on the back of consecutive 1-0 defeats to Fulham and Derby County respectively. Grant McCann’s side have now lost three of their last five league outings.
The Tigers currently sit 12th in the Championship table – seven points outside the play-off places and 15 clear of the relegation zone. However, Hull’s record of W11-D6-L11 underlines their inconsistency this season.
It’s fair to say that Chelsea have also been pretty inconsistent this term. The Blues are fourth in the Premier League – six points clear of fifth-place Manchester United – but they have struggled for stability throughout the campaign.
Frank Lampard’s side have only managed to win three of their previous nine league games – losing four and drawing two. After suffering a last-gasp defeat to Newcastle, Chelsea drew 2-2 with Arsenal last time out.
Despite playing the majority of the game against ten men, Chelsea failed to make their advantage count. The Blues registered 19 shots to Arsenal’s two, but the Gunners made the most of their opportunities.
Lampard is expected to bolster his defensive options in the January transfer window as his team continue to concede goals. Chelsea are also struggling to convert their chances, so another striker is likely to join the club this month.
Hull have failed to beat Chelsea in any of their previous 10 FA Cup meetings, while the Blues thrashed Hull 4-0 in the fifth round two seasons ago.
Chelsea are also unbeaten in their last 15 games against Hull – winning 13 and drawing two. This will fill the Premier League outfit with plenty of optimism.
Lampard is likely to start Callum Hudson-Odoi on Saturday as the teenager looks to add to his impressive tally of two goals and two assists in three FA Cup starts.
However, Tammy Abraham is a doubt for the trip to the KCOM Stadium after picking up a knock against Arsenal, but Reece James is in line to make a comeback.
Hull have a number of injuries, with Kevin Stewart, Jon Toral, Norbert Balogh, Stephen Kingsley all sidelined. But Kamil Grosicki and Jordy de Wijs could make a return to the team this weekend.
Forebet predicts that Chelsea will edge past Hull to claim a low-scoring victory. The top-flight side will also be confident of keeping a clean sheet against lower-league opposition.