Luton vs Chelsea – Chelsea will play Luton Town in the fifth round of the FA Cup tomorrow, hoping to get one step closer to another Wembley appearance after falling at the final hurdle in one domestic cup tournament already this season.
While the Blues lost a penalty shootout to Liverpool in the EFL Cup final at the weekend, Luton’s chances of making the top six in the Championship were bolstered by a narrow victory over Derby County.
Luton Town’s promotion to the Premier League is perhaps something few of its supporters could have imagined, but their playoff fate is now in their own hands following a strong run in England’s second tier.
Taking on a Derby County side in dire need of points at the opposite end of the table, Nathan Jones’ side scored a slender 1-0 win through substitute Danny Hylton in the 67th minute, which was enough to knock Sheffield United out of sixth place.
Despite Edouard Mendy playing an arguably faultless game for 118 minutes, Thomas Tuchel did not hesitate to throw Kepa Arrizabalaga onto the pitch against Liverpool with penalties approaching in a reversal of fortunes from the 2018-19 EFL Cup final.
It was a decision that ultimately backfired for the German coach, who saw his team miss multiple golden opportunities and have three goals disallowed at Wembley, as Kepa blazed his spot-kick over the bar in sudden death to give Liverpool their record ninth EFL Cup title.
Luton vs Chelsea – Hot stat:
Luton should be wary of a hurt Chelsea looking to make a statement at Kenilworth Road, but few teams have had much luck on the Hatters’ soil since the turn of the year.
The Luton fans’ expectations of an FA Cup upset aren’t unwarranted, but Tuchel can’t bear any more domestic losses for the time being, so we anticipate the Blues to get back on track and book a place in the quarter-finals.
Luton vs Chelsea – Head-to-Head:
Our Prediction: Away to Win
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