Chelsea vs Sheffield Wednesday Predictions

Having secured their place in the Carabao Cup Final in mid-week, Chelsea are aiming to continue their progress in the FA Cup against mid-table Championship side Sheffield Wednesday at Stamford Bridge this weekend.

Chelsea battled their way past an injury-hit Tottenham Hotspur side on Thursday, though they were taken all the way to a penalty shootout by Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

The Blues should find it considerably less intense in their latest cup test against Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday however.  The Owls have only lost once in 8 matches, though their distinct lack of firepower has been a major feature of their play, despite their positive overall results.

Wednesday hit the net just 6 times on their way to securing 4 wins and 3 draws from their last 8 fixtures. Their only defeat during that period came in a 0-3 reverse to red-hot Hull City.

For Chelsea, Sunday’s contest will be wrapped in an extra layer of intrigue, with new signing Gonzalo Higuain set to feature for the Blues for the first time since completing his loan move from Juventus.

Along with facing Chelsea’s new centre forward, Sheffield Wednesday will have to contend with the Blues’ superb record at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have tasted defeat just once in 19 fixtures in all competitions there this season, and they have lost on home turf just 3 times in total since October 2017.

The Owls’ distinct lack of attacking thrust should ensure that they are on the back-foot for the vast majority of Sunday’s game. We expect Chelsea to be relatively unthreatened by their visitors, and we’re tipping the Blues to win to nil this weekend.

The Blues have kept a hugely impressive 7 clean sheets in their most recent 10 games at Stamford Bridge, so they should have little trouble keeping the Owls at arm’s length. We also envisage Chelsea finishing the contest with a healthy 3-0 winning scoreline.

Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea’s players will be desperate for new signing Gonzalo Higuain to hit the ground running, so expect them all to try their utmost to create numerous chances for the 31-year old on Sunday. With that in mind, we think it’s worth backing Higuain to score anytime against Wednesday this weekend.