You can bet on the tie when Liverpool meet Chelsea at Wembley for the second time this year.
Who do Bettors Favor?
Looking at the best sportsbook sites, we can see that Liverpool will start as favorites at Wembley as they can be backed at Evens. Chelsea, their rivals for the League Cup trophy back in February, are the big underdogs at +260, while the normal time draw is priced at +240.
How They Got to the Final
Jurgen Klopp's side had a straightforward road to the semi-finals, beginning with a third-round home match against Shrewsbury Town. A 4-1 success against the Shrews was followed by a 2-1 win over Premier League strugglers Norwich City in the Fourth Round. Nottingham Forest were defeated in the quarter-finals before an epic semi-final clash in which Liverpool led Manchester City 3-0 and won 3-2.
Chelsea's road to the FA Cup Final has been more challenging. They started with a 5-1 win against Chesterfield in the Third Round, but were forced into extra time by Plymouth the next round, and trailed Luton twice in the Fifth Round before winning 3-2. Thomas Tuchel's team played Middlesbrough in the quarter-finals but won thanks to goals from Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech, before going on to beat London rivals Crystal Palace in the semi-finals.
FA Cup History
Chelsea have lifted the FA Cup eight times, while Liverpool have won the famous old trophy on seven occasions, putting them third and fifth on the all-time winners’ list, respectively.
The Blues have had more success in recent years, reaching four of the last five FA Cup Finals, although ultimately they lost three of them, including the finals in 2021 and 2020. Liverpool, on the other hand, have not won the Cup since 2006 and were last in the Final in 2012.
So far these two rivals have met three times this season. Both Premier League games finished in draws, as did the League Cup Final in February, with extra time and penalties required before Liverpool finally overcame their London opponents.
FA Cup Top Pick
Liverpool are now three points behind Manchester City in the Premier League title race, giving City a significant edge and leaving the Reds with a big hill to climb if they are to achieve their quadruple ambitions.
The FA Cup, though, represents the most straightforward of the remaining three tournaments in what would be a historic trophy haul, and they will be eager to return to Anfield with another trophy. Both Mohamed Salah and Thiago Alcantara were rested for the Premier League encounter against Aston Villa in midweek, but they will be ready for Wembley.
Despite this, both clubs are concerned about injuries at the end of a long and demanding season. If Fabinho is unable to play at Wembley after being substituted against Aston Villa, Klopp will be forced into a major reshuffle, while Chelsea's N'golo Kante, Jorginho, and Callum Hudson-Odoi are also suffering injuries ahead of the Final.
Tuchel and Klopp are two of Europe's leading coaches and they battled it out in the League Cup Final in a tactical masterclass that was fascinating to watch. Chelsea's three-man defense, wing-backs, and fluid movement caused issues for Liverpool, but the Reds were as dangerous when overloading wide areas and counter-attacking. However, the two sides were eventually so evenly matched that only penalties separated them.
Because both sides may be without key midfield players, there will be less room for tactical variety in this game, and both teams may opt for a conservative approach. Given their previous history of stalemates, a regular-time draw appears to be the best bet right now.
FA Cup Goals Total Market
Liverpool and Chelsea have combined for six goals in their three previous encounters this season. Four of these occurred during a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge in February. Liverpool grabbed an early 2-0 lead in that game, but Christian Pulisic and Mateo Kovacic equalized before halftime, and the second half was less dramatic, as the game ended in a 2-2 tie.
But apart from that 45 minutes of football, there has been a notable lack of goalmouth activity when these two teams have faced this season, which is remarkable given Liverpool's fantastic scoring record of 2.47 goals per game, making them the league's most productive attacking club.
Chelsea's recent ability to match Klopp's team, which followed their dominance over Manchester City in the second half of last season, underlines that Tuchel has a knack for setting his team up to overcome stronger opponents, and with this being Chelsea's final chance to win silverware this season, I predict another well-organized Chelsea effort, with fewer than 2.5 goals in normal time.
Best Online Sportsbooks to Bet on the FA Cup
Check out the leading soccer betting sites below. You can get the best betting on Premier League and FA Cup soccer when you bet through these betting partners.
