"We go into every game wanting to win" – Leicester City star Jamie Vardy sends message to Chelsea ahead of FA Cup clash
Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy has issued a warning to Chelsea ahead of their 2023-24 FA Cup quarter-final encounter at Stamford Bridge on Sunday (March 17).
The Blues, who are 11th with 39 points from 27 Premier League matches, will face the Foxes after defeating EFL Championship outfit Leeds United 3-2 in the FA Cup fifth round. They defeated Aston Villa and Preston North End in the fourth and third rounds respectively.
Leicester, on the other hand, will be heading into their upcoming FA Cup encounter on the back of their 1-0 fifth round victory over Premier League side Bournemouth. They eased past fellow Championship clubs Birmingham and Millwall earlier in the ongoing campaign.
Speaking recently to the BBC Radio Leicester, Vardy asserted that his team will try their best to come up with a plan to disrupt Chelsea's ongoing FA Cup run. He said (h/t LondonWorld):
"We go into every game wanting to win so we'll make sure we're recovered and we'll be back on the training field looking at how Chelsea play and how we can hurt them."
Sharing his thoughts on the Blues, the 37-year-old Englishman added:
"You just have to look at it as if it's another league game. There's nothing different. They've had their troubles, obviously have got brilliant players and on their day, they're an unbelievable team."
The Blues, who have progressed to the FA Cup semi-finals in five of the last seven campaigns, boast a fine head-to-head record against the Foxes. They have beaten the Championship side seven times in their last eight FA Cup outings, losing 1-0 in the 2021 summit clash.
Chelsea urged to rope in Spanish attacker
Speaking to GiveMeSport, transfer journalist Dean Jones suggested that the Blues should snap up Athletic Club attacker Nico Williams to replace Raheem Sterling in the future. He said:
"Aston Villa, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs have all had eyes on him too, and we should remember that amid the Chelsea hype. But if Raheem Sterling is leaving in the summer – which there is a chance of – this is a great player to be looking at to replace him."
Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Williams has cemented himself as a starter for Athletic Club. The 21-year-old has scored 15 goals and laid out 18 assists in 71 games in the aforementioned period of time.
Sterling, on the other hand, has received flak for his sub-par outings this term. The 29-year-old has contributed 17 goals and 13 assists in 73 matches since departing Manchester City for £47.5 million in 2022.