Chelsea v Port Vale: Valiants can make 3/1 mark on handicaps | OneFootball

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Blues need a boost

When you've just been thrashed 8-2 on aggregate in the Champions League (5-2 away and 3-0 home v PSG) and taken only five points from the last six Premier League games to put hopes of a return to next season's UCL in big jeopardy, being handed a home draw against a League One side in the last eight of the FA Cup should feel very welcome.

But having watched their team lose the last four matches - three of those by three-goal margins - Chelsea fans won't be taking anything for granted when Port Vale visit Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea admittedly made light work of League One Charlton (5-1) and Championship side Hull (4-0) in rounds three and four, both those big wins coming on ther road.

But they had to dig deep against another Championship side, Wrexham. The Blues were 2-1 down with eight minutes left but found an equaliser and then took advantage of the hosts being reduced to 10 men by scoring twice in extra time.

Chelsea very rarely mess up when they get to this stage. Indeed, they've qualified from each of their last six FA Cup quarter-finals.

Vale have been chalk and cheese

A League One side making the FA Cup quarter-finals these days is a massive surprise. In such circumstances you'd expect the team in question to be top or at least pushing for promotion. Forget that, Port Vale are bottom of the table and 14 points from safety.

The Valiants have won just seven of their 38 League One games so how an earth have they reached this far? The short answer is via a series of 1-0 wins. They've edged out Bristol Rovers, Fleetwood, Bristol City and Sunderland by that minimum scoreline in the last four rounds, all four victories in front of their home fans.

Since shocking Sunderland (11th in the Premier League) in the last 16, they've lost four of their six League One games, winning just once. And yet here we are: Port Vale are about to kick off in their first FA Cup quarter-final in 72 years.

Blues expected to thrash Vale

Chelsea are at home and sit 61 spaces above the visitors in the pyramid. No wonder the odds are the most lopsided in memory for a tie at this stage of the competition.

In the match market, Chelsea are just 1/20, with Port Vale 25/1 and The Draw 15/120/1 to qualify for the semis.

11/8.

Chelsea's 4-2 home defeat to Bradford is in the list of great FA Cup shocks but the rather mundane reality is that since being turned over by the then League One Bantams, they've come through each of their last 37 cup ties (25 in the FA Cup) against lower-league opposition.

Vale can make it difficult

So what do we do here? Bet Chelsea to dish out a hammering, perhaps throwing in an anytime scorer bet.

For example, Estevao to score and Chelsea -2 pays around 5/4. Betfair are offering punters the chance to Bet £10 and Get £10 on Football Accas and Bet Builders, so that's a pro-Blues option.

The hosts may well indeed run out 4-0 or 5-0 winners but there are several ingredients that could have the home fans chuntering.

First, Chelsea have been poor at Stamford Bridge recently, being held by Leeds and Burnley before losing to both PSG and Newcastle. They scored just three goals in that run.

Second, we're coming off an international break which always causes disruption. On the plus side, it's given Chelsea's players opportunity for a reset but the reality is that several have questioned the wisdom of sacking previous boss Enzo Maresca. The implication is that they're not having new boss Liam Rosenior.

As for Port Vale, while a 4-0 defeat at Wycombe in their last away game seems ominous, before that their previous five road trips showed two wins and three defeats by a single-goal margin.

Chelsea are bound to give squad members a chance on Saturday but if some of them try too hard and overplay, Vale might just start to warm to the task. To add a bit of context, despite being rock bottom of League One, they've conceded 31 away goals this season which is only one more than fourth-placed Bradford.