**Date:** Saturday 4th April 2026
**Venue**: Stamford Bridge
**Kick-off:** 17:15 BST
After mercifully escaping Blue Co’s sleep-inducing football during the international break, this evening we’re back for what promises to be the ultimate “banana skin” showdown: Port Vale, equipped with little more than optimism and a well-worn bus pass, are storming Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup. If you thought the recent matches made drying paint seem thrilling, buckle up—because this might be the night Chelsea outdo themselves and take slapstick to the next level!
Our last outing was against Everton, where the squad looked like they’d just been evicted from a game of musical chairs—four losses in a row, and Rosenior on the touchline was basically the guy wandering the station, asking randoms if they’ve seen the last train to Dignity. Up next: FA Cup triumph…or just another episode of Chelsea Comedy Hour?
Port Vale pulled off the giant-killing act against Sunderland to make it here, whilst we needed extra time, divine intervention, and perhaps the luck of the Irish to squeeze past Wrexham. If Lady Luck was in attendance, she was definitely peeking through her fingers, hoping not to witness another Chelsea classic.
Ah, the FA Cup—the glory days before Clearlake’s masterclass in chaos, when it was basically Chelsea’s second home. Not that anyone remembers what the trophy looks like, as it hasn’t graced our cabinet since 2018. Meanwhile, Port Vale are fresh from a 4-0 drubbing at Wycombe and holding up League One. It’s only their second ever FA Cup quarter-final, so they truly have nothing to lose. Chelsea, on the other hand, have everything—especially our pride—on the line. What could possibly go wrong?
Since 2015-16, Chelsea have played 37 domestic cup matches against lower league sides and won every single one. But, as any Chelsea fan will tell you, records are a bit like managers under the new regime—here today, gone tomorrow!
**MANAGER’S VIEWS**
Going into today’s game, Liam Rosenior says, _“I’ll go back to the first game against PSG, it all fell apart in 15 minutes and there was a huge emotional dump that led into the next three games. The comments from Enzo, and Cucu’s interview, stems from that. It stems from a good place where they want the club to succeed. Enzo, firstly, as a character, a person and a player, I have the utmost respect. He’s frustrated because he wants us to be successful. In terms of the decision, it’s not all about me, or the sporting directors, the ownership, the players, we are aligned in our decision. The door is not closed on Enzo. It’s a sanction. You have to protect the culture and in terms of that, a line was crossed. Even at Everton, there was no lack of commitment in his performance. In terms of speaking for him, what he wants and his future, it’s not for me to speak about._
_We want to win. It’s not about me – it’s not about me winning silverware, it’s about the club being successful now and in the long term.”_
Port Vale manager, Jon Brady, meanwhile, says _“I’m looking forward to playing at Stamford Bridge, I think the players should. I’ve looked at their squad and they could probably put about three different teams out. You’re hoping all the South American players and Portuguese boys who’ve gone out to play in the US, you’re hoping maybe he’ll rest a few of them. But still, behind that, they’ve got an incredible squad._
_For us, we said Sunderland would be the ultimate test but it was at home and this, away, in world football it is a test for any top club. The prep doesn’t change much in terms of what you would do normally, you don’t want to overdo it with the players, you don’t want them to feel overloaded with too much information but you’ve got to show them where we can nullify \[Chelsea\] to a certain extreme in some cases but you know they’ve got so many threats it’ll be tough and in some way can we exploit them in some way.”_
**SQUAD NEWS**
For Chelsea, Levi Colwill (ACL), Trevoh Chalobah (ankle), Reece James (thigh), and Filip Jorgensen (groin) are all injured, whilst Mykhaylo Mudryk continues with the never ending suspension. Jamie Gittens and Benoit Badiashile are both available again but Enzo Fernandez isn’t, he’s been pulled from the squad because the owners’ egos dictate it.
For Port Vale, Ben Heneghan, George Byres and Jayden Stockley are injured, while Ryan Croasdale will face a late assessment.
**TEAMS**
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Sanchez; Acheampong; Tosin, Badiashile, Hato; Lavia, Essugo; Neto, Estevao, Garnacho; Delap
PORT VALE (Possible line-up): Gauci; Lawrence-Gabriel, C. Hall, Humphreys, John, Gordon; Ojo, Walters; Waine, Brown, Archer
**LAST MEETING**
Port Vale 1-0 Chelsea (6th April 1929)
**CURRENT FORM (ALL)**
CHELSEA: WWLLLL
PORT VALE: LDLWLL
**OTHER STUFF**
* Chelsea and Port Vale last met in any competition in April 1929 in a league encounter
* Port Vale have never won an away game against Chelsea in seven attempts
* Chelsea have progressed from 64 of their last 66 FA Cup ties against sides from outside the Premier League
* Port Vale have only appeared in one previous quarter final, losing to Leyton Orient (1953/4)
**PREDICTION**
[Sportsmole:](Preview: Chelsea vs Port Vale - prediction, team news, lineups - Sports Mole) Chelsea 4-1 Port Vale