The Chelsea vs Port Vale clash should be a really entertaining match in the quarter-finals of the 2025/26 FA Cup as both sides fight for a chance to play at Wembley Stadium in their upcoming meeting at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.
Chelsea vs Port Vale might be a bit of a ‘David vs Goliath’ battle because of the disparity in the quality of both squads, but the Premier League side will have to fight hard to eliminate the stubborn League One side from the FA Cup, as a really eventful battle can be expected when these two sets of players collide.
Match Details
Stamford Bridge
London, England
Saturday, April 4
16:15 GMT
Dejected Chelsea Eager To Regain Winning Form Against Unpredictable Port Vale
The Chelsea vs Port Vale should turn out to be a fascinating FA Cup quarter-final because of the huge difference in quality between the two squads.
Chelsea, for one, are in desperate need of a big win after having lost their last four successive matches before the March international break, which included a battering to PSG in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
Liam Rosenior is feeling the pressure of the job and needs his side to produce a dominant display against the lower-league opposition.
The Blues will need to be ruthless in converting their chances to entertain the Stamford Bridge crowd, and need to be much sturdier defensively to avoid any kind of embarrassment.
Port Vale, meanwhile, have nothing much to lose here, and they’ll be aiming to thrive with the underdog tag that they have been labelled with.
The League One side will need to keep a really stubborn defensive shape to annoy the Premier League side and be accurate in finishing their chances to be able to pull off a huge upset and make it to the semi-finals.
Chelsea have actually only won two of their last five meetings against Port Vale, with their last happening in the 1920s, and Port Vale actually defeated them in their last meeting, which the Blues look to get revenge for almost a century later!
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Inconsistent Alejandro Garnacho Determined To Keep Solid Cup Form Going Against Port Vale
Alejandro Garnacho has been troubled by inconsistency ever since joining Chelsea from Manchester United in 2025, but he’s at least proven himself to be a pretty good player in the cup competitions for the London giants.
The Argentine winger has one goal in three FA Cup games and is determined to add more to his tally in the upcoming clash against Port Vale at Stamford Bridge.
Garnacho will be looking to make good use of his pace and sprinting ability to dart into the key areas in the final third to torment his opponents.
However, the winger needs to be more accurate with his final third passes and also ruthless with his finishing to be able to inspire Chelsea towards a big win in their upcoming cup match.
Could Versatile Ben Waine Inspire Port Vale To A Shock Win At Stamford Bridge?
Port Vale realises that they’ll have to produce a truly outstanding performance in order to be able to get a win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
They will definitely need their star forward Ben Waine at his absolute best for the trip to face Chelsea and need him to maintain his impressive form in the FA Cup as well.
Waine has scored three goals in the four FA Cup matches for Port Vale so far, including the winning goal against Sunderland in their previous round.
The New Zealand forward will need to be proactive with his movement to help his side out defensively, as well as fulfilling his primary objective of finishing off chances clinically and guiding his side to another famous cup win.
Chelsea vs Port Vale Injuries
Chelsea Injuries: Levi Colwill, Filip Jorgensen, Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Jamie Gittens (doubt), Benoit Badiashile (doubt)
Port Vale Injuries: Ben Heneghan, George Byers
Chelsea vs Port Vale Predicted Lineups
Here are our Chelsea vs Port Vale predicted lineups.
Chelsea Predicted XI: Robert Sanchez (GK), Malo Gusto, Josh Acheampong, Jorrel Hato, Marc Cucurella, Andrey Santos, Moises Caicedo, Estevao Willian, Cole Palmer, Alejandro Garnacho, Joao Pedro
Port Vale Predicted XI: Joe Gauchi (GK), Jordan Gabriel, Kyle John, Cameron Humphreys, Connor Hall, Jaheim Headley, Funso Ojo, Ben Garrity, Ben Waine, Ethon Archer, George Hall
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Pro Sports Images
Recording Date: 07.03.2026
