Chelsea key clashes at Leicester; Lampard’s Blues vs. desire and time

3. Reece James vs. Ben Chilwell

The match-up between these two talented, young defenders will grab all of the headlines in this FA Cup quarterfinal tie. Unfortunately, this is due to the rumors linking Ben Chilwell with a move to Chelsea moreso than it is the talent of each defender. Expect to see a wonderful clash between two key players get swept under the rug due to transfer speculation.

That said, the speculation and hype around Chilwell to Chelsea isn’t unwarranted, nor is it irrelevant. Chilwell is Chelsea’s top transfer target at the moment as Lampard loves the English left back. Blues fans will have their eyes and ears fixated on one Leicester player and one Leicester player only: the 23-year-old. His clash with Reece James is going to be a show for the ages, however.

James had a poor showing in his few minutes on the pitch at Aston Villa and didn’t feature against Manchester City. This puts him in a position to start at the King Power Stadium, lining up a match-up between what could be the two Chelsea fullbacks next season. The last time the two squared off against one another, Chilwell got the last laugh as he netted a fantastic goal by firing a shot right by James into the left of the goal.

James will be looking to one-up Chilwell in the quarterfinal game. The aspect of this clash that makes it so intriguing to spectators is the technical ability possessed by both young stars. Both Chilwell and James are known for their incredible ability to make dashing runs down the sideline and join the attack when necessary. They each possess the skillset to strike a scrumptious cross, but are strong defensively. That doesn’t go without saying the occasional error doesn’t occur.

Regardless, with Chelsea fans still infatuated by the upbringing of James, watching him go up against a transfer target in Chilwell is a match made in heaven. If you like precise passing and crosses, this is the key clash to keep an eye on at Leicester.