This crucial knockout fixture revives an ancient grudge stretching back six decades, its origin found in a tense game at the same stage of the competition back in 1967.

The rivalry’s explosive rise to fame in the 1970 final lured record audiences to crowd round television sets for more drama than any small-screen thriller. The Blues won both those games and have in fact never lost to the Peacocks in a cup fixture in nine previous match-ups.

It is 39 years since the Yorkshire club reached the last four of England’s most storied trophy-chase, losing 3-2 to eventual winners Coventry City in 1987. That was their fourth successive exit one step away from the final, which they have also reached four times.

While Chelsea put seven past League One giant-killers Port Vale in our quarter-final, Daniel Farke’s hard-working side needed penalties to overcame fellow relegation battlers West Ham United.

The world champions have now reached the FA Cup semi-finals seven times over the past 10 seasons and are aiming to reach the final for the 17th time overall.

The Blues have netted four or more goals in each round to date and could become the first side in FA Cup history to do so in five consecutive games.

Chelsea's run to the semi-finals

Third round Charlton Athletic (a) W 5-1
Fourth round Hull City (a) W 4-0
Fifth round Wrexham (a) W 4-2 (aet)
Quarter-finals Port Vale (h) W 7-0

Leeds' run to the semi-finals

Third round Derby County (a) W 3-1
Fourth round Birmingham City (a) D 1-1 (4-2 pens)
Fifth round Norwich City (h) W 3-0
Quarter-finals West Ham United (a) D 2-2 (4-2 pens)

Team news

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, interim head coach Calum McFarlane confirmed that Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer are both back in training, with a chance they could play against Leeds.

‘Joao and Cole both trained today and are in a good place,' he said. 'We don’t know yet [whether they can feature on Sunday], but we have another day tomorrow to have a look at them and then make a call on them.

‘We hope [they can be involved against Leeds], but it’s important we give them time. We are going to train tomorrow, they will both be involved, and we will make a call on them after that session.’

The news wasn't so positive on Estevao Willian, though, with the Brazilian now set to miss this game and the rest of our campaign with a hamstring injury.

‘Estevao unfortunately won’t play for us this season. He will be out for a little bit of time,' confirmed McFarlane.

‘We’re not sure how long he will be out for, but he certainly won’t play for us again this season, unfortunately. That’s really unfortunate for him, especially for someone so young and as talented as he is, but we are here to support him and be around him.'

The history

The roots of the mutual loathing between the Kings of the King’s Road and the Pride of Yorkshire are many, including a rancorous cup tie in 1952 that the Blues ultimately won 5-1 with Yorkshire-born Chelsea junior Bobby Smith hitting a hat-trick. However, it was vivid back-to-back encounters in the mid-Sixties that truly set the tone.

Tommy Docherty’s Diamonds beat Don Revie’s team in round four of the 1965/66 competition, thanks to an early Bobby Tambling strike, then, the following year, more controversially, won a semi-final.

Tony Hateley netted what proved the winner just before half-time at Villa Park, but referee Ken Burns dramatically disallowed a very late direct free-kick equaliser to huge protests. The Blues lost the 1967 Wembley showpiece to Tottenham Hotspur but bounced back to face Leeds there just three years later.

A feisty 2-2 draw at the national stadium in April 1970 meant the first final replay of the post-war era. The rematch at Old Trafford, watched by a UK TV audience of 28.49 million – still a record for a club football match – was infamous for its controversial incidents and tolerant officiating.

The Yorkshiremen drew first blood on the score sheet through Mick Jones and it was 42 minutes before Peter Osgood famously buried Charlie Cooke’s cross in reply. Then, in extra time, Ian Hutchinson’s long throw was flicked on and David Webb forced the ball over the line for the first of Chelsea’s eight FA Cup triumphs.

As if that epic was deemed too X-rated for public consumption, the first proper rematch of that epic tussle did not come about until February 2024, when Leeds were a Championship side. Youngster Mateo Joseph scored both Leeds’ goals from Jaidon Anthony assists, but Nicolas Jackson, Mykhailo Mudryk and Conor Gallagher, turning and finishing smartly at the death, earned the Londoners a 3-2 fifth round victory.

Previous FA Cup meetings

1936/37 Third round Stamford Bridge W 4-0 Argue, Spence 2, Mills
1951/52 Fifth round Elland Road D 1-1 Smith
1951/52 Fifth round replay Stamford Bridge D 1-1 (aet) D'Arcy
1951/52 Fifth round replay Villa Park W 5-1 Bentley, Smith 3, Gray
1965/66 Fourth round Stamford Bridge W 1-0 Tambling
1966/67 Semi-finals Villa Park W 1-0 Hateley
1969/70 Final Wembley D 2-2 (aet) Houseman, Hutchinson
1969/70 Final replay Old Trafford W 2-1 (aet) Osgood, Webb
2023/24 Fifth round Stamford Bridge W 3-2 Jackson, Mudryk, Gallagher

Know this

The world champions are the leading scorers in this season’s competition with 20, our third-highest total in an FA Cup campaign after 1969/70 and 2006/07.

Chelsea are in the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2024 and the 28th in our history. The Blues have advanced to the final from nine of our past 11 FA Cup last-four ties.

FA Cup final appearances

The Londoners won each of the six previous FA Cup ties against Leeds. Only Arsenal (eight) have knocked the Peacocks out of the competition more often than Chelsea.

Hull City are the only club we have faced more regularly in this competition without losing. Our record against the Tigers is nine wins from nine games, including 4-0 in this season’s fourth round.

Excluding the three matches played there as Tottenham’s home ground, this is Chelsea’s 31st game at the new Wembley Stadium since it opened in 2007.

Chelsea's biggest-ever win in the last four of this competition was 5-1 against Watford in 1970, before beating Leeds in the final. We matched that scoreline at the same stage against Spurs in 2012.

The Blues were the first Football League club from London to reach the FA Cup final in 1915.

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