Chelsea v Middlesbrough. Middlesbrough's recent form has not been as good as it could have been. As a strong team, they have won the English League Cup and finished runners-up in the UEFA Cup final. However, in their most recent FA Cup fixture, they suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa and were in terrible form.
In addition, Middlesbrough have lost all of their last six competitive matches against Chelsea with a mediocre home record. They have just a 5-5 record in their last 10 home matches, a win rate of just 50%. This speaks volumes about their predicament and disadvantages against strong teams.
In contrast, Chelsea's recent form has been on a thriving streak, making it three wins in a row with a 4-0 thrashing of Preston North End in their last FA Cup fixture. The team has a strong attacking firepower, scoring at least two goals in all of their last 15 games, with at least three goals in 10 of those games. However, Chelsea's defensive problems should not be overlooked.
In their last 15 games, Chelsea have conceded 25 goals, an average of 1 goals per game66, which means they have certain holes and deficiencies on the defensive end. To sum up, although Middlesbrough has a rich history of glory and a certain amount of strength, there is still a big gap compared to Chelsea.
Chelsea have been in strong form of late, particularly in attack, but defensive issues are also worth paying attention to. Therefore, I personally think Chelsea are more likely to emerge victorious.