Leicester-Chelsea is a match valid for the twenty-seventh day of the Premier League and is played on Saturday at 4pm: TV, line-ups, predictions.
Two clues still won’t make a proof, but you don’t need a third (for now) to say that the two wins in a row between the Premier and Champions League are an important signal at Chelsea. Graham Potter may not have found a solution to all the problems facing the Blues yet, but he has certainly managed to shake some of the pressure off his shoulders after a hellish few weeks in which rumours of his possible sacking were practically the order of the day.
The Londoners, while still not enchanting, put an end to their month-long winless streak last Saturday by moving back up the table. They beat Leeds 1-0 at Stamford Bridge thanks to a goal from defender Fofana. Against the Whites, the former Brighton coach had no alternative to success to avoid making his position even more precarious. The real show of strength, the kind that can restore confidence, came during the week. In the return match of the Champions League round of 16 against Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea had to recover from the 1-0 defeat of the first leg and seemed to have little hope in front of a team in great form such as the yellow and red team, fresh from ten consecutive victories. Instead, the Blues played a perfect game, scoring the two goals they needed to overturn the German defeat and putting in a commendable defensive performance.
Leicester’s relegation nightmare returns
Having secured their quarter-final pass, Chelsea now have to make up some positions in the league, where they are in serious danger of being left out of everything.
Iheanacho
It will be far from easy to take points away from Leicester’s King Power Stadium, against an opponent who have stalled again and are back to reliving the relegation nightmare. Three defeats in a row have been suffered by the Foxes, who after scoring a combined eight goals against Aston Villa and Tottenham have gone scoreless in successive matches against Manchester United, Arsenal and Southampton. Worryingly, last Saturday’s defeat to the Saints means Leicester now only have a two-point lead over the red zone.
The Prediction
Chelsea have only lost twice in their last ten games at home to Leicester and should avoid defeat this time around. Passing the Champions League round might have been healthy for a team that has sorted out its defence but continues to have clear problems in possession. Let’s assume a narrow victory against the unpredictable Foxes, who seem to be in trouble again.
Leicester-Chelsea’s likely line-up
- LEICESTER (4-4-2): Ward; Pereira, Souttar, Faes, Castagne; Tete, Ndidi, Dewsbury-Hall, Maddison; Daka, Iheanacho.
- CHELSEA (3-4-3): Kepa; Badiashile, Koulibaly, Fofana; James, Kovacic, Enzo Fernandez, Chilwell; Sterling, Havertz, Joao Felix.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-2
