Chelsea vs Leicester City
Date: 22/12/2018
Venue: Stamford Bridge
KO: 15:00
Referee: Lee Probert
Chelsea host Leicester City this weekend with the Foxes looking to reverse their recent form against a Chelsea side riding on a high in the Premier League.
There is never really a good time to visit Stamford Bridge but now is probably one of the worst. Chelsea are in fantastic form, especially after their recent win against Manchester City. They play host to a Leicester side without a win in their last three, their most recent defeat in the league being last week’s 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace.
Claude Puel knows that his side have it in them to turn it around as the team is packed with quality and frightening pace which no defence will enjoy facing. However, Leicester haven’t beaten Chelsea in their last six meetings in all competitions dating back to December 2015.
Whatever happens, it is sure to be an interesting game as these have been hard-fought fixtures in the past.
Team News
All of Chelsea’s first-team regulars are fully fit and firing although there are doubts over some of the bit part players such as Gary Cahill, Victor Moses, and Andreas Christensen. Their midweek excursions in the Carabao Cup will have taken it out of them a little bit, but they have proved so far this year that playing twice a week is a task they are able to meet.
Maurizio Sarri has been pretty metronomic with his selection this year, bringing in people like Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the midweek games with Mateo Kovacic slotting back in for the Premier League. However, as I say every week, Loftus-Cheek continues to impress so it won’t be long before he earns his Premier League starting spot.
Issues upfront remain as Sarri opted to play Eden Hazard as a false 9 last week. The Italian could keep with this system or play either Alvaro Morata or Olivier Giroud as a more traditional forward.
Leicester too will have more or less a fully fit first team from which to pick. There are a few doubts over Jamie Vardy’s fitness but with the importance of this game being as it is, it is likely that he stays in, especially after being rested vs Manchester City in the Carabao Cup during the week.
It will be the pace of Vardy and Demarai Gray that will pose the biggest threat to Chelsea’s defence as long as they are well serviced by Marc Albrighton and James Maddison, who have been in good form this season. If these players all click on Saturday, Leicester are in with a shout.
Predicted Starting XIs
Chelsea (4-3-3): Kepa; Alonso, Rudiger, Luiz, Azpilicueta; Kovacic, Jorginho, Kante; Pedro, Hazard, Willian
Leicester City (4-2-3-1): Schmeichel; Pereira, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs; Mendy, Ndidi; Albrighton, Maddinson, Gray; Vardy
Score Prediction: Chelsea 3 Leicester City 1
I’m sorry Leicester fans but I don’t see your run of form turning around anytime soon. Chelsea are on a strong run in the league dispatching the likes of Manchester City and Brighton and this is helped with Eden Hazard back to scoring ways. It will be a difficult one for the Foxes and three points may be optimistic.
