Chelsea vs Leicester City: Looking To Make A Statement
Chelsea will be hoping to make a statement when they welcome defending champions Leicester City to Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Neither side has made the start to the season they would have wanted.
Chelsea being off the title pace in seventh position and Leicester languishing down in 12th. Both will be looking to gain some momentum at the expense of each other. Chelsea can move into the top four with a victory whilst the Foxes will return to the top half of the table with a win.
This is the first time Italian managers Antonio Conte and Claudio Ranieri will face each other in the Premier League.
CHELSEA
Antonio Conte is yet to settle on a system at Stamford Bridge this term. However, he is likely to persist with the 3-4-3 system that worked particularly well against Hull and in the second half of the morale-bruising 3-0 loss to Arsenal.
Chelsea’s own back-line hardly looks watertight after keeping just two clean sheets in nine competitive matches themselves. Chelsea were handed a boost as John Terry took part in a full training session with the rest of the squad. The Chelsea captain picked up his injury in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw at Swansea. He is now set for a first team return. In his absense, Chelsea has leaked goals at an alarming rate, as the center-back pair of David Luiz and Gary Cahill performed well below their best.
Brazilian midfielder Willian will not play against Leicester city after being given compassionate leave to return home following the death of his mother.
Antonio Conte’s men ended a two-match losing streak with a 2-0 win over Hull City before the international break. Having put four past the reigning Champions in last month’s EFL Cup game, the Blues will feel confident of adding to the visiting defence’s woes in this one. On the other hand, a strong result against the reigning champions would represent a significant morale-booster for a team still finding its feet under new management.
LEICESTER CITY
Champions Leicester City are still the team to beat in the Premier League despite their sluggish start to the campaign. They need to string together a series of wins to rebuild their confidence. Leicester losing three of their opening seven games, have yet to recapture the stunning form they displayed last season.
Danny Drinkwater faces a late fitness test before Leicester City look to turn around their poor away form.
Claudio Ranieri is at a loss to explain Leicester City’s away-day blues in the Premier League this season. But defeats at Hull City, Liverpool and Manchester United could have the ‘Tinkerman’ reaching for changes on Saturday.
The Foxes are currently ten points of the top of the league with just two victories thus far. Their fortunes have been vastly different from last season, where they only lost three league games all season. Their points total is the joint-second lowest by a defending champion at this stage of the season – equal with Chelsea last season. They also became the first defending champions to lose their opening game of the following season, losing to newly-promoted Hull City.
Not only have Claudio Ranieri’s team failed to take a single point from their three away games so far, they also have the league’s worst defensive record on the road after conceding four goals in each of their last two trips.
With Chelsea not competing in Europe this season, the Blues do not have a midweek fixture next week. While Leicester have to keep an eye on the mid-week clash in Champions League. Despite dominating all-time result against Leicester, Chelsea failed to win a single Premier League game against the Foxes last season.
Predicted Starting Lineups
Chelsea (3-4-3): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Terry, Luiz; Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro, Costa, Hazard.
Leicester City (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Simpson, Huth, Morgan, Fuchs; Mahrez, Drinkwater, Amartey, Albrighton; Slimani, Vardy.
Picture Courtesy: Metro