Leicester v Chelsea – Preview, Predictions and Best Bets

Leicester host Chelsea at the King Power Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday. The Foxes have lost three matches in a row and sit just two points above the relegation zone. The Blues have won successive matches but can’t move higher than 10^th this weekend even with a win. Chelsea have just three wins in 10 Premier League matches against Leicester (drew five, lost two).

Leicester Form

Leicester have lost seven of their last 10 league fixtures and they look like genuine relegation fodder in their current form. Some good January business strengthened the side and they looked like they may have turned a corner. They won 4-2 at Aston Villa and 4-1 at home against Tottenham as they netted eight goals from 4.25 Expected Goals.

They’ve since lost three on the bounce without scoring. Against Man Utd, they dominated the first half and had nine shots in the first 20 minutes but eventually lost 3-0. A 1-0 home loss to Arsenal followed as they managed just a single shot in the 90 minutes. Last time out, they lost 1-0 at bottom-placed Southampton as they missed three ‘big chances’.

Leicester Team News

Brendan Rodgers has six injuries to contend with for this match. James Justin is out for the season and Youri Tielemans will miss the next six weeks due to an ankle injury. Victor Kristiansen has also damaged his ankle and is set for four weeks out.

Brendan Rodgers has six injuries to contend with for this match. James Justin is out for the season and Youri Tielemans will miss the next six weeks due to an ankle injury. Victor Kristiansen has also damaged his ankle and is set for four weeks out.

Leicester Motivation

Leicester needs something from this match. They’re just two points off the drop zone and all of West Ham, Leeds, and Everton have home matches this weekend.

A point would be a good result and something to build on. Their matches are usually open and they tend to leave big gaps once they fall behind.

Chelsea Form

The Blues have won two matches in a week having won just one of their previous 11 in all competitions. A 1-0 win against Leeds was slightly fortunate before progressing in the UEFA Champions League by beating Dortmund 2-0. They had just a third of the ball in that match and benefitted from a generous penalty decision.

Prior to that, they had only scored once in six matches and had lost 1-0 in Dortmund, 1-0 at home to then bottom-placed Southampton, and 2-0 away to Tottenham in a toothless display. Graham Potter’s side are winless in 10 away matches since October with just four goals scored, a disgraceful record on their travels.

Chelsea Team News

Graham Potter remains with Thiago Silva in defence but Benoit Badiashile is available for league action. He could replace Marc Cucurella on the left of the back three. N’Golo Kante is not yet ready to return and Edouard Mendy and Armando Broja are absent.

Mason Mount and Cesar Azpilicueta are nearing a return to the squad. It could be a similar XI to that which beat Dortmund although it’s possible that Reece James isn’t risked and Noni Madueke could feature in attack after being ineligible in midweek.

Chelsea Motivation

The Blues need a win. Their performances aren’t great but two successive wins have lifted their confidence. The players seem to be behind the coach.

Chelsea are likely to use a back three once again and could be pragmatic and focused on a win, not on ball possession or looking pretty.

Key Stats

Leicester have lost their last 3 EPL matches without scoring

Leicester have lost 4 of their last 6 home EPL fixtures to nil

Chelsea have won 3 of their last 10 PL matches against Leicester (D5, L2)

Chelsea are winless in 10 away matches in all competitions

CFC have failed to score in 6 of their last 10 away matches

Chelsea have the tied-2^nd best defensive record in the EPL

Verdict

This match isn’t easy to predict because Leicester are poor at home and Chelsea are dire on the road. This could be a low-scoring draw or Potter’s side could nick a 1-0 win perhaps by leaning on their strong backline. Not many goals are expected.

Best Bet: Under 2.5 goals at 1.83
Alternative Bet: Draw at 3.55
Multiple Leg: Chelsea win/draw double chance + under 3.5 goals at 1.76

James O'Connor

James is a football analyst who writes about the tactics of the PSL and English Premier League. He holds the UEFA A coaching licence and has previously worked for several clubs in analysis roles.Twitter: https://twitter.com/footy_analysis