Head coach Enzo Maresca returns to the King Power Stadium on Saturday to face his former team for the first time, Chelsea takes on Leicester City in an important mid-season clash.
Both teams head into the matchup out of form, winless in their last two matches. Chelsea had back-to-back 1-1 draws with Manchester United and Arsenal but have still managed to keep their spot at 3rd place in the standings. Leicester City had a bad 3-0 loss to Manchester City two weeks back and drew 1-1 with Ipswich Town the week prior. They are currently in the bottom half of the table in 16th place with just 10 points through 12 matches.
Chelsea ace Cole Palmer has been quiet in the last few matches but has had a good season so far with six goals and four assists. Along with fellow attacker Noni Madueke, the pair have been able to create more chances than any other duo in the competition this season with 17.
Reece James has picked up yet another injury for Chelsea and will be missing for the trip to Leicester. Right-back Malo Gusto is also doubtful with an ankle injury as well as midfielder Romeo Lavia who has been battling a hamstring issue. Jadon Sancho, who missed a couple of matches recently due to illness, should be fit to feature this week.
On the Leicester side of the ball, Wilfred Ndidi has surprised many with his ability to control the ball in the opposition box. He has 4 assists for his team in just nine chances created, which may be inflated due to some terrific finishes by his teammates.
Leicester have also struggled with injuries to some of their key international players, with Abdul Fatawu staying sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury for the remainder of this season’s campaign. Jordan Ayew is questionable for this weekend after picking up an injury with Ghana but on the bright side, Jamie Vardy could return from a back injury.
Back-up goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk and right-back Ricardo Pereira are both still expected to stay on the sidelines and Facundo Buonanotte is suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season.
Chelsea Vs Leicester City Head-To-Head
The history between the two teams is heavily in favor of Chelsea who have won 62 out of the 125 matches between the two teams. Leicester City on the other hand have only managed to come away with 28 victories. The other 35 matches have ended in a draw.
Leicester City did however have at one point have success against Chelsea between 2018 and 2021, where they won 6 matches in a row. Since then, the team has not been able to continue to hold over their opponents, losing four of their last five in the EPL.
Chelsea have lost only one of their last seven matches away from home against Leicester City in the Premier League. They have also managed to score six goals in their last two away outings.
Leicester City have had a hard time against top teams in the league as of late, unable to secure a win in their last 13 matches against teams starting the game in the top four of the table. In that stretch they have conceded 35 goals, an average of 2.7 per game. Their last victory against a top seeded team was all the way back in 2021, when they beat Liverpool 1-0.
Chelsea also had success against Leicester City outside of the Premier League, beating them 4-2 in the FA Cup last season.
Chelsea Vs Leicester City Prediction
There is no doubt that Chelsea will enter the matchup as favourites against a struggling Lecister team but their recent woes will be of concern to their fans. The fact that Leicester City have been struggling with injuries should however help Chelsea’s cause. With the high-powered offense we predict that Chelsea will score multiple goals, while Leicester City will have a hard time finding the back of the net.
