This is a top of the table clash that will tell us a lot about both teams. It is a fixture that Chelsea need to win in order to relieve the pressure on Frank Lampard. Three points would strengthen the Blues’ league position and move them closer to a top four berth. Leicester currently have ambitions of finishing in one of those positions and are in third position at the time of writing. Six points separate the two teams and the visitors are the ones facing all the pressure ahead of this meeting.
Leicester City have managed to bounce back from their disappointing end to last season. They are currently in 3rd position and are placed to challenge for Champions League qualification for the second year running. Brendan Rodgers deserves great credit for establishing the Foxes as a genuine contender at the top of the division. They are just two points off the top and their consistency in recent weeks has been really impressive. At the weekend, they dominated Southampton and were unlucky not to win by a bigger margin. They will be confident of picking up a win over Chelsea on Tuesday.
Chelsea managed to pick up the three points on Saturday, but the performance was far from perfect. Lampard faced criticism for his team selection, as Timo Werner and Kai Havertz were both left out of the starting eleven. However, the bigger surprise was the non-selection of Callum Hudson-Odoi. The England international has been their most consistent attacker in recent weeks and he changed the game after being brought on as a substitute. A much better performance will be needed if they are to beat Leicester on Tuesday.
Interesting stats
Jamie Vardy attempted seven shots during the victory against Southampton. This was his most without a goal in a Premier League match.
Chelsea have now kept four away clean sheets in the Premier League this season. They only kept one throughout the entirety of the last campaign.
Key men
Vardy
It has been another excellent season for Jamie Vardy to date, as he shows no sign of slowing down, despite his advancing years. The striker has contributed 11 goals and five assists so far this season. He is averaging 2.6 shots per game, which is slightly up from last year. This shows the threat that he carries in the final third and that Leicester continue to get the best the best from him. Chelsea are very open at the back and they will leave space down the flanks for Leicester to attack. Vardy has the pace and intelligence to cause them a lot of problems on Tuesday. He has always done well against top six teams and he will be relishing the chance to improve that record further with a goal or two on Tuesday night.
Chilwell
This will be an emotional evening for Ben Chilwell as he travels to face his former club for the first time since leaving. He came through the ranks at Leicester and performed well for Brendan Rodgers prior to leaving the club for Chelsea. There will be added motivation for Chilwell to perform and help his current team to a vital three points, as he won’t want to finish below his former team. He left in order to test himself at a higher level and he won’t enjoy being below Leicester at the time of writing. On a personal level, it has been a positive season to date, as he has contributed two goals and four assists for Chelsea. His quality down the left-wing could play a big part on Tuesday night, as he has the ability to cause problems for his former team.
Team newsÂ
Jamie Vardy is expected to be passed fit after being withdrawn early during the week. It was thought to be precautionary with Rodgers having one eye on this fixture. Dennis Praet will be missing for a number of weeks with a thigh injury.
N’Golo Kante won’t be available to play against his former club after he picked up his fifth yellow card at the weekend. Callum Hudson-Odoi, Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham are all pushing for starts after being left out in the week.
Verdict
This will be an excellent match to watch for the neutrals, as both sides are positive and will be looking for a win. Chelsea have been underwhelming lately, but they have a great chance to move closer to the top four by beating one of the current incumbents. Their recent performances haven’t been great, but Lampard is a winner and he will be reminding his players that they have an opportunity on Tuesday. That said, Leicester are excellent on the counter attack and the fixture should play to their strengths. An entertaining score draw could be a good bet for this one.
Leicester City 2-2 Chelsea
