HomeTeams - PLChelseaChelsea vs Leicester City Preview | Predictions, Stats and Key Players

Chelsea vs Leicester City Preview | Predictions, Stats and Key Players

Chelsea welcome Leicester City to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, in a match they need to win. They have taken four points from their first three games. Their first home performance against Tottenham was good, but they were very poor at Leeds United. If they are to challenge in the title race, they need to have a run of victories to put them in contention. For the visitors, Leicester have been disappointing, taking one point from their first three matches. There is pressure building on Brendan Rodgers and a poor performance on Saturday could turn up the heat on him.

There has been a summer of change at Chelsea, as Todd Boehly’s consortium have bought the club. The Blues have still spent a lot of money with more spending expected in the coming days. Raheem Sterling has been the headline addition, but the squad has been strengthened in other areas too. However, there are more questions than answers at the moment, as the team aren’t playing with the same fluency we have seen in the past. The 3-0 defeat to Leeds United was really poor and the team need to bounce back at home. They need to make a statement against a team without a win this season.

Leicester City haven’t been able to strengthen their squad in the way that they wanted to this summer. There has been criticism of Rodgers, but he will point to the stale squad as the reason for the Foxes’ struggles. Wesley Fofana could move to Saturday’s opponents before the deadline, while Youri Tielemans could still depart. If both do leave the club, Leicester won’t be left with much time to replace them. At this point in time, it looks like it could be a long campaign for the Foxes.

Interesting stats

Chelsea have only managed to win two of the last nine Premier League matches against Leicester City.

Brendan Rodgers has only won twice in 20 competitive matches against Chelsea.

Key men

Sterling

There was a lot of expectation on Raheem Sterling this season following his move to Chelsea. This was a chance for him to be the main player for a big club, after playing a supporting role for Manchester City. It has been a slow start for the England international, as he has registered just a single assist in his first three matches. Last weekend, he had chances to score against Leeds, but he couldn’t make them count. There are still some growing pains for Sterling at Chelsea, as the attack isn’t as fluid as Tuchel would like. The former Manchester City player has spent a lot of time in central areas and he hasn’t been as effective. The German coach needs to work on the structure to get the best from his summer signing. Leicester City have been poor at the back, as they are trying to build a defensive unit with Danny Ward in goal. There will be space and uncertainty in their back four on Saturday. It could be the perfect chance for Sterling to open his account.

Vardy

It has been a slow start for Leicester City and their star striker Jamie Vardy. The former England international can normally be relied on to be quick out of the blocks, but it speaks of the issues that the Foxes are having as a team. The high quality of chances aren’t being created and Vardy has struggled to have an impact. During the first three matches, he hasn’t scored and has just one assist. That is the same record as Sterling discussed above. Unlike Sterling, Vardy has nothing to prove to Leicester fans and despite his age, he still has the quality to score goals in the Premier League. Last season, he still managed to score 15 goals and he will be hoping for a similar output this year. Chelsea are a good match-up for him, as they have a vulnerability at the back and do leave spaces to attack. If Leicester play on the counter attack effectively, Vardy could have the chance to play a major role.

Team news

Kalidou Koiulibaly is suspended after his red card last week. N’Golo Kante will be missing with an injury until September. Armando Broja and Mateo Kovacic are also likely to miss out.

James Maddison is a doubt after he felt a muscle twinge in training. Fofana won’t be available as he continues to try to force a move to Chelsea, while Ricardo Pereira is missing until 2023.

Verdict

Despite Chelsea’s poor performance last week, they should be able to beat Leicester. They performed well at Stamford Bridge against Tottenham earlier this month. Their home form could end up being a lot better than their away form. Leicester look poor at the moment. They need a fresh look, whether that come from a managerial change or new signings.

Chelsea 2-0 Leicester City

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