Leicester City vs Chelsea Preview – Prediction, how to watch & potential line-ups | OneFootball

Leicester City will be hoping to halt their worrisome losing run when they play host to Chelsea at King Power Stadium on Saturday evening.

After bowing out of the FA Cup in the fifth round following a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Championship side Blackburn Rovers, Leicester were handed their fourth defeat in a row when Southampton snatched a 1-0 win last weekend.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have struggled to put daylight between them and the bottom three all season. They are languishing dangerously above the drop zone, with a meagre two points separating them from 18th-placed Everton.

While the results have been nothing to write home about, the performances have also been appalling, with the Foxes failing to register a single shot on target in their last two league games.

In addition to boasting the second-worst defensive record in the division thus far, Rodgers’ side have also failed to ripple the net in their last three games since putting four past Tottenham Hotspur last month.

Along with struggling to threaten in attack, the Foxes are not famous for keeping it tight at the back either, which bodes well for a seemingly reinvigorated Chelsea side looking for their third win in a row for the first time since October.

Speculation about the long-term future of Chelsea boss Graham Potter took a turn for the worst after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to local rivals Spurs, but a slender 1-0 win over lowly Leeds United bought the Englishman time to try and turn the club’s fortunes around.

It is safe to say that making it to the Champions League quarter-finals after an impressive 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund has put the former Brighton & Hove Albion manager in the good graces of the Chelsea faithful.

However, Potter would be naive to think he is out of the woods with the Blues languishing in mid-table and the prospect of securing a Champions League spot through the league now a near-impossible task.

Having won the reverse fixture 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in August – albeit under former boss Thomas Tuchel – Chelsea will be looking to complete the league double over Leicester for the first time since the 2016/17 campaign.

Confidence levels in the Blues locker room are currently at an all-time high following their European exploits, but Potter’s side will need to refocus for the tricky tie against the Foxes to ensure their new-found form is not just a facade.

Match Preview

Leicester City

Leicester do not have the best luck when facing Chelsea, as they have managed just one win in their last six home league games against the Blues (D2, L3). They will be keen to avoid history repeating itself, having lost this exact fixture 3-0 last season.

Leicester have lost 15 league games this season – their most in a single campaign since 2018/19 (16). Only Southampton have lost more games than the Foxes (16).

Rodgers has never suffered more than 15 league defeats in a season in his managerial career (also 15 with Swansea in 2011/12).

However, that record could be broken at the weekend unless the Northern Irish tactician comes up with something special to avoid defeat against Saturday’s opposition. He has won just two of his 21 meetings with Chelsea as a manager in all competitions (D9, L10).

Having grabbed his side’s only goal in the reverse fixture, Harvey Barnes could become only the second Leicester player to score against Chelsea in the league both home and away in a single season since Muzzy Izzet in 2000/01.

Chelsea

Since the defeat to Spurs, Potter has switched his setup to a back three, which has worked a treat in the subsequent two games thus far, so it is a no-brainer that the English tactician will stick with what works for the foreseeable future.

Chelsea will be brimming with confidence following their success in Europe, but they will do well to avoid complacency against a struggling yet desperate Leicester side.

Saturday’s showdown could present the Blues with a chance to end their appalling away record, having failed to win any of their last ten games on the road in all competitions (D3, L7) – their longest winless streak on their travels since a run of 17 from April 2000 to January 2001.

Potter’s side have also scored just four goals in this 10-match period, their fewest over a run of ten away games since August-December 1993 (also 4).

Leicester City vs Chelsea Potential Line-ups

Leicester City (4-2-3-1): Danny Ward; Timothy Castagne, Wout Faes, Harry Souttar, Ricardo Pereira; Nampalys Mendy, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall; Harvey Barnes, James Maddison, Tete; Kelechi Iheanacho.

Chelsea (3-4-3): Kepa Arrizabalaga; Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella; Reece James, Enzo Fernandez, Mateo Kovacic, Ben Chilwell; Joao Felix, Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling.

How to Watch?

Leicester v Chelsea, alongside all other fixtures in England’s top flight, is available to watch online via live Premier League streams.

Leicester City vs Chelsea Prediction

Buzzing from their European triumph, Chelsea will be expected to build on their recent form at the King Power.

While they can expect resistance from a Leicester side desperate for points, they should have enough in the tank to make it three in a row.

Leicester City 0-2 Chelsea