Chelsea need Leicester victory to exploit top four opening | OneFootball

Chelsea have a golden opportunity to climb into the top four of the Premier League after Manchester City slipped up at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The Blues host Leicester City tomorrow and could move two points ahead of City with a win. Manager Enzo Maresca has insisted his team must focus on one game at a time.

“We need to win against Leicester and then focus on how we can beat Arsenal,” he said. “It’s just game by game, and we need our best players on the pitch.”

His side have struggled for consistency, but their recent home form has been a bright spot.

Chelsea have won their last three league matches at Stamford Bridge, scoring nine goals in the process. Another victory would give Maresca his longest winning streak at home since taking charge.

Leicester have lost 11 of their last 12 league games. They have not won at Stamford Bridge in over 20 years and have suffered five straight defeats.

Despite this, Maresca remains respectful of his former club. “I’ve been in football for more than 30 years, and Leicester was probably the best place I’ve been in terms of the people,” he added.

“I still speak with many of the players.”

That connection will be put aside on Sunday. Chelsea cannot afford to let sentiment get in the way of momentum.

They come into this game on the back of consecutive victories, including a 2-1 win at FC Copenhagen in the Europa Conference League. That result was another reminder of their need to be more clinical.

“Winning games helps,” Maresca said. “But our inside message has always been the same. We need to continue, we need to improve, and we need to be more clinical.”

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will face his former club after gradually establishing himself in Chelsea’s midfield.

“At the beginning, he struggled to accept not playing many games,” Maresca admitted. “Now, he has realised he needs to stay calm, and he’s much better.”

Moises Caicedo is one booking away from suspension, but Maresca will not consider resting him.

“For us, it’s about winning games,” he insisted. “We cannot plan around Arsenal. We need to win against Leicester first.”With City slipping up, Chelsea must take advantage. They have been given a rare opportunity to gain ground in the top-four race. Anything less than a win would be a major step backwards.