Both Leicester and Chelsea have not been hitting the heights of a couple months ago recently but the battle for the Champions League places is hotting up and this is a huge game that could give either side an advantage in that race.
Before the meeting with Liverpool on Boxing Day, Leicester were being earmarked as the likeliest challengers to the Reds for the title. However, they lost 4-0 to Liverpool and have picked up some surprising losses to Burnley and Southampton last month. Manchester City have overtaken them into 2nd place and Aston Villa managed to beat Leicester in the Carabao Cup semi-finals on Tuesday in which the Foxes dominated both legs but couldn't find their cutting edge.
If you'd said to Brendan Rodgers at the start of the season that at the beginning of February you'd be 3rd and 8 points ahead of 4th, he'd bitten your hand off for the position Leicester are now in. It is a remarkable job he and everyone at Leicester are involved in and it is a model all non-Top 6 clubs in the Premier League should be trying to copy. Most Leicester players have never been in a situation like this before - apart from those who won the league in 2016 - and some look to be tiring due to the intensity that Rodgers demands. The winter break is coming up at a good time for Leicester so they can recharge their batteries and go again.
Jamie Vardy made a return from his hamstring injury in the agonising loss to Aston Villa on Tuesday but their talismanic striker hasn't scored in his last six matches. He is the top scorer in the division and what he is doing at the tender age of 33 it is brilliant to watch. The injuries to Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford have led to calls for Vardy to return to the England set-up but, having missed a penalty against Burnley, he needs to score soon.
Chelsea had their transfer ban lifted but decided not to sign anybody. There had been concrete links with a £6 million move for Dries Mertens but Frank Lampard pulled the plug on that one. Lampard has berated his side for not being ruthless enough in front of goal and that has been present in their past two matches. Against Arsenal, with a man advantage, they were 1-0 up but didn't push for a second and only drew 2-2. Against Hull, they went 2-0 up but didn't offer much more and narrowly won 2-1. Leicester are one of the best attacking sides in the league and have conceded third least amount of goals this season.
Their problems in being merciless in front of goal may stem from Tammy Abraham not scoring. He did not score versus Arsenal, taking his record to 3 goals in his last 11 matches. That is not the type of form needed to propel Chelsea into the Champions League and Abraham is a doubt for the Leicester match, perhaps a blessing in allowing Michy Batshuayi to get a game having scored at Hull. Putting faith in young players like Abraham, Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi is great to see but Chelsea have been slacking in recent weeks and with the chance to buy players, it may be a missed opportunity by Lampard to improve his squad. Like Leicester, Chelsea could benefit from the winter break.
The reverse fixture ended 1-1 at Stamford Bridge but I fancy Leicester to win this one. They didn't play badly at Villa Park and another day without a sensational performance from the 'keeper they may have won. Chelsea have not been playing at their best for a long time now and I reckon they'll lose.
2-1 Leicester.
Before the meeting with Liverpool on Boxing Day, Leicester were being earmarked as the likeliest challengers to the Reds for the title. However, they lost 4-0 to Liverpool and have picked up some surprising losses to Burnley and Southampton last month. Manchester City have overtaken them into 2nd place and Aston Villa managed to beat Leicester in the Carabao Cup semi-finals on Tuesday in which the Foxes dominated both legs but couldn't find their cutting edge.
If you'd said to Brendan Rodgers at the start of the season that at the beginning of February you'd be 3rd and 8 points ahead of 4th, he'd bitten your hand off for the position Leicester are now in. It is a remarkable job he and everyone at Leicester are involved in and it is a model all non-Top 6 clubs in the Premier League should be trying to copy. Most Leicester players have never been in a situation like this before - apart from those who won the league in 2016 - and some look to be tiring due to the intensity that Rodgers demands. The winter break is coming up at a good time for Leicester so they can recharge their batteries and go again.
Jamie Vardy made a return from his hamstring injury in the agonising loss to Aston Villa on Tuesday but their talismanic striker hasn't scored in his last six matches. He is the top scorer in the division and what he is doing at the tender age of 33 it is brilliant to watch. The injuries to Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford have led to calls for Vardy to return to the England set-up but, having missed a penalty against Burnley, he needs to score soon.
Chelsea had their transfer ban lifted but decided not to sign anybody. There had been concrete links with a £6 million move for Dries Mertens but Frank Lampard pulled the plug on that one. Lampard has berated his side for not being ruthless enough in front of goal and that has been present in their past two matches. Against Arsenal, with a man advantage, they were 1-0 up but didn't push for a second and only drew 2-2. Against Hull, they went 2-0 up but didn't offer much more and narrowly won 2-1. Leicester are one of the best attacking sides in the league and have conceded third least amount of goals this season.
Their problems in being merciless in front of goal may stem from Tammy Abraham not scoring. He did not score versus Arsenal, taking his record to 3 goals in his last 11 matches. That is not the type of form needed to propel Chelsea into the Champions League and Abraham is a doubt for the Leicester match, perhaps a blessing in allowing Michy Batshuayi to get a game having scored at Hull. Putting faith in young players like Abraham, Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi is great to see but Chelsea have been slacking in recent weeks and with the chance to buy players, it may be a missed opportunity by Lampard to improve his squad. Like Leicester, Chelsea could benefit from the winter break.
The reverse fixture ended 1-1 at Stamford Bridge but I fancy Leicester to win this one. They didn't play badly at Villa Park and another day without a sensational performance from the 'keeper they may have won. Chelsea have not been playing at their best for a long time now and I reckon they'll lose.
2-1 Leicester.
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