Chelsea and Leicester City go head-to-head on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League as both sides look to turn things around after tricky spells.
By Matt Smith
Enzo Maresca will be hosting his former club, who helped get promoted to England’s top flight, while the Foxes are looking for just their second league win of 2025.
When the two sides met earlier in the campaign, Maresca’s side secured a 2-1 victory at the King Power Stadium thanks to goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernández. Leicester haven’t won at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League since 2018.
Chelsea receive Lavia boost
Roméo Lavia hasn’t featured in the Premier League since January 14 and has struggled with injuries since arriving in West London from Southampton. The Belgian midfielder was signed in a big-money move, but hasn’t had the impact many would have expected.
Speaking to the media ahead of the game, Maresca has confirmed that Lavia has trained all week and should be included in the squad to face Leicester at the weekend.
Reece James deployed further forward
Against FC København in the Europe Conference League, Reece James was deployed in midfield as Maresca looked to experiment with his side in Europe. After the game, the Chelsea boss stressed how much he believes James can play in this role, and his performance certainly backed it up.
It’s no surprise Maresca is looking to experiment after a tricky run of form, and James was a standout in the middle of the park against Copenhagen. James scored the opening goal for Chelsea, produced more passes into the final third than any other player, and won 100% of his tackles.
Coulibaly back in the fold
Speaking to the media ahead of the trip down to London, Ruud van Nistelrooy confirmed that January transfer window signing Woyo Coulibaly is back and available after missing the game against West Ham United last time out.
The Foxes have enjoyed a 10-day break due to not being involved in the FA Cup last weekend and could have an almost fully fit squad available. Ricardo Pereira and Abdul Fatawu are long-term absentees.
Jamie Vardy the threat on the counter
Leicester are unlikely to see too much of the ball against Chelsea. Van Nistelrooy’s side have averaged just 45.6% possession in the Premier League this season, while only Manchester City have seen more of the ball than Chelsea.
As a result, Leicester will be looking to hit the Blues on the counter-attack, and that’s where Jamie Vardy comes into play. The English forward thrives off balls in behind the defence, and the experienced striker is still a key man for Leicester, providing 10 goals and assists combined this season in a struggling side.
Prediction
Considering Leicester’s form this season, especially away from home where they’ve picked up just eight points, it’s hard to see past a Chelsea victory. Maresca’s side have lost just twice at home in the Premier League, so we’re going for a comfortable 3-0 win.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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