Chelsea FC travel to the Midlands to take on Leicester City in a Monday night Premier League clash.
It’s top of the Premier League versus a relegation-threatened outfit. But this time around, Leicester are the former and Chelsea are the latter.
Mental.
Jose Mourinho’s side currently sit in 16th spot after Newcastle United pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat to beat Tottenham Hotspur yesterday (high-five). A win at the King Power stadium this evening will propel the Blues to the lofty heights of 14th place.
More chelsea fc: Chelsea FC’s Top 20 Goals Of The Roman Abramovich Era
However, it will be far from easy. The Foxes are literally flying high under the stewardship of former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri and somehow look like genuine title contenders at the moment. With Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez forming a formidable partnership, Leicester will certainly test the recovering Blues defence.
The Foxes are undefeated in their last eight fixtures, winning all but two of them. Chelsea’s form, meanwhile, needs no discussion.
More from The Pride of London
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea player ratings: Abysmal, reckless, wasteful
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea: 3 Blues talking points
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
The league-leaders now face a tough stretch of games as they have meetings with Everton, Liverpool and Manchester City proceeding tonight. Ranieri may even feel that this match with Chelsea represents their best shot at gaining three points.
The West Londoners, though, will be eager to carry some of that momentum from the comfortable 2-0 midweek victory over Porto into this contest. If Mourinho wants to fulfil his ‘dream’ of finishing in the top four then a winning streak must start immediately.
All in all, this is shaping up to be an intriguing and exciting contest.
Team News
For the first time in weeks, Mourinho has stated that he has a full compliment of players to choose from. Even Radamel Falcao is fit, but is unlikely to feature due to his lack of
quality
fitness. It will be interesting to see whether the Blues boss perseveres with Baba Rahman at left-back, or decides to reinstate Cesar Azpilicueta.
Related Story: Chelsea FC Predicted XI Against Leicester City
Leicester City, meanwhile, importantly have both Vardy and Mahrez available. The duo have carried the Foxes offensively and will undoubtedly prove to be a handful for John Terry and the rest of the Chelsea defence.
Former Manchester United defender Ritchie De Laet is out due to an ankle injury, but Ranieri will have Nathan Dyer at his disposal after he was ineligible for last week’s 3-0 victory over his parent side Swansea City.
Key Details
More from Premier League
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea player ratings: Abysmal, reckless, wasteful
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea: 3 Blues talking points
- Chelsea vs Bournemouth: 3 things to look out for on the south coast
- Is there cause for concern about Chelsea being in 12th place again?
- Chelsea’s risky youth gamble amidst turbulent times
Leicester City v Chelsea FC, 14th December 2015
Venue: King Power Stadium
Time: 20:00 GMT, 15:00 ET
TV: Sky Sports 1 (UK), NBCSN (US), check your country’s local listings here
Chelsea did the double over the Foxes last season, winning the first league tie 2-0 at Stamford Bridge before emerging as 3-1 victors in the return clash. However, this Leicester outfit could not be more different from the one that struggled in the last campaign.
More chelsea fc: Chelsea FC Handed Predictable Champions League Draw, So Let’s Laugh At Arsenal
Leave us your thoughts and predictions for tonight’s game in the comments below!