Chelsea have the advantage over Leicester City in head-to-head form

Last season, Chelsea came out on top both times they travelled to Leicester City. There’s no reason to suggest this weekend will be any different.

Chelsea’s 2016/17 fixtures against Leicester City took place early in the season. Both games were significant in terms of Antonio Conte’s relationship with Brazil’s Spanish international, Diego Costa.

The game at the King Power came in the middle of the January transfer window, when rumours were flying that Costa had been offered a lucrative move to China. Costa was absent from the game, which Conte addressed in his press conference.

"On Tuesday, Diego stopped training with a pain in his back and then in the week he didn’t train with us. – Chelsea FC"

Various stories exist as to what actually went on, predominantly surrounding a disagreement with a fitness coach which Conte got embroiled in. That ground has been covered many times over. The relationship between player and manager was never the same again. The rest, as they say, is history.

In the game itself, Chelsea lined up in a familiar 3-4-3 formation. Antonio Conte’s men were looking to get back to winning ways after Tottenham had broken their 13-game winning sequence the week before. Leading the attack in place of the missing Brazilian was Eden Hazard.

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Chelsea made a good start in the game and took the lead with just six minutes gone. Marcos Alonso curled a right footed drive low past Kasper Schmeichel. Leicester kept themselves in the game, though, and Chelsea led 1-0 at half-time.

The second half produced a sense of deja-vu, when Alonso once again fired past Schmeichel six minutes into the half. This time he scored with his left foot and courtesy of a Wes Morgan deflection. Chelsea never looked back from that point and a Pedro header completed the rout.

Interestingly, after the game Conte was asked his opinion on Dimitri Payet – who had recently gone on strike at West Ham United – and whether he had ever had issues with players refusing to play.

"It’s very difficult to talk and above all for me, it’s very difficult for me to talk about another player. For my club, for my players, we solve our problem if there are problems. This is important. – The Guardian"

Chelsea’s home game in Premier League against the Foxes took place in mid-October. Marcos Alonso make his home debut, having joined in the summer. Once again Chelsea scored an early goal as Diego Costa dropped off his marker, Wes Morgan, for an easy finish. A lucky bounce of the ball set Eden Hazard through on goal as Chelsea doubled their lead before the break.

Diego Costa, who was just a yellow card away from a one-match ban, gesticulated wildly towards Conte in the second half. He wanted to come off, fearing the subsequent ban would keep him out of the next game against Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United. After Mourinho’s last season at Chelsea, and the fallout it generated, it was not a game he wanted to miss. Conte chose to ignore Costa’s plea.

"I keep Costa on until the end because he is important for the team. He is a good personality, he is special. We need him in every moment of the game. I risk him because if he gets another yellow card he misses the next game. But he is important for the team. I decide every substitution. Always, I take the responsibility. I take the risk if he gets a yellow card or an injury. – Independent"

Victor Moses scored the final goal of the game with ten minutes left to play. In the post-match interviews, both players and manager dedicated the win to Willian, who was back in Brazil having recently lost his mother.

Two league games between the two teams resulted in 3-0 victories for Chelsea in both. However, there was also a meeting up in the EFL Cup. The game preceded the league games and took place at the King Power. Both managers had rotated their squads. The game was a typical English-style cup tie with Leicester taking advantage of some poor Chelsea defending. The Foxes were two goals to the good inside the first 35 minutes. A Gary Cahill header reduced the deficit during injury time just before the interval.

In the second half, a Cesar Azpilicueta strike from distance restored parity. With a couple of minutes to go before extra-time ensued, Leicester had Marcin Wasilewski sent off. He saw red having elbowed Diego Costa… brave boy.

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Going down to ten men ultimately ended Leicester’s hopes of victory. Extra-time belonged to Cesc Fabregas, who sealed victory for Chelsea with two quick goals following the restart.