Leicester City come to Stamford Bridge with just one win their last six Premier League games. We predict Chelsea will cruise to victory.
Maurizio Sarri had a few decisions to make ahead of today’s game, but overall, this should be one of the more by-the-book fixtures Chelsea have in the festive season.
Scott Brant: Chelsea 3 – 1 Leicester City. Leicester City’s record versus top eight teams is terrible. I gave them the benefit of the doubt by saying they will score a goal, but that’s more to do with Chelsea’s defense than Leicester’s attack. I’m feeling a goal from a defender, midfielder, and forward. Chelsea dominate possession and win with ease.
Kevin Peacock: 3 – 0. I’m sticking with it, 3-0 to Chelsea. Leicester have not been having the best of times under the management of Claude Puel, and Chelsea are surely due to win a game by a comfortable margin. Doubts remain over Alvaro Morata’s fitness and Olivier Giroud’s scoring ability, but Eden Hazard is at least scoring again.
Defensively, who knows? If David Luiz can repeat his performance from the City game all should be good. However, in the League Cup game mid-week his cameo was typical Luiz: persistently AWOL, consistently awful. That’s harsh really but it scanned well. Goals from Hazard, Marcos Alonso and Willian win the game at a canter.
Barrett Rouen: 3 – 1. Chelsea are in a good way at the moment. Eden Hazard will realize he is perfect for a system like Maurizio Sarri’s where he is a traditionally positioned No. 9 with the ball on the floor, as opposed to Antonio Conte’s version of the No. 9 with an aerially attacking team.
Hazard will score and Willian will be excellent. Ruben Loftus-Cheek to play and score, as well. But since the Blues still defend like a bunch of blind mice, Young King Kepa will be left alone and helpless despite doing an excellent job in the match.
Brendan McDonnell: Chelsea 2 – Fleet Foxes 1. Sitting at 12th on the table and two losses in a row does not suggest peak form. The Foxes have basically had the correct season for their table placement. They’ve lost to everyone above them and beaten everyone behind them. They’ve managed to score against the top of the table teams they’ve played, so I don’t anticipate a clean sheet from Chelsea. Maybe it’s a Vardy Party at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea get one from false-nine Hazard and Marcos Alonso to secure the three points.
Nate Hofmann: 2 – 0. Leicester are quite possibly the least interesting team in the Premier League this season. There’s no relegation scrap, no push for European places, no (imminent) threats of managerial upheaval – just good old fashion mid-table obscurity.
Chelsea managed to sneak past Bournemouth with a heavily rotated squad, meaning we should see something close to Sarri’s best XI. The only real question mark will be whether Eden Hazard continues to play as an ersatz center forward, a role in which he’s beginning to look confident. If that’s the biggest problem Sarri is faced with this weekend, Chelsea should be in good shape. Goals for Hazard and super-sub Giroud.
Tan Yi Hao: 3 – 0. The visitors on Saturday have been on a strange run of form with draws and losses sandwiching the occasional win under Puel. Moreover, although James Maddison and Jamie Vardy have proven to be a dangerous duo, the club has only scored 21 goals this season in 17 games whilst conceding 21 on the other end.
Much like how vital Hazard is to Chelsea, Leicester remain overly reliant on their two Englishmen for goals. As long as the Blues are able to reduce their influence on the game, a clear cut victory awaits.