Chelsea: Three things to look for in the fixture against the Foxes

2. Can the Blues close the gap?

The proverbial lines of the traditional Premier League top six have been blurred over the last few seasons. We may have expected the likes of Everton and other historical giants to play the biggest part in pulling apart the group, constantly nudging their way in, but that hasn’t been the case. The considerable nuisance over the last couple of campaigns has been Leicester.

The Foxes may have blown their chance at top four last year after spending a large portion of the season in a Champions League place last year, but they aren’t rolling over in the present after that disappointing collapse. Rodgers’ men are making their presence known and at the halfway point of the season—although nobody is discussing it—they are in contention for another title.

On the other hand, you have Chelsea. The west Londoners spent a pretty penny this summer and for that reason, many believed they’d be Liverpool’s biggest challenger. A 17-game unbeaten run a few weeks back confirmed those suspicions, or so it seemed. The Blues have been extremely poor over the last month and a half and they paid the price. The team that was temporarily top of the table on December 5 after a win against Leeds now sits seventh at the midway point of the season. Lampard’s job is in jeopardy and surprisingly, things are more stable at the King Power than at the Bridge.

Regardless, Chelsea got back to winning ways against Fulham and will look to spark another streak against Leicester. The Foxes sit five points and the same number of places ahead of the Blues, so this mid-week clash is the next huge contest in the race for the top four. Things have looked shaky in SW6 lately, but Chelsea isn’t down and out just yet—there is a lot of season left.