Chelsea is coming off one of its most embarrassing defeats in recent memory, a 3-0 drubbing at Elland Road. The Blues followed up an emotional, superb match against Spurs with one of the most sluggish outings of the last few seasons. They never particularly looked to be interested in winning the match. There were mistakes galore, and overall, it wasn’t up to Chelsea standards. Thomas Tuchel has had the last few days to turn things around. If his team isn’t able to rebound, it could be in a heap of trouble early on in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.
Now, a struggling Leicester City comes to town in desperate need of a positive result. Things won’t get any easier for the Blues, so they need to be at their best at the weekend. A lot of supporters will be focused on how the team responds to a beating last weekend, but there are a lot of other factors that can decide Chelsea’s fate, as well.
Here are three things to look for in the Blues’ match against the Foxes:
1. Wesley Fofana’s attitude
Wesley Fofana has been ruled out of the weekend’s match by Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers. The Chelsea transfer target has been training with the Foxes’ U23s over the last few days after trying to force a move to west London. Unfortunately, this means that spectators at Stamford Bridge won’t get to see him suit up for either side on Saturday.
It’s not officially known whether or not Fofana will be in attendance for the contest. He was at the King Power Stadium last weekend when Leicester hosted Southampton, although he was not anywhere near Rodgers’ bench or reserves. Instead, the Frenchman was sat in the stands.
Fans were able to snap videos of his throughout the duration of the contest, and they weren’t exactly clips that painted him in a positive light to Leicester supporters. Fofana was visibly unmoved in one video recorded by a nearby spectator just seconds after the Foxes opened the scoring early in the second half. Amidst the flying limbs around the ground, Fofana sat almost motionless, portraying a man whose emotions were already 100 miles south.
If the 21-year-old does show up at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, it’ll be worth keeping an eye on his demeanor. He’s already made it clear behind closed doors that he would love to join the Blues before the summer transfer window closes. But even the slightest sign of a smile during a positive passage of play for the home side and he will have publicly displayed his desire to depart.
If Leicester truly has any intention of retaining him beyond this month, it’d be silly to sanction a trip down to SW6 because, chances are, he won’t be leaving London if he makes the journey.