Chelsea will be desperate to bounce back to winning ways when they welcome Leeds United to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The 2022/23 Premier League season resumes this weekend with Gameweek 26. The action kicks off on Saturday with the game between Manchester City and Newcastle United. Chelsea will then take the field midway through the day, hosting Leeds United at Stamford Bridge.
Things are going from bad to worse for Chelsea, with Graham Potter not getting any respite. The pressure is building on the Englishman, who needs to turn his fortunes around quickly to remain in the hot seat at Stamford Bridge. And it is hardly surprising, considering the Blues have won only one of their last nine Premier League games.
On the other hand, Leeds United returned to winning ways in Javi Gracia’s first game in charge last weekend. The Spaniard has replaced Jesse Marsch at the helm of the West Yorkshire club. But despite the victory in the debut fixture, the Whites are in the midst of a horrendous run, managing only one win in eight Premier League games. And that has left them just one point clear of the drop zone.
Leeds United ran riot in the reverse fixture, cruising to a 3-0 win in one of Thomas Tuchel’s final games as the Chelsea boss. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Chelsea
Watch Graham Potter preview our clash with Leeds live! https://t.co/CJhGOTb3LR
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 3, 2023
Graham Potter has a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Leeds United on Saturday, the Chelsea manager will be bereft of the services of six first-team players.
Thiago Silva is the latest absentee, with the veteran defender sustaining a knee injury last weekend against Tottenham Hotspur. And the Brazilian international will be unavailable for the foreseeable future. Silva has joined Edouard Mendy (finger), Cesar Azpilicueta (head), N’Golo Kante (hamstring), Christian Pulisic (knee), and Armando Broja (knee) on the sidelines.
Kepa Arrizabalaga will continue to start between the sticks in Mendy’s absence, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. Potter will likely dish out a youthful backline featuring Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, and Ben Chilwell.
As for the midfield unit, Mateo Kovacic will be in contention to feature after recovering from an illness. But Denis Zakaria and Enzo Fernandez should pair up in the double pivot in the middle of the park. Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Conor Gallagher will thus be options on the bench.
Mykhaylo Mudryk has been disastrous since joining Chelsea in January. And Raheem Sterling will likely start in his stead on the left flank. Noni Madueke should feature on the right wing, with Joao Felix reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Kai Havertz will likely spearhead the Chelsea attack against Leeds on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kepa; James, Wesley Fofana, Badiashile, Chilwell; Fernandez, Zakaria; Madueke, Felix, Sterling; Havertz
Leeds United
Like his counterpart in the Chelsea dugout, Javi Gracia has a gamut of absentees due to various fitness issues ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge. The Leeds United manager might be without six first-team players on Saturday.
Gracia is sweating over the fitness of Liam Cooper (knock), Pascal Struijk (head), and Luis Sinisterra (thigh). The trio will face late fitness tests to determine their availability on Saturday. But Stuart Dallas (hamstring), Adam Forshaw (unknown), and Rodrigo Moreno (ankle) remain on the sidelines.
🎙 Ahead of Saturday's trip to Stamford Bridge, watch Javi Gracia's pre-Chelsea press conference https://t.co/q8b4YpRG7V
— Leeds United (@LUFC) March 2, 2023
Robin Koch and Maximilian Wober will likely feature as the central defensive pairing in Cooper’s possible absence. So Junior Firpo should be the left-back, with Luke Ayling starting instead of Rasmus Kristensen. Illan Meslier will take his usual spot between the sticks this weekend.
Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams pick themselves in the double pivot in the middle of the park. Marc Roca will thus be an option on the bench for Gracia. Meanwhile, Brenden Aaronson should be the most advanced midfielder for Leeds.
The American playmaker will look to pull the strings higher up the pitch while linking up with the other attackers. Jack Harrison should feature on the right flank after his assist for Leeds’s winner against Southampton. Harrison will likely join Wilfried Gnonto and Patrick Bamford in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Ayling, Koch, Wober, Firpo; Adams, McKennie; Harrison, Aaronson, Gnonto; Bamford
Key Stats
- Chelsea have won their last five Premier League home games against Leeds United and are unbeaten in their last six against them at Stamford Bridge (D1) since a 2-0 loss in December 1999.
- After winning their first three Premier League games under Graham Potter, Chelsea have won just two of their last 15 (D6 L7). It is their fewest wins over a 15+ game period in the competition since winning two of 19 between December 1994 and April 1995 under Glenn Hoddle. The Blues have lost their last three games in all competitions, failing to score a single goal. They have not lost more consecutively since October/November 1993 (6), while they have not lost four in a row without scoring since March 1929.
- Chelsea have not scored more than once in any of their last nine Premier League games, netting just four goals in total during the period. Only once have they had a longer run in the competition, going 17 games between August and December 1993.
- No side has won fewer Premier League away games (1) or points (6) than Leeds United this season, with the solitary victory on the road coming at Liverpool in October.
- After providing an assist in each of his first three Premier League games this season, Jack Harrison has assisted just two more goals in his last 19 appearances in the top flight. But he set up Junior Firpo’s winner against Southampton last weekend.
Player to Watch
Joao Felix
Graham Potter is desperate for some inspiration amid his team’s disastrous run. The Chelsea attack barely has any goals in it, while the defensive unit is vulnerable. As far as the frontline is concerned, Potter will look to January signing Joao Felix to deliver the goods.
With Mykhaylo Mudryk struggling to make his mark, Felix has the onus on him to produce an eye-catching performance. The Portuguese international has blown hot and cold thus far in his Chelsea stint. But an outing against a susceptible Leeds defence might be just what the doctor ordered for him and the Blues. Expect an improved display from Felix.
Prediction
Chelsea 1-1 Leeds United
Chelsea and Leeds United cannot afford to drop any more points, with 13 gameweeks left in the season. The Blues are slowly slipping out of the top-four race, while the visitors are keen on pulling away from the relegation zone. But neither team has the quality to blow the other out of the park.
In addition, both Chelsea and Leeds have shown a soft underbelly in the defensive phases. So any team can score a goal out of the blue, albeit not multiple times. In the end, neither side will have enough quality to trouble the scorers much. So The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge this weekend.
