Chelsea will aim to return to winning ways when they take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
The dreaded international break is finally over, and the 2024/25 Premier League season resumes this weekend with Gameweek 12. The latest round of fixtures will kick-start at the King Power Stadium with Leicester City vs Chelsea, with both teams eager to return to winning ways.
Leicester City might have thought the tide had turned last month after successive victories in the Premier League. Those results lifted the Foxes out of the drop zone, but they have failed to win their last three top-flight outings. So, Steve Cooper’s men are looking over their shoulders, with 18th-placed Crystal Palace only three points behind them.
As for Chelsea, the 2024/25 season began with a defeat to Manchester City. Since then, the Blues have lost only one game in the Premier League, although they have dropped a few crucial points in stalemates against Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, and Arsenal. Despite that, Enzo Maresca’s men have climbed to third in the standings, with the Italian tactician getting his ideas across.
Chelsea clinched a 3-1 win in the most recent Premier League clash at the King Power Stadium, with Patson Daka scoring a consolation goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Leicester City
Steve Cooper has new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Leicester City manager might be without as many as eight first-team players vs Chelsea on Saturday.
Abdul Fatawu Issahaku is the latest player in the treatment room after sustaining a season-ending knee injury during the international break. In addition, Facundo Buonanotte will serve a suspension after picking up his fifth booking of the 2024/25 Premier League season.
The duo has joined Jakub Stolarczyk (ankle) and Ricardo Pereira (hamstring) on the sidelines. In addition, Cooper has been sweating over the fitness of Bobby De Cordova-Reid (achilles), Jordan Ayew (knee), Patson Daka (ankle), and Jamie Vardy (lower back). However, Vardy should be fit enough to start.
Mads Hermansen will take his spot between the sticks, with Leicester City lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Chelsea on Saturday. The backline should feature James Justin, Wout Faes, Jannik Vestergaard, and Victor Kristiansen.
As for the midfield unit, Wilfred Ndidi should sit at the base, with Harry Winks and Boubakary Soumare joining him in the middle of the park. Finally, Vardy should lead the line for Leicester City against Chelsea, with Bilal El Khannouss and Stephy Mavididi completing the numbers in the offensive trifecta.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Hermansen; Justin, Faes, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Winks, Ndidi, Soumare; El Khannouss, Vardy, Mavididi
Chelsea
Unlike his counterpart in the Leicester City dugout, Enzo Maresca has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to the King Power Stadium. The Chelsea manager might be without only two first-team players on Saturday.
Jadon Sancho has recovered from an illness, while Malo Gusto has shrugged off an ankle issue. Maresca has been sweating over the fitness of Wesley Fofana (knee), Romeo Lavia (hamstring), and Cole Palmer (knee). However, the trio should be fit and available to take on Leicester City. But Reece James has sustained another hamstring injury that has forced him to the sidelines.
Robert Sanchez is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Leicester City on Saturday. The backline should feature Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, and Marc Cucurella.
As for the midfield unit, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia should pair up in the double pivot. Cole Palmer will reprise the no. 10 role, with Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto being the two wide attackers. Finally, there is no looking past Nicolas Jackson as the central striker for Chelsea against Leicester City.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Lavia; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson
Key Stats
- After a six-game unbeaten run vs Chelsea in the Premier League between 2018 and 2021 (W2 D4), Leicester City have lost four of their last five against the Blues (D1). The Blues have lost just one of their seven most recent Premier League away games against Leicester City (W4 D2), emerging victorious on their two previous visits by an aggregate score of 6-1.
- Leicester City are winless in their last 13 Premier League games against teams starting the day in the top four of the Premier League table (D3 L10) since a 1-0 win over Liverpool in December 2021. They have conceded 35 goals in these 13 games, an average of 2.7 per game.
- Chelsea have won only one of their seven most recent Premier League games immediately after an international break (D3 L3), beating Bournemouth 1-0 earlier this season.
- Ten of Chelsea’s 19 Premier League points this season have come in away games (53%). They are one of only four teams to earn more than 50% of their points thus far this term on the road.
- The holding midfielders from both teams have been impressive. Wilfred Ndidi has had more touches in the opposition box (33) and provided more assists (4) in the Premier League than any other Leicester City player this season. His four assists have come from just nine chances created. On the other hand, Moises Caicedo has initiated more open-play sequences that have ended in a shot than any other player in the Premier League this season (18).
Player to Watch
Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer has been an exceptional addition to the first-team squad at Chelsea since completing a surprise move from Manchester City last year. While he was excellent in his debut season, the Englishman has continued on his upward trajectory this term.
The 22-year-old has been directly involved in more goals following a “ball carry” in the Premier League this season (5 – 2 goals, 3 assists) than any other player. In addition, Palmer has been directly involved in ten goals in only five Premier League appearances against promoted sides for Chelsea (6 goals, 4 assists), averaging a goal or assist every 43 minutes in such matches. So, a game-changing display should be on the cards.
Prediction
Leicester City 1-3 Chelsea
With Leicester City missing several pivotal attackers, Chelsea will have the opportunity to keep a rare clean sheet this weekend. However, the away side’s defensive frailties might come to the fore, with Jamie Vardy making his mark in the final third.
That might only be a consolation goal, with The Hard Tackle predicting Chelsea to run riot. The Foxes have a susceptible backline, and Cole Palmer should have a field day in the final third. We expect a straightforward 3-1 win for Enzo Maresca and his charges.