Steve Cooper has been retained by Leicester, despite mounting rumours that the former Nottingham Forest would be relieved of his duties. The Foxes will need an upturn in form to secure his long-term future after losing two of their last three and failing to win over the same period.
A striker crisis is the last thing Cooper would have needed before this fixture with the Blues, but Jamie Vardy and Patson Daka are both unavailable this weekend. Therefore, it’s likely that Odsonne Edouard will lead the line, with Abdul Fatawu and Stephy Mavididi operating on the wings.
Scoring goals has been an issue for Leicester throughout the season, evidenced by their xG of 9.63 from open play, with the Foxes scoring just nine times from 81 shots.
Their xGA will also be put to the test by an improving Chelsea this weekend after restricting rivals to an xGA of 19.10 and conceding 18 goals from 137 shots.
Enzo Maresca deserves huge credit for the job he is doing at Chelsea, with many experts writing off the Blues from a Champions League finish before a ball was kicked. However, the Blues come into this round sitting third in the standings, having lost just once in ten matches since the opening weekend.
The emphasis on youth has sparked rewards for Maresca this season, with the forward four of Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Pedro Neto, and Noni Madueke rivalling the best in the league. However, the stats will still show that the forward players are narrowly underperforming, netting 17 goals from an xG of 17.08.
Interestingly, despite many worries surrounding Chelsea’s defensive ability, they are outperforming their xGA of 12.03, conceding eight goals from 105 shots in open play.
Bet hereVardy’s absence is a hammer blow for Leicester this weekend, as they don’t boast the explosive speed to deploy their counter-attacking style to its best effect.
Therefore, the Foxes could be sitting ducks against a Blues side that have proven incredibly effective in the final third this season. Chelsea’s possession-based style will see Palmer get a lot of the ball, and he will have mobile players around him trying to break the Leicester deep line.
It only enhances Chelsea’s chances based on the fact that they have won four of their last five against Leicester. Meanwhile, it could also be important to note before making a Leicester vs Chelsea prediction that the Blues have suffered defeat in just one of their last seven trips to the King Power.
Cole Palmer will be fresh when domestic action resumes this weekend after sitting out England’s internationals against Greece and Ireland. Palmer has been the standout player in the Premier League this season, scoring seven in eleven appearances, far exceeding his xG of 4.48.
The attacking midfielder averages 3.35 shots per game, and he could be preferred to make the difference for the Blues once again this weekend.
Chelsea’s poor disciplinary record could also make for an interesting football prediction angle. The Blues have averaged a Premier League-high 3.82 yellows per game. Over 5.5 cards have been dished out in 73% of Chelsea matches, meaning that could be a viable angle on Saturday.
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