Chelsea vs Leicester Preview: Where to Watch, Buy Tickets, Live Streams, Kick Off Time & Team News
Chelsea host Leicester in the Premier League on Sunday, where Frank Lampard will be hoping to avoid a third successive loss as Blues boss.
Chelsea were hammered last weekend in their opening game against Man Utd and succumbed to defeat again in midweek, albeit on penalties, to Liverpool in the UEFA Super Cup. Neither performance was poor, however, with the positive football on display generating optimism at Stamford Bridge.
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Leicester, meanwhile, struggled to create chances against a resilient Wolves and will be hoping that the more expansive style of Chelsea will leave gaps for the likes of Jamie Vardy and Ayoze Perez to exploit on the counter-attack.
Here's 90min's preview of the game.
Where to Watch
When Is Kick Off? | Sunday 18 August |
What Time Is Kick Off? | 16:30 (BST) |
Where Is it Played? | Stamford Bridge |
TV Channel/Live Stream? | Sky Sports Main Event |
Referee? | Graham Scott |
Where to Buy Tickets
Tickets for the game are, as ever, available on both team's official club websites, though membership is required in order to purchase. In terms of resale, both teams provide the option to make season tickets available for others to use, if a supporter is unable to attend the game themselves.
Team News
Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Callum Hudson-Odoi remain long-term absentees for Chelsea, having both ruptured their achilles tendons at the back end of last season.
N'Golo Kante has returned to fitness having played in midweek, although Andreas Christensen picked up a knock, meaning that, with Antonio Rudiger still recovering full match fitness, youngster Fikayo Tomori could start his first Premier League game.
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With Pedro completing 120 minutes in midweek, expect some rotation, with Ross Barkley and Mason Mount potentially involved from the beginning.
Leicester, meanwhile, have no significant absences and are likely to field the same starting XI that faced Wolves, despite their uninspiring performance.
Predicted Lineups
Chelsea | Kepa; Azpilicueta, Tomori, Zouma, Emerson; Kante, Jorginho; Pulisic, Mount, Barkley; Giroud. |
Leicester | Schmeichel; Pereira, Evans, Soyuncu, Chilwell; Choudhury, Ndidi; Perez, Tielemans, Maddison; Vardy. |
Head to Head Record
Chelsea have historically dominated this fixture, winning 56 times compared to Leicester's 26 victories.
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However, the Foxes took four points off the Blues last season, including a 1-0 win away from the King Power Stadium. Jamie Vardy typically bagged against a top six opponent and will be confident of repeating the feat on Sunday.
Recent Form
With the Premier League having just got underway, neither side has been able to build up momentum or sustained form. Leicester enjoyed a bright pre-season but struggled to carve out openings against Wolves and will need to be more creative to get a result against Lampard's men.
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Chelsea, on paper, have made a disastrous start to the season, on the receiving end of a humiliation at Old Trafford and losing a cup final already. They can, however, count themselves unlucky in both games, playing the better football for large spells of both, and will be optimistic that they can soon convert their performances into results.
Here's how each team has performed in their last five fixtures:
Chelsea | Leicester |
Liverpool 2-2 Chelsea (14/8) | Leicester 0-0 Wolves (11/8) |
Man Utd 4-0 Chelsea (11/8) | Leicester 2-1 Atalanta (2/8) |
Monchengladbach 2-2 Chelsea (3/8) | Stoke 1-2 Leicester (27/7) |
RB Salzburg 3-5 Chelsea (31/7) | Rotherham 2-2 Leicester (27/7) |
Reading 3-4 Chelsea (28/7) | Cambridge 0-3 Leicester (23/7) |
Prediction
Despite less than ideal results, Chelsea have looked promising at times and will be desperate for a win in their first home game to kickstart their season.
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At the same time, Leicester underwhelmed in their season opener, but faced a compact Wolves side whereas Chelsea will leave gaps. The Foxes thrive in these situations, so expect another pleasing performance from the Blues - only for Vardy to spoil the party on the break.
Prediction: Chelsea 1-2 Leicester
