Stamford Bridge plays host to a critical Premier League encounter this Sunday when Chelsea welcome Leicester City. Chelsea, meanwhile, sit fifth in the standings on 46 points and are firmly in the hunt for European football, while Leicester, in 19th place on 17 points, are battling for their lives to remain in the division. With the two sides having such differing objectives, the stakes simply could not be higher. Chelsea's good form at home and Leicester's bad form on the road adds even more spice to this vital fixture.
The Blues have made Stamford Bridge a fortress as they have won their previous three home matches. They have a well-documented record over Leicester at home as Chelsea are unbeaten in the last five meetings at this venue and hold a 60% home win rate against the Foxes. Central to their triumph this season has been Cole Palmer, who leads the goal-scoring charts with 14 goals. Chelsea's frontline potency, scoring an average of 2.82 goals in every home match, will seek to exploit Leicester's defensive weaknesses, evidenced by their awful -36 goal difference.
Leicester, meanwhile, are in dire straits. A streak of five losses on the bounce, coupled with three consecutive matches without a goal, underlines their problems. Jamie Vardy, on seven goals, is their top scorer, and he will need to rediscover his clinical touch if Leicester are to mount a recovery. Averaging a paltry 1.08 goals on their travels, the Foxes face an uphill battle against a Chelsea side hell-bent on nailing down their European ambitions.
History also favours Chelsea, who have won four of their last five encounters with Leicester and 23 of the last 42 overall. As the teams prepare to take the pitch, the stakes are very high. Chelsea seek to consolidate their grip on a top-five spot, while Leicester fight to remain alive in their survival quest in what promises to be a high-tension match.
Chelsea - Leicester City Key Facts
Chelsea FC have an excellent home record against Leicester City, winning 12 of the last 20 encounters at Stamford Bridge, an indicator of their dominance and making them clear favourites for this match.
Leicester City are in poor form, losing their last 5 matches and failing to score in 3 of those games, an indicator of serious struggles in both form and goal-scoring prowess.
Chelsea FC have not lost any of their last 5 Premier League matches against Leicester City, winning 4 and drawing 1, which underlines their long-standing superiority in this fixture.
Betting Predictions
Primary Bet: Home Win @ 2/11
Chelsea's good home record against Leicester makes a home win the stand-out option. The Blues have won 12 of their last 20 home matches against Leicester, including the last three in succession. Leicester are on a dire run of form, having lost their last five matches and failing to win in their last four meetings with Chelsea. With Chelsea being undefeated in their last five home games and Leicester's last victory at Stamford Bridge in 2018, the 1/5 for a Chelsea win is good value.
Secondary Bet: Over 2.5 Goals @ 4/11
For the return seekers, the over 2.5 goals market appears highly attractive. Matches involving these sides average 3.6 goals per match, while Chelsea's home scoring record of 2.82 goals per game is impressive. Leicester's defensive frailties are well-known, as they have conceded in all their last 23 matches. The trend strongly supports the likelihood of a high-scoring encounter. At 83.54% likelihood for over 2.5 goals, the 9/25 odds offer a tasty opportunity to capitalize on both teams' goal-scoring form and defensive frailty.
Editorial Pick: Over 4.5 Total Cards @ 6/5
Chelsea have the second worst disciplinary record in the Premier League, and Leicester City will get increasingly desperate and exasperated as they move towards the end of the season needing points to escape the relegation zone. The referee is likely to have his hands full in this one.
