The Foxes return home on Saturday (3pm), where they will take on Chelsea after what was both a disappointing effort and result on the south coast last weekend. The visitors will be buoyed by their mid-week Champions League exploits and now look to win three on the spin for the first time since October. It’s Leicester vs Chelsea at the King Power Stadium, so read on for our full match preview with betting tips.
Leicester’s poor run continued last weekend, as they were downed by lowly Southampton. No, they were not massively outplayed, and yes, there were positives, but the way in which the Foxes failed really to assert themselves against a team that has floundered at the foot of the table all season long was slightly worrying.
Brendan Rodgers’ men have now lost four on the bounce in all competitions, losing each of their last three in the Premier League. Improvement is once again needed, especially in the final third, as Saturday’s hosts come into this fixture having scored just one goal in four games.
Life for Graham Potter got a little bit easier this week, and perhaps the pressure has alleviated just a touch. First off, his team beat Leeds in the Premier League, which was never going to be enough to earn the under-fire boss a full reprieve, though the clean sheet was positive. Success against Borussia Dortmund, keeping another clean sheet, will have at least bought the ex-Brighton man some time, and may even act as the catalyst for Chelsea to turn things around.
Unfortunately, though, they will not have the comforts of Stamford Bridge to rely on here, and since playing on the road has brought little joy this term, the Blues aren’t overly easy to fancy.
Goals drying up
Saturday’s hosts were arguably the better team last weekend, and their loss was just as much about their own failings in front of goal as it was their defensive weakness. Sure, had the Saints scored from the spot they could have heaped more pain on a Foxes rear-guard that did not exactly look sturdy. Had the Leicester forwards, especially Kelechi Iheanacho, had their shooting boots on, they could have easily won the game.
They lost by a goal to nil, yet outplayed their opponents in terms of xG by 0.57, registering a total of 2.09 expected goals, which highlights that finishing was a far greater problem than creativity. That has been the story of late, they created opportunities, but were wasteful, while they could very easily have been a couple of goals to the good at Old Trafford before they went behind and eventually slumped to defeat.
In general, the Foxes haven’t had too many problems scoring goals this term, but their reliance on the likes of James Maddison and Harvey Barnes to produce individual brilliance has become more and more evident in recent weeks. If they are not firing in terms of goals, then Rodgers’ men appear to lack firepower.
LCFC vs CFC: Away-day woes for Blues
Against most teams, Leicester’s recent lack of goals would be a real worry, but they are still likely to fancy their chances against a Chelsea side that has struggled massively on the road this term, especially in the final third.
The Blues are now without an away win in the Premier League since October, and a big part of that is a lack of goals. They have really struggled offensively, and those endeavours have been magnified away from home. Potter’s men have scored more than once in none of their last eight away fixtures in the league, and they have failed to score in four of those eight, not registering in two of their last three.
Perhaps more worryingly is the fact that they have not been tremendously creative. During their eight-game winless run on the road, they have posted an average of 1.1 expected goals, which is hardly menacing.
Blues dominating
In recent times, the Foxes have found it hard to hurt Saturday’s visitors. When the teams met earlier in the campaign, it was Chelsea who won by two goals to one, thanks to a second-half double from Raheem Sterling. Leicester are now without a win in four against the Blues, who have won three of the last four renewals of this fixture.
Even at home, Leicester have only won one of their last nine home games against Chelsea. The last time the pair met at King Power Stadium, back in November of 2021, Chelsea won by three goals to nil.
Hosts offer value at the prices
Of the two, Chelsea do come here in slightly better shape following their win in the week, but that effort may have taken quite a bit out of Graham Potter’s men, and we shouldn’t necessarily expect them to start firing on all cylinders just because they have won a couple of home games.
Similarly, we shouldn’t write the hosts off because they’ve lost a couple. In fact, at the prices, the Foxes appeal.
Sure, they lost to the EPL leaders when last in action at home, but they can be forgiven for that effort. They trounced Spurs prior to that, showing that they can indeed hurt teams, much as they did when scoring twice against Brighton before that.
What is more, we know that if Maddison and Barnes fire, they offer a real threat, which is not something we can say about the Blues on the road. If we factor that the hosts have scored 50% more goals at home than Chelsea have on the road, then taking a punt on ‘Leicester Draw No Bet’ does not seem like the worst bet in the world, after all, we know just how disappointing the visitors can be on their travels. So for the betting tips for this LCFC vs CFC preview, it is just the one selection:
- Leicester Draw No Bet @ best odds of 7/4 with BetVictor.
Bradley Gibbs is an experienced football writer. He is an expert analyst on Premier League, and all global football leagues & tournaments, for Just Bookies. Bradley has been published by many respected outlets, including USA Betting and the Racing & Football Outlook. He has also written betting strategy guides.