Prediction: Leicester City vs Chelsea

Verdict: Away win

Best Odds: 4/5

Bookmaker: bet365

The winners of last two Premier League campaigns take on each other at King Power Stadium, with both sides looking to make amends for the slow start to the season. But, while Chelsea showed improvement to beat Spurs and Everton, the Foxes were beaten by Man Utd at Old Trafford last time out.

Leicester City

Leicester City somehow managed to survive last season, but the poor Premier League campaign could still come back to haunt them. Having witnessed that the Foxes are unlikely to fight for European positions any time soon, key midfielder Riyad Mahrez expressed his desire to leave and he is believed to be quite disappointed to have remained at King Power Stadium. Manager Craig Shakespear is set to hold talks with the Algerian when he returns from international duty, but chances are the winger will not be too motivated in the remainder of the season. On the other hand, Leicester cashed in on Danny Drinkwater on transfer deadline day and while they agreed a deal for Adrien Silva, FIFA has so far refused to accept the registration documents. The Foxes are still trying to correct the mistakes and persuade the world’s governing body to change their decision, but chances are the Portuguese will play no part in the high-profile clash against Chelsea. While defeating Brighton at home, Leicester City were beaten by both Arsenal and Man Utd on the road, and they do not exactly head into Saturday’s match in great spirits.

Team News

Vicente Iborra and Robert Huth are unlikely to feature due to injury, while new recruit Aleksandar Dragovic could play.



Chelsea

Chelsea spent just over €200 million on new signings this summer, but manager Antonio Conte cannot be quite satisfied with the club’s transfer dealings. Deadline day signings of Danny Drinkwater and Davide Zappacosta helped ease some of the pressure, while the likes of Antonio Rudiger, Alvaro Morata and Tiemoue Bakayoko have yet to hit the ground running. The Blues were in serious problems after the 3-2 home loss to Burnley on the opening day of the season, but they then showed considerable improvement to record back to back wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Everton. Alvaro Morata excelled in central role against the Toffees, and he has probably persuaded Antonio Conte that he is much more dangerous as a centre forward. The Blues will be buoyed by the return of Belgian superstar Eden Hazard and with Willian slowly rediscovering his form, they stand a good chance of extending the winning run. This is also a good time to be facing Leicester City and we do expect Chelsea to pile more misery on Craig Shakespeare’s side.

Team News

Wantaway striker Diego Costa was added to club’s Premier League squad, but he is unlikely to feature any time soon, while Gary Cahill is banned and Eden Hazard is back in contention.

Key Factors to Consider

• Chelsea won last two matches at King Power Stadium
• The Blues also won last three meetings with Leicester City
• Those three fixtures produced 12 goals in total
• Chelsea won six of last seven EPL matches on the road
• The Foxes lost four of last five home games vs England’s top sides

Conclusion

Leicester City are going through a rough patch at the moment and with Riyad Mahrez unhappy at not being allowed to leave, they face a difficult task against revived Chelsea. The Blues have seriously raised their form of late and we are backing them to record yet another triumph at King Power.

Verdict: Away win

Best Odds: 4/5

Bookmaker: bet365