Preview: Leicester City primed for final-day flourish against Chelsea

When Leicester City began their historic Premier League journey back in 2014, had anyone said that they’d some day be favourites to beat Chelsea – the best team in the country by a million miles at the time – then that person would have been branded a malarkey-talking idiot.

But such is the progress made by Leicester that everyone including Chelsea fans themselves would admit their fears of being on the receiving end of a box-office performance at the King Power Stadium. Much like the one that Arsenal had the pleasure of witnessing – and experiencing.

And let us not forget that Leicester beat Chelsea in the reverse fixture earlier this season. Jamie Vardy was the hero that day as Maurizio Sarri was handed his first home defeat as the Blues’ boss.

However, quite a lot has changed for Leicester since. They look more like a team to begin with. Under Claude Puel, there were times when there was a complete lack of cohesion. The players just didn’t seem to be in sync.

Nowadays, though, they’re all on the same wavelength. The passes do stick and attempted moves do come off. Maybe the players have collectively bought into Brendan Rodgers’ philosophy. A team that can “realistically” – and should ideally – finish with a final-day flourish over Chelsea is the result.

Main man

Jamie Vardy was picked as the main man last time around and it will be the same this time as well. He has a knack of scoring against the so-called Big Six, a statement that is every bit as true today as it was the last season or the season before.

Of Vardy’s 18 goals this season, five have been against the big boys, including the winner at Stamford Bridge. Hard not to see him adding at least another tomorrow.

Quotes

"“The season doesn’t finish until the final whistle against Chelsea. We have a responsibility to the supporters to fight to the end, and we have a responsibility to ourselves,” said Brendan Rodgers.“It’s our last game here of what’s been a very difficult season for the supporters as well as ourselves. We will look to get a result, hopefully sign off with a big game and then look to the summer and get excited for a new season.”"

Predicted XI

Schmeichel; Pereira, Evans, Maguire, Chilwell; Albrighton, Ndidi, Choudhury, Tielemans, Maddison; Vardy.