How Leicester City should approach Chelsea away this weekend

After drawing a blank in their season opener with Wolves, Brendan Rodgers may look to switch things up for his side’s visit to Stamford Bridge this Sunday.

Leicester City began their campaign with two defensive minded midfielders and a narrow front three, a system usually reserved for top six sides. However, with wolves proving themselves as the best of the rest last season, capable of dispatching four goals past the Foxes in a single sitting, such caution was understandable.

Many will have seen this more conservative approach as a missed opportunity, especially considering the bite that City showed following the introduction of Harvey Barnes and some much-needed width to their attack.

The visitors, arriving at the end of a week which saw them venture to Armenia and back, were there for the taking, if Leicester had gone at them more. City’s next opponents are in a similar position, having played 120 midweek minutes in Turkey, as they lost the European Super Cup on penalties.

Chelsea Vs Leicester City

Frank Lampard’s Chelsea are certainly in a period of transition, but this does not mean that they are not an extremely tough test for the Foxes. Don’t let their last two defeats, at the hands of Manchester United then Liverpool, disguise the fact that they were a serious threat against two top sides away from their home turf.

It will be Lampard’s first time managing the Blues at the Bridge, meaning City’s opponents will be more than up for it in a game that promises an electric atmosphere.

As tempting as it is to arrive in London with fierce, attacking intent, a more cautious approach may be equally wise. Chelsea were completely exposed by United’s pace on the counter, a similar story to Leicester’s last visit to the Bridge back in December.

The 4–1-4-1 remains the most effective formation for City, but the personnel chosen to implement it can give the system either added threat or increase the defensive stability.

It boils down to whether Barnes or Hamza Choudhury will start. Despite both academy graduates displaying the beginnings of fine form, the threat added by the young winger in Sunday’s latter stages cannot be ignored. While Wilfred Ndidi is a likely starter again.

City should visit Chelsea with the intention of dominating the Blues in their own back yard, with James Maddison and Youri Tielemans freely providing from the middle, and a dangerous trident of Ayoze Perez, Jamie Vardy and Barnes in front.