Foxes of Leicester
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Preview: Wobbly Leicester City take on hot-and-cold Chelsea

By Harneet Singh Sethi

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 18: Onyinye Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City scores his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Leicester City at Stamford Bridge on August 18, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 18: Onyinye Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City scores his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Leicester City at Stamford Bridge on August 18, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
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A very wobbly Leicester City will take on a very hot-and-cold Chelsea at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

For what it’s worth, this is one game that both teams would want to avoid a defeat in. Not winning will do but losing could have proper ramifications in the context of the season and, of course, UEFA Champions League qualification.

Whereas a defeat for Chelsea would mean they drift further away from the relatively comfortable third spot – 11 points to be exact – a defeat for Leicester would mean the Blues breathing right down their neck, with just five points separating the two.

However, were one to ask as to who needs this one more, or who will a negative result affect more, than the answer will certainly be Leicester.

They have won just three of their last eight in the Premier League, and they’ve also had to take an excruciating semi-final loss in the Carabao Cup, so ending up on the wrong side again would be quite deterring for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

One to Watch

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – JANUARY 28: Jamie Vardy of Leicester City during the Carabao Cup Semi Final match between Aston Villa and Leicester City at Villa Park on January 28, 2020 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – JANUARY 28: Jamie Vardy of Leicester City during the Carabao Cup Semi Final match between Aston Villa and Leicester City at Villa Park on January 28, 2020 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /

There’s only one one man you look up to in this side when it’s about rising to the occasion, and that man is Jamie Vardy. His record against the ‘Big Six’ hasn’t been as good this season but, well, he has 36 goals in 50 appearances against them for a reason.

In a way, and bearing in mind the way this season as panned out for the Foxes, this is rock bottom, so when the situation is as such, that’s when players like Vardy really bring their absolute best to the field with them.

He just has this knack of stepping up when needed the most and you have the feeling he will do that later today at the KP.

Quotes

"“We’ve spoken about it a lot,” Rodgers said of the semi-final defeat.“Every team is unified when you’re winning. They’re going to have bumps along the way, but we have to use it as a motivating factor as we’re still in another cup competition.“I’ve seen them today and the spirit is still very strong.”"

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Predicted XI

Kasper Schmeichel; Ricardo Pereira, Jonny Evans, Caglar Soyuncu, Ben Chilwell; Wilfred Ndidi, Youri Tielemans, James Maddison; Ayoze Perez, Harvey Barnes, Jamie Vardy.