Leicester City vs Chelsea: 3 things to look out for
By Will Kennedy
The pantomime villains
It’s been fairly common in the last 9 years for Leicester players to have transferred to Chelsea. Famously, we’ve seen N’Golo Kante enjoy major success in both the Midlands and in the capital, whilst Danny Drinkwater’s failures have been well-documented after he made the switch. Both players, however, are still looked fondly upon for their contribution to the club.
The same cannot be said for Ben Chilwell or Wesley Fofana, both of whom return to the King Power on Saturday. It was in a game against Chelsea in which Chilwell’s relationship with the fans faltered; he was seen smiling and laughing after his LCFC side were knocked out of the FA Cup in 2020 against the London side.
Having already been linked with a move to the Blues, after his post-match behaviour the links became stronger, and fans became more and more impatient with Chilwell’s performances. Sure enough, at the end of the season he moved to London where he has endured a torrid time with injury and, it must not be forgotten, he had a 90th minute equaliser ruled out for offside when the Foxes beat Chelsea 1-0 in the FA Cup final.
The main villain of the piece though is Wesley Fofana; he makes his first visit to the King Power as an opponent and he’ll be welcomes with a chorus of boos. After going on strike and saying some disparaging things about the club, it’s fair to say that the young Frenchman has torn up the adoration that fans had for him.
His large transfer fee may have helped Leicester financially, but the manor of his departure left many with a bitter taste in their mouth. Having been nursed back to full fitness after a horrific ankle injury, many feel as if he owed the club at for least another season. Instead, it looks as if he jumped ship at the first chance. If he and Chilwell start on Saturday, it’ll add another element of bite into the game, one that could benefit the Foxes.