Leicester City vs Chelsea Predictions

Leicester City vs Chelsea: Key Insights

• The Opta supercomputer backed Chelsea to win in a convincing 59.5% pre-match simulation.
• Cole Palmer has been directly involved in 10 goals in five Premier League games for Chelsea against promoted sides.
• Chelsea have lost just one of their last seven top-flight games away to Leicester City.

Enzo Maresca returns to the King Power Stadium on Saturday to face his former hosts for the first time as Chelsea prepare to visit Leicester City.

The Italian guided Leicester City back into the Premier League at the first time of asking last season before trading the Championship winners to Chelsea in the summer.

The London side remain third in the table after failing to win their last two games following back-to-back 1-1 draws against Manchester United and Arsenal. Pedro Neto canceled out Gabriel Martinelli's opener against Mikel Arteta's side in their last match at Stamford Bridge.

Those draws also kept Cole Palmer quiet. However, the former Manchester City player was directly involved in 10 goals (six goals, four assists) in just five Premier League appearances against Chelsea's promotion rivals.

That impressive record means he averages a goal or assist every 43 minutes in such games, and Palmer will be keen to build on that with the help of another attacker, Nonie Madueke. The pair have created more chances for each other than any other duo in the Premier League this season (17).

However, Leicester City also have a somewhat unexpected midfield maestro. Wilfred Ndidi had more touches (33) and assists (4) than any other Leicester City player in the Premier League in the 2024-25 season. However, Ndidi's four assists came from nine chances created, suggesting that much of this was down to the excellent shooting of his teammates.

Steve Cooper's side will have a tough task ahead of them as Leicester City are winless in their last 13 Premier League matches against teams that started the day in the top four (D3 L10). Since their 1-0 win over Liverpool in December 2021, they have conceded 35 goals in those 13 games, an average of 2.7 per game.

Leicester City may have a chance, though, as Chelsea have struggled recently following international days, winning just one of their last seven such games (D3 L3). However, that was against Bournemouth earlier this season when Christopher Nkunku won 1-0 on the south coast.

Maresca may not be too concerned about that record, however. His team has scored 10 of its 19 points in road games this season (531 TP3T) and is one of only four teams to score more than 501 TP3T in road games.

In terms of away team news, Chelsea will be supervising the fitness of Jadon Sancho and Romeo Ravia, but Reece James will be absent, with Maresca confirming on Friday that he has a problem with his captain's hamstring.

Meanwhile, Leicester City will be without key winger Abdul Fatau - who could miss the rest of the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury on international duty - as well as Jordan Ayew and Ricardo Pereira. Jamie Vardy, Paterson Daka, Bobby de Cordoba Reid and Jakob Storacik will all face late fitness tests.

Leicester City vs Chelsea

Chelsea have lost just one of their last seven Premier League away games (W4 D2), winning their last two on the road by a combined score of 6-1.

Leicester City have lost four of their last five top-flight games against Saturday's opponents, after going six games unbeaten against Chelsea in the 2018-2021 campaign (W2 D4).

The Blues also beat Leicester City 4-2 in the FA Cup last season, with Cucurelia, Palmer, Chukwuemeka and Madueke all scoring at Stamford Bridge.

Leicester City vs Chelsea Predictions

Chelsea are the favorites for this match in the Opta supercomputerOf the 10,000 pre-match simulations conducted, Chelsea won 59.5%.

Leicester City top the table at just 19% in the same data-driven simulation, with a slightly higher likelihood of a draw at 21.6%.