The Premier League season has moved into itÂ’s 16th game and on every single match week there has been a multitude of surprises
This weekend alone has seen Bournemouth triumph over Manchester United, Everton spurn a number of glorious chances in their eventual 1-1 draw with Norwich and Manchester City almost dropping two points at home to struggling Swansea before a last gasp Kelechi Iheanacho goal stole all three points for City
MondayÂ’s game between Leicester and Chelsea will be sure to throw up a number of surprises too
The Foxes have been in the ascendancy since the end of last season and a new manager along with a fresh start this term has brought unforeseen fortunes
After 15 games Leicester sit third in the table, level with Manchester City on 32 points and a single point behind leaders Arsenal with a game in hand
The fact Leicester are still rubbing shoulders with the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal almost half way through the season is testament to their incredible turn around in form.
Their run of a single defeat from their 15 games is in no small part due to Premier LeagueÂ’s top scorer Jamie Vardy
His incredible run of 11 goals in 11 games came to an end in the Foxes 3-0 win over Swansea but his influence has in no way diminished
The forward has galvanised his teamÂ’s performances and his energetic and tireless displays have summed up his teamÂ’s style of play.
While their defence may not be as sturdy as Manchester United who have conceded 12 in 16 in comparison to LeicesterÂ’s 21
However, irrespective of how many they concede, they refuse to stunt their own attacking intent in favour of sitting on a slender lead
This impetus placed on attack was shown most prominently in their 5-2 home defeat against Arsenal in September
The Foxes went toe to toe with the most free flowing and offensively coherent team in the league
While they were eventually beaten, the fact they refused to set up in a more defensive shape when Arsenal took the lead displays the entertaining and end to end style of play they now employ
Leicester have been widely praised for their offensive play style and it is easy to see why with 32 goals so far, the same as the multi-million pound strike force of Manchester City
Jamie Vardy has been amply assisted this term by the emergence of Riyad Mahrez
The Algerian international has 10 goals and six assists and has, along with Jamie Vardy, been one of the strongest performers in the League this season causing both to be linked with a number of the top clubs in England
There were rumblings that Real Madrid had been scouting out Vardy recently too, however this may have just been churned out of the infamous media rumour mill
It is fair to say then that Leicester are a team in hot form and are a match for any opponent in the league with their free scoring play.
At the other end of the table are LeicesterÂ’s opponents
So much has been written about Chelsea and their problems
Jose Mourinho has endured questions about his position, Eden Hazard has been the subject to one of the most remarkable drops in form, Diego Costa seems more intent on starting fights with his opponents, while ChelseaÂ’s formerly water-tight defence has struggled due to teams targeting John TerryÂ’s lack of pace and the loss of form of Branislav Ivanovic.
Chelsea currently languish in 16th, averaging a point a game
They have also conceded 24 goals which is inconceivable when taking into account the fact that it is the same defence which walked to the Premier League title last season
They currently sit two points above the relegation zone and, interestingly, are a single point and place above Swansea City who severed ties with manager Garry Monk in the week
This latest managerial casualty has quite likely added a little more pressure onto the already overburdened shoulders of Jose Mourinho
However there has been somewhat of a revival in the Chelsea camp in recent weeks
A victory and then a hard earned draw over Norwich and Tottenham respectively preceded a last gasp defeat at home against Bournemouth
It seemed that just as ChelseaÂ’s season was beginning to look up their optimism was dashed
However a superb performance against Portuguese side Porto in their must win Champions League game yielded a 2-0 victory and the teamÂ’s improved performance was supplemented by Eden Hazard and Diego Costa finally showing signs of resurrecting their form
If the victory over Porto is anything to go by then Chelsea do have a chance of beating Leicester, albeit a slim one
When one of the Premier LeagueÂ’s form teams comes up against a team at the bottom of the table though it is rarely a foregone conclusion
This was reinforced as TottenhamÂ’s 14 match unbeaten run was ended by their 2-1 loss to a Newcastle side which looked dead and buried two weeks ago
Chelsea are the Premier LeagueÂ’s reigning Champions and every single player is a World class talent which would be coveted by any team
Their form will have disappointed no one more so than themselves and every player in the squad will be itching to atone for the errors that have blighted their season
Leicester go into the game as favourites and rightly so
A solitary loss so far this season is in comparison to ChelseaÂ’s eight while no side has outscored LeicesterÂ’ 32 goals this season
An argument can be made for the game being a claustrophobic encounter in which chances are few and it is likely to be settled by a single goal while it could also be a goal fest with LeicesterÂ’s pace and will to attack causing ChelseaÂ’s defence problems
However the Foxes would also struggle in a very open game with the pace of Hazard and Willian likely to culminate in chances against a defence which is not as sure as the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal
The home advantage will be vital for Leicester who will be looking to consolidate their position at the top of the Premier League while a win is also important for Chelsea who still have hopes of pushing for a top four finish with the Premier League being so hotly contested this year.
Final Score: Leicester 2 Chelsea 2.
Source : DSG
Source: DSG