Tuesday’s game at the Bridge is another pivotal meeting between the two sides who are chasing Champions League qualification and it is Thomas Tuchel’s side who bear greater pressure heading into the match with Liverpool closing the gap on them in the league table.
A win would assure Leicester of their spot in next season’s Champions League campaign while a defeat for Chelsea would give a major opportunity to Jurgen Klopp’s Reds of going two points clear of them should they win their two games in hand.
Chelsea came out second best in the narrowest of margins this past Saturday at Wembley in the FA Cup finals against the Foxes who clinched the trophy for the first time in their history thanks to a wonder strike from Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans.
The Foxes will be backed to do the job once again when taking on the west Londoners who have underperformed in recent times, suffering two straight defeats and looking increasingly likely to cede the fourth place in the Premier League standings to an in-form Liverpool outfit.
Tuchel’s men do have the cushion of qualifying for the Champions League next season through their spot in this season’s final of the same in a matchup where they are bound to face top-flight champions Manchester City later this month in Porto.
However, the Chelsea boss will be keen on seeing his side emerge as the top-four finishers after what has been a major turnaround at the Bridge since his hiring in January following the sack given to Frank Lampard.
The Blues are expected to tinker around with their XI for the upcoming fixture after the woeful showing last time around in the FA Cup and should Tuchel’s players deliver their very best on the Stamford Bridge pitch, they will be strong favourites for a game that is indeed of much importance to the Champions League chasers.
WHEN AND WHERE?
No time to dwell. We'll be ready for Leicester tomorrow.#MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/eGL77Tto3Z
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 17, 2021
Date – 18 May Tuesday
Time – 7:15 PM GMT
Venue – Stamford Bridge
TEAM NEWS
Chelsea are bound to have concerns over the availability of Mateo Kovacic and Andreas Christensen, with neither one of the players being included for the matchday squad for the FA Cup over the past weekend.
Kovacic has missed the Blues’ last 10 matches with a hamstring injury, yet Tuchel has indicated previously that the Croatian international midfielder would be in the mix for minutes on the pitch in what remains of the ongoing campaign.
Edouard Mendy will be in line to assume the goalkeeping duties once again after being benched for the last two outings in which Thomas Tuchel has surprisingly decided to give Kepa the role between the sticks for Chelsea.
The likes of Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz are also tipped to be amongst those at the Bridge who can earn a recall back into the XI after being on the bench for the defeat to Leicester.
KEY BATTLE
Kai Havertz vs Jamie Vardy
Havertz will be inching closer to a return to the Chelsea frontline with Timo Werner expected to drop down to the bench after another barren spell for the striker in front of the goal.
Should he be included in the starting eleven for the Blues, Havertz will be eager to display his worth to Tuchel and possibly cement his spot in the central striking role.
For the Foxes, it is Jamie Vardy who is bound to prove a major menace to deal with a Chelsea backline that is missing the influential presence of Andres Christensen.
MATCH PREDICTION
Both sides are desperate for a victory come Tuesday at the Bridge and the match is expected to go right to the wire similar to what was witnessed last Saturday.
We predict a 1-1 stalemate is on the cards with either side looking unlikely to secure what will be a much important win for their top-four aspirations.
