On several occasions over the past few seasons, Chelsea and Leicester have competed for places in the English Premier League Champions League zone. As a rule, such "races" have ended in favour of the London club. The current league season has begun without any hint of competition for the top spot. While the Blues are currently sitting in twelfth place with a negative goal difference, the Foxes are lurking in the relegation zone, having conceded more goals than any other team in the division.

Much has already been said about Chelsea's problems in the second half of last season and the beginning of this one. A stressful change of management could not have affected the situation for the better at a rather successful club. That said, Thomas Tuchel conducted a rather optimistic transfer campaign, during which he let go more than a dozen players who had already exhausted themselves at the club: Werner, Lukaku, Emerson, Rüdiger, Christensen and others. Players worth over €200m have been brought in to replace them: Cucurella, Sterling, Koulibaly and others. The Blues started in the league with an away trip to Liverpool to beat Everton 1-0. Then, Tuchel's side started badly, with a 2-2 defeat at the last minute against Tottenham and a 0-3 defeat at the hands of Leeds. Chelsea are no doubt aware of the importance of the game against Leicester after the defeat to a mid-table side.

Unlike their upcoming opponents, Leicester have been among the most passive of all the Premier League clubs in the transfer market. "The Foxes sold their legendary Kasper Schmeichel to Nice for a token million euros without making a single worthwhile acquisition. Given that Rodgers' side finished outside the European Cup zone last season, the calculation for the current squad initially looked strange. Leicester began the season conceding an unjustifiable number of goals, indicative of the team's unpreparedness to play quality defensively.

A frustrated Chelsea will certainly have the initiative in their own arena. The cost of a mistake in such games is quite high. Most likely, the home side will score one or two goals in the match and focus on defence.