Since the inception of the Premier League, there would not have been many weekends where a clash between the defending champions and the current table toppers isn't the biggest story for the weekend. In this case, however, the Leicester-Chelsea clash finds itself thrust firmly into the shadows by the widely anticipated United-Liverpool clash.
Not that the match assumes any less significance, of course; Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham would for obvious reasons be rooting for Leicester to keep Chelsea's gallop in check. Conte, on the other hand, would be eager to avail the first opportunity to prove that the defeat against Tottenham was just an off day.
With both teams primed for the clash by morale-boosting victories in the FA Cup, let’s take a look at the main talking points ahead of the clash.
Leicester's relegation woes
With fresh managerial blood in their veins, Swansea and Hull would be looking to propel themselves up the table before it is too late. Led by seasoned veterans Moyes and Allardyce, it isn't likely that Sunderland or Crystal Palace will be going down in a hurry either. That means Ranieri still has a fair way to go before his team can be truly cleared of relegation worries.
The way the team raised their levels for the clash against Manchester City suggests that the foxes are still capable of giant-slaying on their day. However, matching up against Chelsea is a daunting prospect; their defeat at White Hart Lane, rather than exposing their weaknesses, simply reinforced the fact that it takes 8 or 9 / 10 performances from all your players to stand up to them.
AFCON, Leicester and Chelsea
Talk of the town in the Premier League is the African Cup of Nations – most notably about how Liverpool would cope up with the departure of Sadio Mane to stay in the title race at the end of January. What has been less talked about, though, is the remarkable advantage Chelsea enjoy in terms of not missing a single outfield player to tournament duties.
Leicester, on the other hand, has to look for inspiration elsewhere in the squad, with key attackers Mahrez and Slimani on course to feature for Algeria. In their absence, Ahmed Musa and Jamie Vardy will have to make a timely step up. There is good news on that front for Leicester, with Nigerian forward Musa in fine form capped off by a brace against Everton. Ranieri will be relieved that Nigeria failed to qualify for the tournament, and it is Musa's turn to make Leicester fans feel the same way.
Italian influence at the touchline
Newly crowned FIFA coach of the Year Claudio Ranieri takes on one of the frontrunners to be the next winner, Antonio Conte. While the two share enormous respect for each other, the match is pivotal for both teams – and neither set of players would be in a mood to back off from a 50-50 challenge.
Not just in the intensity, the Italian hallmark would show in the gameplay of both teams as well – solid defending, compact positioning and importance accorded to set pieces. With Italian managers leading leagues across Europe in England, Italy and Germany, the match would be yet another occasion to showcase the superior tactical know-how of Italian football.
Key players
While the skill across the Chelsea squad is abundant and evident, there is no question that Costa and Hazard remain the key players for Chelsea. Costa, in particular, is rampaging around premier league defences with an insatiable appetite for goals – in particular, crucial goals that decide matches.
Hazard would be relishing the prospect of facing Leicester with Kante alongside him rather than against – it is not very easy to escape the attention of the Frenchman once he has his eyes on you. Throw in Pedro and Willian and you can imagine Kasper Schmeichel is going to be in line for a busy day.
At the other end, while Cahill would have been wary of Vardy's pace a few months ago (around the time when Sanchez ran riot over him at Emirates), he would be confident of keeping the striker out with the aid of Luiz and Azpilicueta. It would be foolish to deploy a high backline against the attacker, however, as Manchester City found out the hard way. But even with all their pace, Vardy and Musa will in all likelihood run into a brick wall against a defence that has conceded 6 goals in their last 14 league games.
Conclusion
It is hard to see how Leicester can stop Chelsea from continuing their march. Apart from having better players in each position, Chelsea also seem more cohesive as a team at the moment, with each player having a clear idea of the manager's instructions and the role they play in the setup. However, it is exactly this status that Leicester enjoy - the one of an underdog. They are much more dangerous as underdogs than as favourites.
With Liverpool handed a tough evening at old Trafford for the weekend, Conte's boys will be able to pile up the pressure for Sunday with a win on Saturday. With that fixture in mind, the added advantage Chelsea would enjoy is being able to go into the match knowing that a point would not be the worst result in the world. This would enable them to avoid the mistakes City made and go all out at Leicester from the first while – Hazard and Co. can relax, control the game and patiently look for openings.
Put two and two together, and the only chance for Ranieri seems to be to hope fellow relegation candidates drop points over the weekend as well.
