Sports Blog 14/12/2015: Match Preview – Leicester vs Chelsea, Monday 14th December 2015

In one of the more unusual sights in the Premier League’s history, 3rd place (but potential table toppers) Leicester take on the 16th place defending champions Chelsea at 8pm on Sky Sports 1.

Though the season may be 15 games deep league-wise both the rise and rise of Leicester and the capitulation of champions Chelsea continue to amaze and astound, each feeling like a bubble that has to burst sometime soon. Yet for now the two sides remain separated by 13 places, and not in the way all conventional logic would suggest.

Of course the tale of Leicester’s Jamie Vardy propelled ascension, and all the records that entails, is well worn. Yet there are still some (relatively) unsung heroes at the heart of the Foxes, none more so than Riyad Mahrez. Vardy (who has a Super Mega PGM of 23-28) may have been hogging all the headlines, but Mahrez (on a Super Mega PGM of 18-22) has been just as good this season with 11 goals to his more heralded teammate’s 14, but with 6 assists to the Englishman’s 2. Mahrez also led the charge against Swansea last week as Vardy’s record-breaking form faltered, the Algerian international's hat-trick keeping Leicester in 1st place, somewhere they can return to with a victory over Chelsea this Monday evening.



Whilst Leicester fans argue over which of its forwards is in better form, Chelsea, whose 17 league goals are only 3 more than Vardy has managed on his own, can barely find one effective striker in their multi-million pound front line. He may have been instrumental in the Blues’ victory over Porto last week but Diego Costa, at a Super Mega PGM of 23-28, is still technically goalless in 4 games with a paltry 4 goal total in 17 games. And though that that 2-0 win last week sees Chelsea meet PSG in another Champions League last 16 tie, they still lost their last league game 1-0 to Bournemouth, marking their 8th domestic loss of the season.

As ever the Blues have been given the edge against a side that traditionally they would have been with ease, Spreadex offering a Chelsea/Leicester (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0.1-0.3 with a Total Goals spread of 2.55-2.75. Yet time and again this season Chelsea have stumbled when they once would have soared, and against a side as jubilant as Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester there is no reason why they won’t struggle again.