Chelsea and Leicester will clash on Thursday, May 18, at Stamford Bridge for the first time since Saturday, when Leicester stunned Chelsea in the 2021 FA Cup finals. The Blues might have their minds fixed on the UEFA Champions League finals against Manchester City, but getting a revenge win here will be crucial to keep their spot in the top-four in the English Premier League.
Chelsea vs Leicester
When: Tuesday, May 18 – 20:15 GMT
Where: Stamford Bridge, London, England
Weather: Cloudy, 13°C
Referee: Mike Dean
On Saturday, Chelsea lost to Leicester in the FA Cup Final. If they lose again, they could end up outside the top four in the Premier League. That said, revenge is not the only fuel that powers the Blues ahead of tonight’s game.
On the other hand, Leicester should be feeling very confident that they can repeat their success from Saturday. Winning tonight would secure them a place in the Champions League. However, even a draw would be a solid result for the Foxes.
The same isn’t the case with Chelsea, who need to win this. Otherwise, Liverpool will highly likely overtake them.
Chelsea Going for All Three Points
Chelsea ended up losing to Leicester on Saturday, but they weren’t playing poorly in that game. The Blues were the better team and held the ball in their possession for almost two-thirds of the game. They also had 13 goal attempts, which is seven more than what Leicester made.
Chelsea came very close to equalizing in the later stages of the game. The most notable moment was Ben Chilwell’s goal in the 89th minute, which almost everyone at Wembley thought was legit. Everyone except for the refs in the VAR room, who disallowed it for offside.
Tonight, the battleground for the Chelsea vs Leicester game is Stamford Bridge, where up to 10,000 fans will be allowed in the stands. Most of those will obviously be Chelsea fans, which is another big plus for the Blues. Tonight’s match will also mark the first time of the year that Chelsea supporters will be allowed to enter Stamford Bridge, so you can expect them to make some extra noise.
The Foxes are In Celebratory Mood
Leicester would love to play in the Champions League next season, but they probably won’t be too disappointed if that doesn’t happen. After all, the Foxes got themselves a trophy last weekend.
Whatever they’re going to finish in the Champions League position is something that pretty much comes to how they play tonight. The thing is that, despite being sitting in third, Leicester could quickly drop down to fifth.
They have only three points more than the fifth-placed Liverpool, who have two elementary games ahead of them before the end of the season (vs Burnley and Crystal Palace). If the two finish on equal points, Liverpool will enjoy the score difference advantage.
For that reason, losing to Chelsea tonight is something the Foxes can’t afford. Getting a draw, however, would likely secure them a place in the top four. In that case, Chelsea will drop below Liverpool (assuming that Liverpool get all six points in the remaining two games).
Chelsea vs Leicester Betting Picks
For Chelsea, this is a must-win situation. If they fail to do so, they won’t be finishing inside the top four.
For Leicester, winning tonight’s game isn’t their top priority – not losing is. That said, if the last bout between these two has proven anything is that Chelsea are the better team, and they’ll be eager to prove that tonight.
Prediction: Chelsea
This soccer betting preview has been sent out to our premium members earlier today. Join our premium betting plan HERE, and start betting with us on soccer, esports, tennis, golf, and more.
