Chelsea vs Leeds United preview: Team news, lineups, prediction
Leeds United return to Premier League action away to Chelsea on Tuesday as they bid to pull further away from the relegation zone.
In a battle between 16th and 17th in the league, Leeds won a relegation six-pointer with Nottingham Forest at Elland Road on Friday to go three points clear of Sean Dyche’s men.
West Ham’s win at Burnley on Saturday means the gap to the bottom three for Leeds remains at six points ahead of a tough run of fixtures for Daniel Farke‘s side.
The first of which is away at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night. Farke was facing the sack before Leeds dispatched Chelsea on 3 December at Elland Road, a result that sparked a huge upturn in their season.
Back then, the Blues were under the guidance of Enzo Maresca but now Liam Rosenior is at the helm. So, will Leeds beat their old adversaries again? MOT Leeds News highlights everything you need to know ahead of the match.
Preview
Leeds head into this Chelsea fixture with a mixed recent record of two wins, two draws and two losses in their last six league games.
In that stretch, they earned vital victories over Forest and Fulham, while chalking up valuable points against Everton and Manchester United.
Farke’s side suffered an agonising 4-3 defeat to Newcastle United, before being thumped 4-0 by Arsenal in a rare Elland Road loss.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have won four Premier League games on the spin, including a 3-1 win at Wolves on Saturday.
A win for the Blues could see them leapfrog Man United into fourth in the Premier League, if the Red Devils drop points at West Ham, whereas Leeds could climb to as high as 13th if they win and results elsewhere go their way.
Form guide
Chelsea (last six in all competitions): W, L, W, W, W, W
Leeds (last six in all competitions): W, L, D, W, W, L
Head-to-head
Despite losing 3-1 to Leeds in December, Chelsea are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League home games against the Yorkshire outfit, winning the last six in a row.
In fact, their last home league defeat came way back in December 1999 when Stephen McPhail’s double earned a 2-0 away win for Leeds.
Leeds are looking to complete the league double over Chelsea for the first time since their 1991-92 title-winning campaign.
Plus, the Whites are seeking to become only the second promoted side to complete the Premier League double over Chelsea after Charlton Athletic in 2000-01.
The two sides have met on a staggering 110 occasions, dating back to their first fixture on 10 December, 1927, where Leeds won 5-0 in the second division.
Since then, Chelsea have won 39, drawn 30, and lost 41 – highlighting how little there has been to choose between the two clubs over nearly a century.
Team news and predicted lineup
Ahead of the 7.30pm game on Tuesday, manager Farke confirmed that striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and midfielder Ilia Gruev should be fit to face Chelsea.
However, Leeds centre-back Pascal Struijk is out with a hip injury, as is midfielder Anton Stach. Centre-back Jaka Bijol, however, could return after a hamstring problem.
The German said ahead of the game: “Dominic was struggling with illness but I hope it’s not too bad. Pascal Struijk will definitely miss this game, he has problems with his hip flexor. Stach will be back probably just for the Villa game. Apart from this I hope to have everyone available.”
As a result, Bijol is likely to come back into the team for the injured Struijk, midfielder Sean Longstaff could be given a go in midfield, and perhaps Lucas Perri will be given a chance in goal despite Karl Darlow’s impressive display against Forest.
For Chelsea, captain Reece James has been ill but the Blues hope he will be available and Cole Palmer and Andrey Santos, who went off with a swollen ankle at Wolves, are fit for selection.
Their long-term injury concerns are centre-back Levi Colwill, winger Jamie Gittens, and midfielder Romeo Lavia, among others.
Chelsea predicted XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Santos, Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Neto, Pedro
Leeds United predicted XI: Perri; Bogle, Justin, Bijol, Rodon, Gudmundsson; Gruev, Ampadu, Longstaff, Aaronson; Calvert-Lewin
Prediction: Chelsea 3-1 Leeds United
Chelsea are winless in their three midweek Premier League games this season (one draw and two defeats), including a 3-1 loss at Leeds in December.
Conversely, Leeds haven’t won any of their last seven midweek away games in the Premier League (three draws and four losses, with the Whites conceding 3.4 goals a game on average in this stretch.
And due to Leeds’ smaller squad and Chelsea’s current form, it is hard to see past Rosenior’s side for this contest.
Leeds will make a fist of it, as they have done very well in the past 8-10 weeks, but the Blues’ quality is likely to tell here.