Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the Premier League clash between Leicester City and Chelsea at the King Power Stadium.

What a difference a year makes eh? In the corresponding fixture last season, in December 2015, the Foxes moved two points clear at the top of the Premier League table after a 2-1 win over the Blues, who found themselves 16th in the standings and just a point above the drop zone. The fixture also marked the final Chelsea game for Jose Mourinho, who was sacked days later.

Things are much different this time round, as the current Premier League champions sit in the lower reaches of the table, with 21 points from 20 games, while Chelsea are flying high at the top of the standings, four points above Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand.

However, things are not as clear-cut as they were two weeks ago for Antonio Conte's charges, as a 2-0 defeat to Spurs on January 4 cut their lead at the top of the table and put an end to their winning streak, while one of the club's star players is reportedly pining for a move away, if media reports are to be believed.

Which leads us nicely to the team news, which have just come out, so let's have a look at who's in the Leicester and Chelsea squads...

LEICESTER STARTING XI: Schmeichel, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Chilwell, Mendy, Drinkwater, Ndidi, Albrighton, Musa, Vardy

CHELSEA STARTING XI: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill, Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso, Willian, Hazard, Pedro

LEICESTER SUBS: Zieler, Simpson, Wasilewski, King, Gray, Okazaki, Kapustka

CHELSEA SUBS: Begovic, Ivanovic, Zouma, Chalobah, Loftus-Cheek, Fabregas, Batshuayi

Claudio Ranieri, who was voted Coach of the Year by FIFA earlier this week, makes three changes to his side from their 2-1 win at Everton in the FA Cup last week. In come Christian Fuchs, Ahmed Musa and Jamie Vardy, and out go Danny Simpson and Demarai Gray, who drop to the bench, as well as Leonardo Ulloa, who is out with a thigh injury. The Foxes are also without Riyad Mahrez, Islam Slimani and Daniel Amartey, who are at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Now onto Chelsea, and the big, big news from the Stamford Bridge camp is that star striker Diego Costa is not in the squad.

According to reports, the Spain international is the subject of a £30m-per-year offer from a club in the Chinese Super League, which is said to have unsettled him. A further report from Sky Sports News suggests that Costa had not trained with the Chelsea first team for three days, and he then became embroiled in an argument with two fitness coaches. Conte then stepped in - and I must keep stressing, this is what has been reported in the press, the club has not commented on the situation - and the row ended with the Italian shouting: "Go to China!"

There is bound to be plenty of speculation flying about, but what is certain is that Costa is not in the starting XI nor the subs' bench this evening against Leicester, and given that he has scored 14 goals and provided five assists this season for his club, Conte will have to make do without one of his key assets at the King Power Stadium.

And while we're on this very subject, Conte has spoken to the press about Costa's absence. He said: "On Tuesday, Diego stopped training with a pain in his back and then in the week he didn't train with us. We played without Diego against Bournemouth and we have had time to prepare for this. We've prepared very well."

So that's that, then. As for the remainder of the squad, most first-teamers were rested for Chelsea's 4-1 win over Peterborough United in the FA Cup, so Conte has made eight changes into total from that game. It looks like the Blues will play without a recognised striker, with Eden Hazard filling in for Diego Costa, while Pedro and Willian complete the team's attacking trident. John Terry failed in his appeal to get his red card against the Posh overturned, so he sits this one out.

Some positive news coming from former Leicester player Alan Birchenall, who was taken to hospital earlier this week but now appears to be on the mend.

Leicester fans will always have a soft spot for Chelsea given what happened on May 3 last year, when the Blues came from two goals down against Tottenham Hotspur to claim a 2-2 draw and officially hand the title to the Foxes - many Chelsea fans were also delighted about it as they are fond of Claudio Ranieri, who was manager at Stamford Bridge between 2000 and 2004.

Leicester have won just one of their last nine Premier League games against Chelsea, which was the 2-1 win at the King Power 13 months ago. The rest? One draw and seven defeats.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have won three of their last four Premier League visits to Leicester, with two of those wins coming under current Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri.

Interestingly, despite winning the league last season, Claudio Ranieri's Premier League win percentage was better at Chelsea (52 per cent) than it currently is at Leicester (48 per cent).

In a surefire sign of the two clubs' reversals of fortunes, Chelsea have the best points differential from this season to last after 20 games (+26), while Leicester City have the worst (-19).

SCORE PREDICTION: I feel this is a very hard match to call, because Chelsea are unplayable on their day, but the 2-0 defeat at White Hart Lane proved that they are indeed beatable, and with Diego Costa reportedly falling out with the club, they could be at their most vulnerable this season. As for Leicester, they might have been struggling this season but they can still pull huge performances out of the hat, as they did against Manchester City a month ago.

Chelsea thrashed Leicester 3-0 at Stamford Bridge earlier this season and, on paper, one would think that the same would happen, but the Foxes seem to have found their way somewhat... I'm going to go for a 1-1 draw, which will rip the title race wide open.

Will Leicester blow the doors off the title race, or will Chelsea make sure that the Costa situation is nothing more than a Mini problem? We're about to find out which of these two Italians will get the job done at the King Power.

With all the players out onto the pitch, there will now be a minute of applause in remembrance of former England manager Graham Taylor.

KICKOFF! Leicester get the action underway at the King Power as Andre Marriner blows for kickoff.

CHANCE! Leicester nearly score after about 80 seconds as Musa powers past an Azpilicueta tackle on the left of the box before forcing a save from Courtois with an effort from a tight angle.

Huth gives away a free kick just inside the Leicester half as he pulls back the marauding Willian.

That did not take long at all, and the defending champions now have to try and come from behind - the visitors patiently work the ball around before a curling cross is fired into the penalty area by Cesar Azpilicueta, the Leicester defence fails to deal with the threat and Eden Hazard cuts the ball back to Marcos Alonso, who rifles low into the right-hand corner past Kasper Schmeichel.

Huth gives away another free kick, this time by clumsily bringing down Pedro. Willian steps up and fires a low ball into the box, but it fails to find a way past Drinkwater.

Leicester continue to be sliced open at the back as Alonso skips past Albrighton and whips a low ball into the box, which Huth puts behind for a corner. Willian takes and almost finds Luiz at the far post, but captain Morgan is on hand to cut out the danger.

Albrighton does very well to curl a ball right round the Chelsea defence from just inside his own half on the touchline, but it's just too heavy for Vardy, who is under pressure from Luiz in the box.

Albrighton breaks down the right flank and sends another pinpoint delivery into the box, which finds the head of Chilwell, but he cannot get enough power on his effort to trouble Courtois.

Moses is brought down by a sliding tackle from Chilwell, but referee Marriner says no foul.

Drinkwater gets himself into a good position down the right flank before swinging a dangerous cross towards Vardy in the box, but Moses and Luiz are just about able to deal with the danger.

Kante brings down Mendy 30 yards from goal to give away a free kick which Albrighton curls into the box, but Matic is just about able to get a touch on it before Cahill concedes a corner, which is swung in and cleared by Hazard.

Leicester have certainly dusted themselves off after conceding early as they continue to press against their opponents, with Drinkwater sending a low cross into the box which Alonso clears.

Chilwell works the ball to Ndidi for a shooting chance from 25 yards, but with the ball coming across him, he fires well wide.

The ball is worked around by Chelsea and Matic finds himself in space 30 yards out - he decides to go for goal but his long-range effort fails to beat Morgan on the edge of the penalty area and is easily dealt with.

Luiz sends a ball over the top and it falls neatly to Alonso behind the Leicester defence, but the move is snuffed out by the officials for offside.

Fuchs attempts to cause havoc with a long throw into the Blues box, but Courtois comes off his line to claim the ball above a crowd of bodies.

CHANCE! Leicester give their opponents a scare after Vardy beats Cahill to the ball and drills a cross into the box, which Luiz tries to get a foot to before pulling out at the last second, which keeps the ball on the same trajectory and allows Courtois to block the danger before Moses clears.

Alonso breaks down the left flank and forces a corner from Drinkwater, which Willian swings in, Ndidi puts the ball behind for another set piece, which flies straight out of play.

Fuchs tries another long throw-in but it's quickly snuffed out and Chelsea set off on a counterattack through Pedro, who gets dragged to the ground by Drinkwater for a free kick, but despite Chelsea's training-ground move, which sees Luiz and Hazard play the ball to Pedro, the sequence ends with the Spaniard blasting high above the Leicester bar.

Another Leicester throw-in results in a long launch from Fuchs towards Vardy in the Chelsea box, but it fails to find the striker and is instead easily dealt with by Luiz.

We have one minute of stoppage time at the King Power.

So that's it for the first half at the King Power Stadium as Chelsea leave the field with a slender one-goal lead over Leicester, courtesy of Marcos Alonso's early strike.

The Blues took the lead in the sixth minute as Alonso was on hand to drill home Eden Hazard's square pass, but from then on it's been a fairly even affair, with the Foxes stepping up a gear but never really threatening their opponents, while Chelsea failed to capitalise and build on their lead.

Antonio Conte's charges have also been guilty of several heart-in-mouth moments at the back, with Luiz coming very close to turning the ball into his own net and other instances of apparent miscommunication among the Blues defence.

Both sides have had three shots in total, one each on target, but Leicester have completed 117 passes to Chelsea's 223, and in terms of possession, the Foxes stand at 39 percent compared to their opponents' 61 percent.

As it stands, Chelsea will end the day seven points clear of second-placed Tottenham, while Leicester will remain 15th in the table, five points above the bottom three. But we still have 45 minutes to go, and there may well be more twists and turns in the East Midlands.

KICKOFF: Back underway at the King Power, with no half-time changes for either side.

Chelsea begin the second 45 patiently, passing the ball around the Leicester half as the hosts drop deep to withstand any attempts to carve out an opening.

The Foxes give the ball away in a dangerous position, which allows Willian to burst forward, but Huth stands in the way as the Brazilian attempts a shot.

BOOKING: A lofted pass is whipped into the path of Willian down the left flank, but he's cynically dragged back by Fuchs - who gets booked - and wins his side a free kick near to the corner flag.

Chelsea double their lead as Alonso now finds himself on a hat-trick, but Leicester will be rueing their luck - as well as their clumsy defending - as Willian's set piece eventually finds its way out to the wing-back, who decides to go for goal, and his effort deflects off the outstretched leg of Morgan and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net past Schmeichel.

Leicester set about trying to find a way back into the game as they push forward, but Luiz deals with the danger on the edge of his box before a frustrated Vardy clatters into him.

PENALTY CALL! Leicester want a penalty as Albrighton takes a touch from Fuchs's long throw at the far post before going to ground under a challenge in the area, but referee Marriner waves away the appeals.

Hazard gets into a one-on-one position in the box against Morgan, but the Foxes captain manages to force his tricky opponent out wide and snuffs out the danger.

SUBSTITUTION: Leicester make a change as Shinji Okazaki replaces Robert Huth - a tactical change as the Foxes now line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Okazaki and Musa either side of Vardy up front.

Cahill attempts an audacious overhead kick, but the ball strikes Morgan and goes out of play for a corner to Chelsea.

Willian's corner flies deep into the Leicester box but the ball dips down right into the path of Schmeichel, who claims with ease.

CHANCE! Alonso is just inches away from sealing a hat-trick as he connects with Moses's cross on the edge of the box, but his first-time volley flashes just wide of the far post!

Not content with just being a danger man in front of goal, Alonso is also showing his credentials at the back as he weighs in with a crucial sliding intervention to stop Vardy from playing Musa in on goal.

That is surely game over now as Chelsea score a third goal, and Leicester are caught out at the back. Willian draws out Schmeichel before chipping the ball to Pedro, who then beats Morgan in the air and nods a header into the bottom left-hand corner of the open goal.

SUBSTITUTION: Leicester have made a second change, with Ahmed Musa making way for Demarai Gray.

Gray makes an immediate impact on the field as he draws a foul from Matic deep down the right flank, which wins his side a free kick. Albrighton whips the ball into the box, but Courtois punches clear.

Willian and Pedro link up well before the Brazilian fires in a low cross intended for Hazard, but Albrighton gets to the ball first and snuffs out the danger.

SUBSTITUTION: That was Albrighton's last action of the game as he is withdrawn for Danny Simpson.

CHANCE! Chilwell skips past Kante and Azpilicueta before attempting a shot from 25 yards out, but he is somewhat off balance and ends up drilling the ball over the bar.

SUBSTITUTION: Eden Hazard makes way for Cesc Fabregas in Chelsea's first change of the match.

Gray gets past Pedro, cuts inside and curls a left foot cross towards the near post, but Courtois reads it well to gather.

SUBSTITUTIONS: A double change for Chelsea as Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Michy Batshuayi take the field in place of Willian and Pedro.

Gray uses his pace to get away from Alonso on the right flank but he drags his shot well wide of goal.

Fuchs attempts an audacious volley from the left-hand corner of the Chelsea box, but the ball is well held by Courtois in the centre of the goal.

Two minutes of added time here at the King Power, with the result well beyond doubt.

It's full time in the East Midlands and Leicester have been torn apart by Chelsea, their opponents on the day, who claimed a 3-0 win at the King Power to establish a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

With Diego Costa absent, the unlikely hero on the day was wing-back Marcos Alonso, who scored a brace and could so easily have had a hat-trick, while Pedro added the cherry on top with his side's third goal midway through the second half.

That's all we have time for here at the King Power but stay with Sports Mole as we bring you match reports, player and manager reaction, and all the latest news from the day's football action! Thank you for following and, until next time, goodbye!