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May 15, 2016 at 3pm UK
 
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Fabregas (66' pen.)
FT(HT: 0-0)

Preview: Chelsea vs. Leicester City

:Headline: Preview: Chelsea vs. Leicester City: ID:272718: from db_amp
Sports Mole previews the final-day Premier League clash between former champions Chelsea and their successors Leicester City at Stamford Bridge.

Leicester City will bring an end to the greatest season in the club's history with a trip to face former champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Foxes have already wrapped up the Premier League title to depose Chelsea, who in contrast have suffered their worst campaign of the Roman Abramovich era.


Chelsea

When the fixtures were initially announced, this one looked like it could be an all-important game at the end of the season for title contenders Chelsea and relegation battlers Leicester.

It was unthinkable that it would be Leicester who would arrive at Stamford Bridge as the champions having usurped Sunday's hosts, and even more so that a whopping 31 points would separate the two sides in the Premier League table.

Chelsea's demise this season has arguably been as unexpected and newsworthy as Leicester's rise, and whatever happens on the final day the crop of 2015-16 are guaranteed to go down as the worst defending champions in Premier League history, although victory would see them surpass the last First Division title-winners Leeds United's 51-point tally from the maiden Premier League campaign in 1992-93.

They can finish no higher than their current position of ninth, although Wednesday's point against Liverpool at Anfield also means that a bottom-half finish is highly unlikely due to their goal difference.

That will come as scant consolation for a team who were tipped by many to win the title yet again this season, and their campaign appears to be petering out in rather fitting fashion, with just two wins from their last 11 games in all competitions.

That was seconds away from changing at Anfield in midweek, but Asmir Begovic's late error allowed Christian Benteke to rescue a point for Liverpool, meaning that it is now three league games without a victory for the Blues - their worst run so far in 2016.

Indeed, for all their troubles this season they have not gone four league games without winning since November 2012, but the statistics suggest that Leicester may inflict that fate on them this weekend. Chelsea have only beaten two top-half teams all season, picking up 16 points from a possible 51 against sides in the top 10 following that draw with Liverpool.

Guus Hiddink will certainly be keen to go out on a high in his final game at the club, although his home record during this second stint as interim boss is surprisingly poor, with only one win from his nine league games at Stamford Bridge. Another draw or defeat this weekend would see them go five top-flight home games without a win for the first time since 1995.

The Dutchman certainly steadied the ship when he arrived in place of Jose Mourinho, but after starting with a 14-game unbeaten streak in the league he has since seen Chelsea lose three of their last six - a run that coincided with the announcement of Antonio Conte as the incoming manager next season.

Conte will have been buoyed by the improving performances of the likes of Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa in recent weeks, but there is still plenty to do to get Chelsea back to the force that they once were.

That is particularly true at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea having incredibly won just five home games all season. Only Aston Villa have managed fewer victories in front of their own fans, while four of Chelsea's wins have come against the bottom four in the table.

Another usually-strong area of their game that has been shockingly below par this season comes at the back, with Chelsea keeping just one clean sheet in their last 13 league games and posting their worst defensive record for 19 years with 52 goals conceded.

Recent form: LLWDLD


Leicester

It is hard to imagine a starker contrast between pre-season expectations and the reality heading into the final game of the campaign with these two sides.

Plenty has been written about Leicester's scarcely-believable ascent to the top of English football, but only now might it be beginning to sink in after they actually lifted the trophy last weekend.

A 3-1 win over Everton at the King Power Stadium was the warm-up act to Wes Morgan and Claudio Ranieri hoisting the trophy aloft as Leicester became the first new name on the top-flight title since Nottingham Forest in 1978.

Ranieri will now return to Stamford Bridge having finally won the first league title of his long career, some 12 years after he saw his chances of lifting it with Chelsea ended.

The Italian is expected to be given a good reception by the home fans on Sunday, although it is not his first time back to the Bridge since his sacking, having been there in the Champions League with Juventus.

Should it be a triumphant return then the Foxes would set yet another new landmark in this historic campaign, with the team just one shy of equalling the club-record top-flight unbeaten streak of 12 matches, set in 1963 and again in 1973.

They have already smashed a whole host of other club records, including most wins in a top-flight season (23), which is also more than they managed in their previous three Premier League campaigns combined.

On a personal level, Jamie Vardy will not have given up on the Golden Boot yet, with just one goal separating him and Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, while Sergio Aguero is also in the mix heading into the final day.

Vardy has netted the opening goal on a league-high 12 occasions this season, including during that win over Everton last time out, although a missed penalty later in that match denied him the chance of a hat-trick and to draw level with his international teammate.

Leicester have lost just two of their last 21 league away games and are guaranteed to end this season with the best record on the road in the top flight, while only Spurs can boast a better away defensive record.

Such stats barely begin to do justice to what Leicester have achieved this season, though, and a victory over the former champions would be a perfect ending to arguably the most remarkable season in English football history.

Recent form: WWDWDW


Team News

Chelsea named an unfamiliar starting XI against Liverpool last time out, and striker Costa will miss out again due to a hamstring injury that could keep him out of Euro 2016 this summer.

Thibaut Courtois is expected to return having recovered from illness, though, while Branislav Ivanovic will face a late fitness test on a groin injury.

John Terry serves the final match of his two-game ban, although he was handed a lifeline earlier this week when the club revealed that they had offered him a one-year deal in a different role.

Hiddink will still be without Kurt Zouma and Loic Remy, however, while he could opt to hand game time to some youngsters.

Leicester, meanwhile, can welcome Danny Drinkwater back from suspension, but Robert Huth is not available against his former club as he continues to serve his ban.

Vardy complained of cramp in the aftermath of the win over Everton last time out but should be fine to start as he looks to cap off his own incredible season with the Golden Boot.

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Mikel, Baba Rahman; Fabregas, Matic, Willian, Loftus-Cheek, Hazard; Traore

Leicester possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Simpson, Wasilewski, Morgan, Fuchs; Mahrez, Kante, Drinkwater, Albrighton; Okazaki, Vardy


Head To Head

Chelsea had won eight matches in a row in all competitions against Leicester before they met at the King Power Stadium in December, when the Foxes stopped the rot with their first win over the Londoners since 2001.

Vardy and Riyad Mahrez were both on the scoresheet as Leicester ran out 2-1 winners on a rainy Monday night in what proved to be Mourinho's last match in charge of Chelsea.

However, Leicester have only won at Stamford Bridge once on their last 24 visits, a run which stretches back 50 years and includes 15 defeats. That victory came the day before Ranieri officially took over as Chelsea manager.


We say: Chelsea 1-1 Leicester

A draw may not be the fairytale ending for Leicester, but they will be in party mood whatever happens and Chelsea have drawn seven of their nine home league games under Hiddink this season. We're going for a share of the spoils in West London.



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