Premier League 2022-23: Chelsea vs Leeds: Predicted lineup, injury news, head-to-head, telecast

A Premier League encounter is set to take place at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, where The Blues will take on The Whites.

Chelsea's current situation can hardly be described as anything other than a crisis. With only one victory under their belt this year, a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace - they find themselves closer to the relegation zone than the top of the table. While they have been fairly strong defensively, conceding just 25 goal, their struggles have been upfront. Despite significant investments in transfers throughout the season, they have only managed to score 23 goals in 24 league games.

Gracia made a promising start to his stint as Leeds manager, securing a crucial 1-0 win against fellow strugglers Southampton. This victory was much needed, as Leeds had previously gone 10 league games without a win under their former manager, Marsch. In order to avoid relegation, they will need to consistently replicate this level of performance, as they currently hold the unenviable record of having won the fewest games in the league, with just five wins to their name.

Kick-off:

Saturday, 04-03-2023; 3:00 pm (GMT), 8:30 pm (IST)

Chelsea form (all competition): L-L-L-D-D

Leeds form (all competition): L-W-L-L-D

Player to watch

Chelsea: Joao Felix

Out of all the Chelsea players, only Joao Felix stood out in February. Despite returning to the team after a 3-match suspension, the Portuguese forward managed to score his first goal for the club in the previous month's match against West Ham on 11th Feb. Although Chelsea has failed to score any goals since then, Felix displayed an energetic performance and is expected to kick off the new month in style for himself and the team.

Leeds: Jack Harrison

Having provided 5 assists in the ongoing season, the winger contribution will be crucial for Leeds, who are finding it challenging to identify potential goal providers and scorers. Harrison is expected to take on a significant responsibility of providing goals and assists for the team, with the upcoming match against Chelsea relying heavily on his performance as the key player.

Match facts

• Chelsea have won their last 5 home games against Leeds
• Leeds have won only 1 away premier league game this season
• Chelsea have won only 2 out of their last 15 premier league games

Injury and team news

Chelsea

Chelsea faces a significant setback with the absence of Thiago Silva, who will be out for six weeks. Fofana is set to step in as his replacement. Meanwhile, the return of Kante and Pulisic to training adds intrigue to the team selection, as it remains to be seen if they are fit enough to feature in the squad or not.

Leeds

Conversely, Leeds will have to cope with the injuries of their top goal scorer Rodrigo and Dallas. Since Leeds won their last Premier League game, it's probable that the same starting lineup will be deployed against the Blues as well.

Head-to-Head stats (in Premier League)

Matches - 24

Chelsea - 10

Leeds - 7

Draws - 7

Predicted lineup

Chelsea predicted lineup (4-2-3-1):

Kepa; James, Fofana, Koulibaly, Chilwell; Enzo, Loftus Cheek; Sterling, Felix, Mudryk; Havertz

Leeds predicted lineup (4-2-3-1):

Meslier; Ayling, Koch, Wober, Firpo; Adams, McKennie; Harrison, Aaronson, Gnonto; Bamford

Prediction

Forecasting the result of the upcoming match is quite challenging due to the recent poor form of both teams. Although Chelsea has been struggling to score, if there firepower players can create chances, they might have a chance of finding the back of the net. On the other hand, Leeds has a recent win against the Saints to boost their confidence and will be aiming for a positive outcome. Nevertheless, with the individual quality present in Chelsea's squad, it's highly anticipated that their fortunes will change soon, and they'll be able to secure a few victories.

Prediction:  Chelsea 2-1 Leeds.

Telecast

India: Disney+Hotstar, Star Sports Select HD

UK: Sky Sports

USA – NBC Sport

Nigeria – SportLemon.tv