Chelsea FC will head into the weekend flying high. A now fully fit Blues squad will welcome Leeds United, as well as a small number of fans, into Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, for the first time this season, will have every player match fit and available for selection.
They can also welcome back in a limited number of fans. Different sections of the country are being hit by the second wave of the coronavirus at differing levels of severity, so the re-opening/return towards eventual normalcy, hopefully, is happening on different timelines.
Chelsea FC vs Leeds United FYIs
Kickoff: Sat Dec 5, 8pm local, Stamford Bridge, London
Chelsea Starting XI Prediction: go here
TV: NBCSN
Odds: Chelsea win -189, Draw +475, Leeds United win +325
Form Guide (Premier League) Chelsea DWWWD Leeds United WDLLW
Position: Chelsea- 3rd, 19 points Leeds United- 12th, 14 points
Chelsea also come into this one on the back of a very uplifting and fruitful midweek outing. Having already clinched a spot in the UEFA Champions League knockout round, prior to their visit to Sevilla last night, the Blues won their grouping by routing the La Liga side.
Chelsea ran out 4-0 winners, with all four goals coming from Olivier Giroud.
As for Leeds head into this one on the opposite end of the spectrum, fitness wise, as they could be without the services of up to six players in this one. Gaetano Berardi and Adam Forshaw are out while Jack Harrison, Diego Llorente, Jamie Shackleton and Pablo Hernandez are all doubts.
Chelsea has a totally different problem, and it’s a great problem to have; how to make sure everyone gets enough playing time in order to keep everybody happy.
“I said it at the start of the season to the players,” said Lampard. “Most of the big teams in the Premier League have big squads.
“For example, Tottenham had (Gareth) Bale on the bench at the weekend and Dele Alli wasn’t there. It has to be seen as a strength not a weakness. It has to be seen as a strength when players are not playing a lot…I have to leave out four or five players per game.”
For more on this concept, read this piece about the role of Billy Gilmour and/or this article on how Callum Hudson-Odoi fits in.
Prediction: Chelsea 2, Leeds 0
The hosts just have too many advantages and too much going for them right now not to get all three points here.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.