Chelsea are facing Leeds at a good time, with Daniel Farke’s side entering this game having lost their last four matches in the Premier League - conceding 2+ goals in each of these matches. By contrast, Chelsea come into this clash unbeaten since the 25th October, netting 2+ goals in five of their seven matches since.

Chelsea’s record on the road is currently stronger than their home record, with the Blues winning four of their six away matches, scoring 14 goals in the process (2.33 per game). No side has scored more goals on the road in the Premier League this season than Enzo Maresca’s side, offering real promise when looking to back them to strike twice here.

These sides faced off as recently as February last year, a match which saw Chelsea run out 3-2 winners in the FA Cup. Chelsea have struggled against low blocks at times this season, but the additions they’ve made to their frontline in the window gives them more options against these stubborn backlines - with Liam Delap proving particularly useful in offering a focal point up front. 

This is an unofficial rivalry which has been born out of various heated meetings between these sides stemming back from the 70s, and is carried on by the fans of both sections to this day. Chelsea are one of the most aggressive sides in the Premier League, as displayed by 29 cards they’ve picked up across their 13 Premier League matches this season (2.23 per game) - including four red cards, the latest of which was received by Moises Caicedo against Arsenal last time out.

Leeds aren’t quite at the same level of aggression in their card numbers (22 - 1.69 per game) but those can be forced to rise here when considering the rivalry element of this clash. Chelsea are strong when it comes to drawing cards and fouls from their opponents.

The Blues have drawn 2+ cards from their opponents in 11 of their 13 Premier League matches this term. This should see Leeds pick up a few more cards than usual with Chelsea also likely to dominate proceedings and frustrate the home side.

Jayden Bogle has committed 14 fouls across his 13 Premier League starts this season (1.10 per 90) and is in for a tough clash here, potentially against Alejandro Garnacho. Garnacho is settling in at Chelsea after a difficult start to his career in West London. He’s registered three goal contributions across his five starts in the Premier League and has won eight fouls across these matches (1.85 per 90). 

Maresca encourages his wingers to be involved in as many 1v1 duels as possible, so we should see Garnacho take on Bogle quite often here. Maresca also likes to rotate his wide players, with the Chelsea boss having the likes of Gittens, Neto and Estevao to call upon, should Garnacho not quite be at his best here. All three of these players can challenge Bogle just as much as Garnacho, offering a promising angle with Super Sub. 

Enzo Fernandez has emerged as a real leader in the Chelsea side this season, and will take on an even more important role in midfield with Caicedo suspended for this clash, following his sending off against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge last time out.

This means we should see Andrey Santos come into the squad, allowing Fernandez to continue in his usual box to box role which he has been developing well in. Fernandez has won 14 fouls across his 12 Premier League appearances this term (1.19 per 90) and will be up against as many as four players in the Leeds midfield here.

Daniel Farke likes to pack the midfield, which results in Leeds committing 10.7 fouls per game in the Premier League this term. Furthermore, Fernandez’s main opponent is likely to be Ethan Ampadu, who is averaging 1.58 fouls committed per 90 in the league this season.

Chelsea’s struggles against low blocks are well documented, with the Blues suffering with that same issue at times this season - with clashes against Sunderland and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge coming to mind. Leeds may be a bit bolder in their approach at times as the home side, but should sit in a low block for long periods of the game.

Liam Delap can be Chelsea’s main weapon in trying to breakdown this low block, he’s a great finisher but his physical traits are more important to Chelsea here. The Blues haven’t had a proper number nine since Diego Costa - which was 10 years ago - and now have a striker that can appropriately occupy opposition centre backs and act as an aerial target in the box for crosses, something which Chelsea find themselves doing a lot when facing a low block.

Delap’s clash with Jaka Bijol is well worth keeping an eye on here. Both are very aggressive and should be familiar with each other by the time the contest is over. Delap netted his first goal for Chelsea against Barcelona last week, which will give him real confidence after a disrupted start to his Chelsea campaign, due to an early injury.

When looking through the potential threats that Leeds could pose to Chelsea here, Joe Rodon stood out as a candidate for a shot on target at a generous price. Rodon is a centre back, so we’re looking for Leeds to find him from corners and other set piece situations, but he’s shown that he can be a real asset for Leeds in these scenarios.

Rodon has netted two goals across his 13 Premier League appearances this season, having eight shots across these matches (0.62 per 90), with four of these efforts finding the target (0.31 per 90). 

Leeds are averaging 4.83 corners per game at Elland Road this season, so they should have a few opportunities to find Rodon in the box here. Chelsea aren’t the biggest side in the Premier League, with Tosin being the only player in the backline to have a real aerial advantage.

Robert Sanchez is starting to show why Chelsea have stuck with him for so long. Many thought that Chelsea would need another goalkeeper at some point if they wanted to challenge for big trophies, with Sanchez appearing to be error ridden.

However, the Chelsea shot stopper has developed into one of the more reliable goalkeepers in the Premier League, with his performance against Arsenal last time out showing that he can be relied upon when his team are struggling. He was forced into making three saves in that game, and Caicedo being absent for this clash tells me that he may have to bail his side out on a few occasions.

Caicedo is Chelsea’s most important player and it’s very obvious when he doesn’t play. Chelsea struggled in the first half of their game against Burnley without Caicedo, with Sanchez forced into two saves on that occasion. Sanchez is averaging 1.91 saves per game in the Premier League, but this rises in Chelsea’s away matches (2.3 per game) and he won’t have his usual solid defensive unit in front of him.