Chelsea vs. Leeds – News and Probable Lineups

Chelsea aims to extend their flawless Premier League streak under Liam Rosenior as they host Leeds United at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening.

The West London side has secured victories in each of their four league matches since Rosenior took charge, while Leeds enters this contest also in fine form, with three wins in their last four encounters.

Match overview

The turbulent times seem to be behind Chelsea, who have shown a significant improvement since the appointment of Rosenior, after not winning any of their previous five Premier League matches (D3, L2).

The new head coach has skillfully managed a challenging series of London derbies, defeating Brentford (2–0), Crystal Palace (3–1), and West Ham United (3–2), before Cole Palmer’s remarkable hat-trick in the first half was crucial in Saturday’s 3–1 win over Wolves at Molineux.

This result provided an excellent bounce-back from their EFL Cup semi-final exit following a 4–2 aggregate loss to Arsenal, with those defeats marking the only setbacks in the 41-year-old’s first nine matches across all competitions.

Currently sitting fifth in the Premier League, the Blues are merely one point shy of the top four and four points clear of sixth-placed Liverpool. A win on Tuesday would not only enhance their Champions League aspirations but would also make Rosenior the first Chelsea head coach since Maurizio Sarri in September 2018 to win his initial three home league matches in command.

Nevertheless, Chelsea must conquer a midweek curse, having failed to win any of their three matches in the top flight on such nights this season (D2, L1), one of which was a 3–1 defeat at Elland Road in December.

Leeds, hoping to achieve a Premier League double in this fixture for the first time since their title-winning season of 1991–92, travels to London riding high after their impressive 3–1 win against Burnley last Friday, characterized by a fast start.

The Whites surged ahead with a three-goal advantage courtesy of Jayden Bogle, Noah Okafor, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, leaving Lorenzo Lucca’s late goal as a mere consolation as Daniel Farke’s squad returned to winning form.

Despite a heavy defeat by league leaders Arsenal in their prior match, this only represents one of two losses in their last 12 Premier League games (W4, D6), showcasing a significant turnaround compared to the eight defeats they faced in the first 13 fixtures (W3, D2).

Consequently, Farke has lifted his team to 16th place on the table, six points ahead of the relegation zone with 13 matches left, and they will strive to further distance themselves from danger with a favorable outcome on Tuesday.

However, a disappointing away record implies that the Whites may face challenges, having lost seven of their 12 Premier League matches away from home, with only Burnley (5) and Wolves (3) registering fewer points on the road than Leeds’ seven.

Additionally, past visits to Stamford Bridge have proven unfruitful, as the visitors remain winless in their last seven league outings there, suffering defeats in the last six, while their last top-flight win at the Bridge dates back to 1999.

Team News

Chelsea is anticipated to be without Jamie Gittens and Tosin Adarabioyo, both out due to hamstring injuries, while Dario Essugo and Romeo Lavia are continuing their recovery from thigh issues.

Levi Colwill is also ruled out as he works back from a serious knee injury, and Filip Jorgensen’s availability remains uncertain, though the Dane is unlikely to replace Robert Sanchez in goal regardless.

Andrey Santos was taken off late against Wolves due to a knock, raising concerns about his availability, but Rosenior has suggested that Reece James could return to the squad after missing the last two matches.

Palmer’s hat-trick at Molineux made him the first player in Premier League history to score three first-half hat-tricks, and the Inglaterra international heads into this encounter with a boost in confidence, likely positioned just behind Joao Pedro.

Calvert-Lewin is expected to lead the visiting attack once more, being one of three players — alongside Jaka Bijol and Ao Tanaka — to net both at home and away against the Blues in a single season since Mark Viduka in 2001.

Facundo Buonanotte, whose loan from Chelsea was prematurely ended in January before he joined Leeds temporarily, was excluded from Farke’s squad last weekend for tactical reasons following the returns of Daniel James and Lukas Nmecha, and he may miss out again.

With James and Nmecha available, Anton Stach appears to be the only likely absentee, leaving the German manager with almost a fully fit squad to select from.

Chelsea probable starting XI:

Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Estevao, Palmer, Neto; J Pedro

Leeds United probable starting XI:

Darlow; Rodon, Struijk, Justin; Bogle, Aaronson, Ampadu, Gruev, Gudmundsson; Calvert-Levin, Okafore

Similar to Chelsea, Leeds have had their struggles in midweek matches, remaining winless in their last seven such games in the Premier League (D3, L4), and this unsatisfactory streak may persist here.

The Blues are expected to secure all three points, fueled by their strong performance at the Bridge in this matchup and the understanding that the margin for error in the quest for Champions League qualification is slim, especially as rivals are also gaining momentum.