LEICESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 16: Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha is tackled by Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Crystal Palace at The King Power Stadium on December 16, 2017 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Jonathan Hobley – Camerasport/CameraSport via Getty Images)
N’Golo Kante vs Wilfried Ndidi
Wilfried Ndidi has established himself as one of the best ball-winners in world football today. The Leicester star second in the league in tackles and interceptions – recording 4.1 and 2.7 respectively.
It’s not as if he’s getting a ton of help from his midfield counterparts. James Maddison and Youri Tielemans are averaging 3.9 tackles and 1.1 interceptions COMBINED. Ndidi is bossing the midfield all by himself, almost singlehandedly pushing Leicester to fourth in possession just from his sheer ball-winning abilities.
Now, this all sounds all too familiar for the Foxes.
N’Golo Kante was essentially doing what Ndidi is doing right now – controlling the pitch by himself, allowing for more creativity and firepower in the midfield alongside him. While his stats might not suggest such dominance he enjoyed earlier, there is no doubt that the Frenchman is still a world-class midfielder who enjoys nothing more than pestering opponents into giving up the ball. He is a key part of why Chelsea is third in possession this season.
The old tale dictates that whoever wins the midfield battle controls the game. This battle between two premier midfielders can be brutal, entertaining, and important for the outcome of the game.
recording 4.1 and 2.7 respectively.</a></p>
<p>It’s not as if he’s getting a ton of help from his midfield counterparts. James Maddison and Youri Tielemans are averaging 3.9 tackles and 1.1 interceptions COMBINED. Ndidi is bossing the midfield all by himself, almost singlehandedly pushing Leicester to fourth in possession just from his sheer ball-winning abilities.</p>
<p>Now, this all sounds all too familiar for the Foxes.</p>
<p>N’Golo Kante was essentially doing what Ndidi is doing right now – controlling the pitch by himself, allowing for more creativity and firepower in the midfield alongside him. While his stats might not suggest such dominance he enjoyed earlier, there is no doubt that the Frenchman is still a world-class midfielder who enjoys nothing more than pestering opponents into giving up the ball. He is a key part of why Chelsea is third in possession this season.</p>
<p>The old tale dictates that whoever wins the midfield battle controls the game. This battle between two premier midfielders can be brutal, entertaining, and important for the outcome of the game.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Battle of the fullbacks </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – JANUARY 28:<br>Ricardo Pereira of Leicester City during the Carabao Cup Semi Final 2nd Leg match between Aston Villa and Leicester City at Villa Park on January 28, 2020 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. (Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Ricardo Pereira vs Emerson</h3>
<p>Here’s a riddle for you – if Wilfried Ndidi and N’Golo Kante are not leading the league in tackles, well, who is? Is it… Virgil van Dijk? Aaron Wan Bissaka? Perhaps, Declan Rice?</p>
<p>Nope. It’s the man that’s quietly putting together an incredible season – Ricardo Pereira.</p>
<p>The Portuguese right-back silently surpasses his teammate Ndidi to become the king of tackles in the Premier League – and has not looked back, averaging <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/7811/Stages/17590/PlayerStatistics/England-Premier-League-2019-2020">4.5 tackles per game</a>.</p>
<p>I have another one for you. Who’s leading Leicester City in dribbles completed?</p>
<p>If you’re a man of pattern, you should know the answer is the same – Ricardo Pereira.</p>
<p>The right-back is not afraid to bomb down the line and join the attack, completing 2.2 dribbles per game. He is a key reason why the Foxes love attack down the right-hand side, with <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/7811/Stages/17590/TeamStatistics/England-Premier-League-2019-2020">40% of their attack coming from there.</a></p>
<p>That is a huge worry for the Blues, especially with Reece James out. Their primary defense is … Emerson?</p>
<p>Obviously the game of football is not just singular matchups, and it would certainly take a team effort to slow down the marauding Portuguese. Regardless, Emerson will have both of his hands full of both limiting and attacking Pereira.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Fighting fire with fire </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">HULL, ENGLAND – JANUARY 25: Callum Hudson-Odoi of Chelsea battles for possession with Eric Lichaj of Hull City during the FA Cup Fourth Round match between Hull City FC and Chelsea FC at KCOM Stadium on January 25, 2020 in Hull, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Calgar Soyuncu vs Callum Hudson-Odoi</h3>
<p>Caglar Soyuncu has been a pleasant surprise for Leicester this season. The Turkish defender quickly adapted to the Premier League, blossoming as an ideal partner next to Johnny Evans with his passing ability and vision. He is leading the team in both passes made and completion percentage, dictating the tempo and allowing them to play out from the back easily.</p>
<p>Despite all his positives, Soyuncu has one flaw – his temper. He leads the team in <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/yellow_card">disciplines and shown a fiery personality when challenged.</p>
<p>Enter Callum Hudson-Odoi.</p>
<p>The tricky winger is a gifted and deft dribbler, and one not afraid of flair. In Leicester’s three-back system, Hudson-Odoi will certainly look to clash and test the Turk. If the Englishman is successful in drawing a few fouls and getting the temper flaring, maybe forcing a yellow card out of the ref, it can make life much easier for Chelsea is breaking down the stout Foxes defense.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Can you contain the goal machine? </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">iLEICESTER, ENGLAND – JANUARY 11: James Ward-Prowse of Southampton and Jamie Vardy of Leicester City during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Southampton FC at The King Power Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Daniel Chesterton/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Jamie Vardy vs Andreas Christensen</h3>
<p>Chelsea’s set-piece problem is more than well documented. There is not a single player in that team that I would be confident in either burying a header goal or clearing a whipped ball out. So surely, with quality creative players like James Maddison and Youri Tielemans at their disposal, they will be looking to exploit that exact spot. There is a reason Leicester is <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/7811/Stages/17590/TeamStatistics/England-Premier-League-2019-2020">sixth and fourth in a corner kick and freekick accuracy, respectively</a>.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>Jamie Vardy, despite his age, has continued to bang in goal after goal. He leads the team in headed goals with three, despite only standing at 179 cm. His pure physicality and determination get him anywhere he wants on the pitch.</p>
<p>This will certainly be an issue for Chelsea defenders, namely Andreas Christensen, to contain this explosive beast. The Danish defender seems to have accepted Lampard’s challenge of being <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"https://www.goal.com/en/news/we-gave-them-three-goals-lampard-fumes-at-chelsea-says-they/19nu227xjdmoj1efeu7tsry16l">more physical</a> and displayed he can bang with the likes of Chris Wood, who is leading the league in headed goals.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="light" data-text="Leicester City vs Chelsea predicted XI: No reasons to risk injuries" data-url="https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/" data-call-to-action="Related Story"> <div class="story-link-related"> <a class="story-link-related-btn" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-related-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-predicted-xi-no-reasons-risk-injuries/"> <span class="call_to_action">Related Story:</span> Leicester City vs Chelsea predicted XI: No reasons to risk injuries </a> </div>
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<p>However, that’s not the only problem that Vardy will present. The striker remains one of the most lethal and quickest players around, especially in the counter-attack. Christensen must win the aerial duels and leg races in order for the Blues to properly contain the lethal striker. <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/7811/Stages/17590/TeamStatistics/England-Premier-League-2019-2020">Leicester leads the league in counter-attack goals, while Chelsea is second-worst and conceding them</a>.</p>
<p>It will take more than just Christensen to stop the Vardy, but it must start with him stepping up to challenge the Englishman.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Bandaids and bruises </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 21: Tammy Abraham lies injured after colliding with the advertising boards as Mason Mount shows concern of Chelsea and of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge on January 21, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Visionhaus)</p>
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<h3>Injuries vs Staying Fit</h3>
<p>I already spelled some injury issues, but it goes deeper than that.</p>
<p>Reece James and Tammy Abraham have both established themselves as a key part of the Chelsea squads, but it is very unclear on whether or not they will be included in the squad at all. While James’ injury was first diagnosed as <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"https://www.si.com/soccer/chelsea/news/injury-news-frank-lampard-provides-update-on-reece-james">not as serious</a>, it has been suspiciously quiet in that front.</p>
<p>Abraham seems to be making more progress, however still not 100%. Lampard has commented that he might ask the striker to <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2020/01/28/report-chelsea-may-ask-abraham-to-play-through-injury/">play through the injury</a>, but it seems unlikely that the Englishman will be forced to play.</p>
<p>Leicester City does not come in unscrapped. Jamie Vardy returned against Aston Villa, making a substitute appearance. While Brendan Rodgers says<a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/brendan-rodgers-provides-jamie-vardy-17659496"> the talisman looks good</a>, the fitness level might not be up to the usual standards for the striker to make a truly great impact.</p>
<p>Wilfried Ndid was also forced out not too long ago. However, the Nigerian returned the pitch sooner than the initially diagnosed <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/51042186">three-to-four week recovery period</a>. During his absence, the Foxes dropped both of their matches against Southampton and Burnley. While the midfielder seems to be back full-time, his performances have certainly dipped since the quick return.</p>
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<p>If Abraham and James make a surprise return to the starting XI, it can cover for a lot of concerns the Blues might have for this matchup.</p>
<h2>What are some key matchups that we missed? Let us know on <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/30/leicester-city-vs-chelsea-five-key-matchups-clash-midfield/2/"https://twitter.com/PlayingFor90">Twitter!">