Chelsea v Leicester City

Chelsea v Leicester City: Gloomy duo can still shine

Neither Chelsea nor Leicester City really got what they wanted out of this season, but Kevin Hatchard still believes they can provide some entertainment at Stamford Bridge...

Tuchel must lift demoralised Blues

The source of much of football's drama is that it is a low-scoring sport, and many of its games are decided by fine margins. Chelsea were on the right side of those margins last season, as they edged out Manchester City 1-0 in the Champions League final, but under Thomas Tuchel they have also lost three domestic cup finals in quick succession.

This season, they drew 0-0 with Liverpool in the League Cup and FA Cup, and lost both showpiece matches on penalties. Last season, only a stunning strike from Youri Tielemans and some stunning saves from Kasper Schmeichel saw them lose the FA Cup final 1-0.

Tuchel admits it'll be hard to motivate his side, especially as they have little to play for. Arsenal's 2-0 defeat at Newcastle United means that the Blues have qualified for next season's Champions League, so keeping hold of third spot is all they have left.

Chelsea's home form has left a lot to be desired, and it's only their performances on the road that have kept them on track for a top-four spot. They have won just four of their last 12 league games at Stamford Bridge, including just one of the last four. They have conceded ten goals across those four matches, and there certainly hasn't been the same solidity as the team displayed in the latter part of last term.

Kai Havertz missed the FA Cup final with a hamstring problem, and may not start here. Ben Chilwell and Callum Hudson-Odoi are long-term absentees, while there are doubts over Timo Werner and Thiago Silva. Andreas Christensen pulled out of Saturday's final in unusual and hitherto unexplained circumstances, and Tuchel has confirmed the Dane will leave the club in the summer.

Faltering Foxes ready for the beach

The final month of the season has often been an important one for Leicester City in recent campaigns. In 2016 they lifted the Premier League title in one of the greatest sporting shocks of all time. In each of the last two campaigns the Foxes have fallen just short in their bid to qualify for the Champions League, but last term they mitigated that frustration by beating Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

This year, Leicester's hopes of acquiring silverware ended in Rome, as they went down 1-0 against Jose Mourinho's Roma in the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.

That added a sad postscript to a disappointing season in which Brendan Rodgers' side never really got going. Injuries in defence (Wesley Fofana missed almost the entire campaign, and veteran Jonny Evans was in and out with numerous fitness issues), destabilised the team, and they were particularly vulnerable at set plays.

It wasn't just the defensive part of the game that was lacking. Infogol's Expected Goals figures show the Foxes' overall process was that of a side in the bottom three, which is a remarkable decline for a side that finished in the top five in each of the last two seasons. There's no indication that Rodgers is under any pressure, but there's a big summer ahead.

Youri Tielemans and Hamza Choudhury are struggling to be fit, while Wilfrid Ndidi and Ryan Bertrand are definitely out. Danny Ward is expected to make way for Kasper Schmeichel in goal.

Hosts won't run away with it

Neither side really has anything to play for, and Chelsea will be drained after an emotionally and physically demanding cup final against Liverpool. It feels like both sides are keen to get to the summer, and I'm not sure I can trust Chelsea to win this by a big margin.

I'll give Leicester a +1.5 start on the Asian Handicap here at 1.82. Chelsea have only won by multiple goals in just one of their last 12 PL home matches.

Both teams to find the net

I'm pleasantly surprised to see BTTS trading at 1.96 here. That has paid out in 10 of Chelsea's last 14 top-flight games at Stamford Bridge, and 28 of Leicester's last 35 Premier League outings. With both sides free from pressure, this could be a watchable encounter.

I've got a tip and it's...Jamie Vardy

If Leicester striker Jamie Vardy has been distracted by the Wagatha Christie shenanigans involving his wife Rebekah, he didn't show it in the last couple of games. He has scored four goals across his last two appearances, bagging braces against Watford and Norwich. Admittedly, this is a big step up, but he is certainly worth considering to have a shot on target at 1.67.

You can use the Bet Builder to back Vardy to have a shot on target and BTTS at 2.54, or back Vardy to score and BTTS at a chunky 3.52.