Florent Malouda makes prediction for Chelsea's Premier League game against Leicester City
Former Chelsea winger Florent Malouda has predicted that the Blues may not keep their winning momentum going by drawing with Leicester City on Saturday (March 11) in the Premier League. The pressure has eased on Graham Potter following his side's timely return to winning ways.
The Blues beat Leeds United 1-0 on Saturday (March 4) in the league, their first win since a January 15 victory over Crystal Palace. They then followed that up with an impressive 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday (March 7) in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg. That saw them advance to the quarterfinals of Europe's elite club competition.
However, Malouda thinks Chelsea won't be able to beat Leicester at the King Power this weekend. He suggested that a lack of goals for Potter's side could meant that they might not win their third straight game across competitions. He told DAZN Bet UK:
"I think Chelsea will draw against Leicester on Saturday, especially after the Dortmund game. I hope they win, but I feel they are still fragile in terms of confidence."
Malouda added:
"The opposition are still getting lots of opportunities to score, and we are not consistently scoring goals. When you look at the goalscoring record this season, it’s not good at all."
Chelsea have scored just 24 league goals this season, which is the same number as bottom-placed Bournemouth. They're tenth in the standings, trailing fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur by a whopping 13 points, but have a game in hand.
Meanwhile, Leicester are 15th in the league and have won just seven of 25 games. Brendan Rodgers' men lost 1-0 defeat to Southampton last time out. They were also eliminated from the FA Cup in the fifth round by Championship side Blackburn Rovers on February 28.
Leicester boss Rodgers claims Potter's problem at Chelsea is number of players in the side
Chelsea have spent over £600 million since Todd Boehly became the cooperating owner of the club last May. They have made mass changes to their squad but most have been arrivals rather than departures.
The Blues have struggled for form under Potter, as he has dealt with an extensive squad list. He's tasked with trying to keep all players happy with their game time at Stamford Bridge. Rodgers reckons that it's a problem for the former Brighton & Hove Albion coach, saying (via Leicester Mercury):
“From Graham’s perspective, he’s very new into there. It’s a difficult challenge because he has so many new players. It’s difficult to keep 30 players happy. It’s just time. The club has gone through a lot of change. At the top clubs, you may not get time, but he is deserving of it."
Potter has overseen 11 wins, ten defeats and seven draws since becoming the Blues boss. Eight players were signed by the west Londoners in January, leading to a massive squad at the Englishman's disposal.