“One goal will be enough” – Chris Sutton predicts who will win Chelsea vs Leeds clash
Pundit Chris Sutton has backed Chelsea to beat Leeds United by the smallest possible margin when the two teams meet in the Premier League on Saturday (4 March).
The Blues have managed to win just one out of their last 11 games across competitions. Their latest embarrassment came at the hands of local rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who beat them 2-0 in the league on 26 February.
The Blues have scored at least 12 goals fewer than any other team in the top half of the table this season. Despite splashing £288 million in January on players such as Mykhaylo Mudryk and David Datro Fofana, Chelsea have scored just once in their last six games across competitions.
Sutton, however, has backed them to beat 17th-placed Leeds at Stamford Bridge this weekend. In his BBC column, the former Blues forward wrote:
The Chelsea squad have their scheduled day off today due to no game midweek.
The Blues will return to training tomorrow to prepare for their clash against Leeds on Saturday. [@Nathan_Gissing]
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"This is one of those games where I honestly don't have a clue what to expect. Of course Chelsea should win it, but I've been saying that most weeks about Graham Potter's side and I have been wrong to think they will start playing better."
He added:
"There is a staggering statistic flying around that Real Madrid have scored more goals in England than Chelsea this year which sounds silly but is true - Potter's side have only found the net four times in 11 matches in 2023, while Real hit five when they went to Anfield last month."
Sutton concluded:
"At the other end, Thiago Silva's injury is a huge blow for the Blues but Leeds are not exactly free-scoring either, with only one goal in their past four games. All of this makes me think that, whoever wins this one, one goal will be enough."
The Whites beat Southampton 1-0 on 25 February, which brought an end to a 10-game winless run in the league.
Chelsea superstar out for around six weeks with knee injury - reports
Chelsea were handed a 2-0 league loss at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur in north London last weekend.
Mason Mount suspended and Thiago Silva injured for a UCL 2nd leg?
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Thiago Silva's absence in defense could have played a part in the Blues conceding twice in the second half. He started the game but was substituted in the 19th minute for Wesley Fofana due to an injury.
The club have since confirmed that Silva suffered knee ligament damage. Sky Sports claim that the centre-back could miss around six weeks of action. The 38-year-old has started in all but four of his team's 24 league games this term.
The injury automatically rules him out for the league clash against Leeds United and the second leg of their round-of-16 clash against Borussia Dortmund on 7 March. The Blues lost 1-0 in the first leg at Westfalenstadion.