Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca prepares to face a Leeds United side he has yet to defeat in a competitive fixture, as the Blues travel to Elland Road for a midweek Premier League clash. Chelsea earned a respectable 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Sunday, while Leeds’ brave fightback at the Etihad ultimately counted for nothing in a 3-2 loss to Manchester City.
A high-tempo opening half-hour at Stamford Bridge saw Arsenal pick up three yellow cards while struggling to cope with Chelsea’s intensity, yet it was the home side who eventually went down to 10 men. Moises Caicedo’s red card felt inevitable after repeated warnings, but the setback did little to blunt Chelsea’s threat. Trevoh Chalobah’s clever header put them ahead, only for Mikel Merino to haul Arsenal back into the contest.
Given the circumstances, Chelsea could view the result as a point gained rather than two dropped, even if Arsenal’s closest title rivals Manchester City have now edged ahead of them in the standings. The draw extended Chelsea’s unbeaten run to seven matches in all competitions, and Maresca’s side have become particularly formidable away from home.
They have won five and drawn one of their last six road games, including Premier League victories at Tottenham Hotspur, Burnley and Nottingham Forest, and they have scored in all 10 of their away fixtures this season.
This strong away form presents a worrying picture for a Leeds outfit that have shipped multiple goals in each of their last four league games, all of which ended in defeat against Brighton, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Man City.
Yet Leeds showed tremendous resilience at the Etihad, battling back from 2-0 down before Phil Foden struck a late winner deep into added time. Daniel Farke was frustrated with what he viewed as time-wasting tactics when Gianluigi Donnarumma went down injured, allowing City to regroup on the sidelines, but Leeds could still take positives from their spirited performance.
However, spirit without points is of little use in a relegation fight. Leeds remains in the bottom three but are level with West Ham United on points and only behind on goals scored. Their home record of two wins, two draws and two defeats offer some encouragement, and the memory of a commanding 3-0 victory over Chelsea at Elland Road in 2022 may provide a psychological boost ahead of Wednesday night’s meeting.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Chelsea will be without Moises Caicedo, who begins a three-match suspension for serious foul play, and Maresca has hinted that Reece James is likely to be rested after his outstanding performance against Arsenal. That situation should see Andrey Santos line up alongside Enzo Fernandez in midfield, which may create space for Cole Palmer to return to the starting XI, although the Joao Pedro–Liam Delap pairing remains the more realistic choice in central attack.
Levi Colwill (knee), Romeo Lavia (thigh) and the suspended Mykhaylo Mudryk are all unavailable, while Dario Essugo is back in full training after his thigh surgery but is still building up his match sharpness
Leeds, meanwhile, had to take James Justin off during the second half of their defeat at Manchester City, but Daniel Farke later described the issue as nothing more than a minor knock. The hosts could also see the return of Sebastiaan Bornauw from a knee injury and Anton Stach following concussion, although Sean Longstaff is facing the possibility of missing the rest of 2025 with a calf problem.
Jaka Bijol and Dominic Calvert-Lewin made a significant impact from the bench at the Etihad, sparking Leeds’ second-half fightback, and Farke may reward both by starting them on Wednesday, with Calvert-Lewin expected to partner Nmecha in attack.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Leeds United possible starting lineup:
Perri; Rodon, Struijk, Bijol; Bogle, Gruev, Ampadu, Tanaka, Gudmundsson; Calvert-Lewin, Nmecha
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Gusto, Adarabioyo, Chalobah, Cucurella; Santos, Fernandez; Estevao, Pedro, Neto; Delap
EXPERT PREDICTION
Leeds 1-2 Chelsea
