Last Home Game – Chelsea

Season Finale Preview: City vs Chelsea Sunday 12^th May 15:00

By SIMON MACK

Schools nearly out for the Premier League, and as the race for the title comes down to the very last kick in what has been a vintage season the Foxes host Uefa Europa League finalists Chelsea for our final game of the season.

For the Leicester faithful this has been a memorable campaign in the most tragic manner imaginable, and I’m sure many Foxes will gaze across the King Power on Sunday and remember Kuhn Vichai with a smile and a debt of thanks to a man that has been so influential in creating some of the most wonderful achievements our club has ever enjoyed.

Since the arrival of Brendan Rodgers as Manager only the top 2 teams in the league have amassed more points than City, and with players such as Vardy seemingly reborn under the charismatic Northern Irishman the foxes are sure to apply themselves with full vigour and ensure the 18/19 campaign goes out with a fanfare.

Leicester so nearly played a pivotal part in the race for the league title last Monday when they put in a superb performance against Manchester City, restricting the sky blues from scoring longer than any other opponent at The Etihad this season. And had Kelechi Inheanacho converted James Maddison’s defence splitting pass late on tomorrow’s title finale might have a very different outlook.

Foxe’s duo Danny Simpson and Shinji Okazaki will be available for the last time in a City shirt and as such may well feature in this season ending encounter, and with Leicester requiring a point to ensure a top half finish there is some significant cash at stake given the rewards on offer from the Premier League that relate to our finishing spot.

For Chelsea a top 4 place is secure, and having qualified for the Europa League final on Thursday night (having endured extra time and a penalty shoot-out) you’d forgive them if their mind were half on the Olympic Stadium in Baku, and an all London showdown against Arsenal.

Brendan Rodgers has been quick to emphasise the club’s responsibility to the supporters to put on a show this Sunday afternoon, and it seems sure that he’ll have City revved up for this encounter, and there are some around the squad that will be keen to impress as the new manager begins to formulate his plans for next term.

It could be that Maurizio Sarri’s men are a little battle scarred from their long semi-final night against Eintracht Frankfurt just a few evenings ago, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek may be a doubt having suffered cramp, but either way this is set to be a high quality encounter involving 2 sides full of optimism for the next campaign.

With Lee Congerton being announced as Leicester’s new Head of Recruitment just prior to this fixture the summer is sure to be an interesting one, and I’m pretty certain that I’m not speaking out of turn when I say most Foxes fans will be hoping his first summer signing is that of Youri Tielemans who has impressed so much since joining on loan from AS Monaco.