Leeds United will continue their Premier League survival mission on Tuesday night when they face in-form Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Richard Garnett
12:43, 10 Feb 2026
Jaka Bijol of Leeds United clashes with Liam Delap of Chelsea
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Jaka Bijol of Leeds United clashes with Liam Delap of Chelsea during the Premier League match at Elland Road on December 03, 2025(Image: Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Daniel Farke insists that his Leeds side just want to keep winning, not worry about a Premier League points target, but if they can chalk up another victory on Tuesday night, they will have to stop their opponents from winning five on the run.
The Whites make the trip to Stamford Bridge this evening, where they will face a Chelsea side that has been rejuvenated under new manager Liam Rosenior and has won their last four Premier League matches.
The Blues suffered a 3-1 defeat when they faced Farke's side two months ago in West Yorkshire, with goals from Jaka Bijol, Ao Tanaka and Dominic Calvert-Lewin doing the damage, but former Chelsea striker-turned-football-pundit Chris Sutton believes that it will be a different story in the reverse fixture.
Writing in his weekly predictions column for BBC Sport, he reasoned: "Leeds turned Chelsea over at Elland Road in December, but they are not the same force away from home and this game smells of Chelsea revenge to me.
"The Blues have made a good start under new boss Liam Rosenior, with four wins out of four in the league. Cole Palmer has hit form too, and they should win this fairly comfortably."
Sutton did not sit on the fence with his frank verdict and has predicted a 2-0 win for the hosts. His thoughts have been echoed by Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson - himself a Chelsea fan - who is also backing Palmer to be the difference in this match-up.
Predicting a 3-1 win for the hosts in his weekly Sportskeeda column, Merson wrote: "Leeds needed that win over Nottingham Forest last time out. It becomes even more important considering the fact that West Ham beat Burnley on Saturday.
"I know Leeds have managed to take points off the big boys this season, but I don't see that happening in this game. Cole Palmer just scored a hat-trick and Chelsea are playing at home. Liam Rosenior's team will be buzzing.
"Palmer's performance is a reminder to England boss Thomas Tuchel. I always say this, there is no point being the best player in the country in November! If you want to be in the World Cup squad, you have to be producing in the coming months.
"Since arriving at Chelsea, Palmer has produced some incredible numbers. His goals to games ratio is similar to a top number nine. I know a lot of them were penalties, but you still have to put them away! I expect games at the World Cup to go to penalties and England could use someone like him in that regard too.
"Tuchel does not care about reputation and I believe he will pick players based on merit. If Palmer can keep his form up, he has got every chance of making that team.
"After Liverpool's loss to Manchester City, Chelsea hold an advantage over the Reds in the race for Champions League qualification. I fully expect Chelsea to get the win here."
Despite the odds seemingly being stacked against them, Leeds will still be hopeful of a postive result, following their crucial 3-1 victory over fellow relegation battlers Nottingham Forest last weekend.
A win for Farke's side could see them move nine points clear of the relegation zone, should 18th-placed West Ham lose at home to Manchester United.
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