Given the booby prize of the post-international lunchtime kick-off this week, Chelsea are under severe pressure not only to get a positive result against the reigning champions, but also to produce a performance worthy of their own expectations for the season. Antonio Conte's side should benefit from Leicester continuing to gaze towards their Champions League game next week, as the champions continue to prioritise European competition ahead of trying to replicate the freak domestic success of last season.

Claudio Ranieri has been open about the fact that anything like the success of last season almost impossible for the Foxes to repeat. Returning to Stamford Bridge for the first time as champion of England, the Italian will be desperate for a win and will receive a great reception from the Chelsea fans. His compatriot, Conte, cannot afford to be distracted by any of the show around Ranieri.

Conte's permanent predecessor, Jose Mourinho, failed against Leicester. It was the final nail in his coffin, in fact. Chelsea were exposed on numerous occasions that night and were fortuitous not to succumb to a heavy defeat. Riyad Mahrez scored a wonderful solo goal and the Algerian tormented the Blues throughout the game.

A tactical dilemma faces Conte. He changed his team's shape last time out, enjoying success with the 3-4-3 that he fielded against Hull. Against Leicester's 4-4-2, this risks leaving Chelsea in a challenging position. Unlike the Hull game, though, Chelsea's wing-backs will likely be pinned back into the full back positions against Leicester's pacey wingers, though the extra central defender could come in handy against Ranieri's two strikers.

Ranieri and Mourinho

Alternatively, though, Conte can return to the 4-3-3 that saw Chelsea outplayed against Liverpool and Arsenal. That 4-3-3, however, did manage to overturn a deficit against Leicester for the Blues' heroic EFL Cup victory at the King Power last month.

Diego Costa may be dragging his team along somewhat at present, but Chelsea are still within a victory of the top four. The snarling Spaniard looks as clinically fierce as he did at the peak of his Atletico powers, and Conte needs him to continue his form against Leicester just as much as he needs his defenders to avoid the sort of organisational shambles that led to the downfall of Jose Mourinho. How they setup will only be a side note if the simplest elements of defensive play are not done correctly.

This game represents an opportunity for Conte to reinstate Chelsea's position as title contenders this season. The 3-0 defeat to Arsenal hurt the Blues and fane may be tentative about the rest of the campaign after so much early hope. No one knows quite what the trigger-happy hierarchy at Stamford Bridge are expecting, but we can all be pretty sure that another performance like the Arsenal game will have Conte summoned to a potentially challenging discussion with his boss.