Chelsea - Leeds was played in front of 2,000 Blues fans at Stamford Bridge on Saturday (Watch live at 3 pm ET, on NBCSN and online via NBCSports.com), as Frank Lampard and Co., went top of the Premier League table with a 3-1 victory over Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites.
Saturday’s showdown at the Bridge was the first time a limited number of Chelsea fans saw their side in-person since the 2019-20 season shutdown in March. Stamford Bridge will be one of 10 stadiums — five of which will host fixtures this weekend — to welcome spectators back inside the ground.
Our own Joe Prince-Wright is on-site to see the game and will report back on the atmosphere and the action on and off the pitch.
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Here is everything you need to know for Chelsea - Leeds this Saturday with team news, odds, stream link and more.
Live analysis from Joe Prince-Wright, on-site at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea - Leeds
Analysis: It was wonderful to be at Stamford Bridge as a small sliver of normality returned. Uplifting to have 2,000 fans and great to have a superb game to watch. Thanks for joining me, you lovely souls, and I’ll speak to you from a stadium over here soon.
Post-game reaction from Stamford Bridge: Frank Lampard says he will maybe have a ‘large glass of wine’ and enjoyed hearing Chelsea’s fans sing ‘we are top of the league’ at the end.
Frank Lampard confirms that Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech has injured his hamstring, and had this to say about them being top: “It’s early December and there’s a long way to go. But we are a progression. When you bring in new players, have young players and you’re trying to integrate... Whether it’s this season we get to the heights we want, I don’t know. But we are moving in the right direction. I’m really pleased. It’s work on the training ground and staff behind the scenes. At our level, at Chelsea, people will always question us. Our job is to not get caught up in the chat. We have to keep our feet on the ground. There’s a long, long way to go. At the minute we’re in a patch.”
Olivier Giroud, with his perfectly manicured beard, talking to Sky Sports: “Well, we really wanted to win for [the fans] and carry on the good momentum. Honestly, we were not surprised to face this team because we knew their qualities. We conceded early and wanted to bounce back straight away. They [Leeds] were one of the best teams I have faced since a few months. Physically they run everywhere. It was so hard. It’s a great feeling to win tonight and they drew against Man City and lost just to Liverpool. They really impress me. They are a good team.”
Marcelo Bielsa says fans ‘had an influence’ on the game and it is hard to argue with him. He also said Chelsea are ‘an important team’ as Chelsea went top of the table with that win.
SCENES AT STAMFORD BRIDGE. FANS. CELEBRATING: Lovely, lovely scenes at the full time whistle. Lampard and Silva lead the celebrations.
Soak this in, Chelsea fans. ‘One. Step. Beyonddddd’
🙌❤️🔵 Wonderful, lovely, emotional scenes here at the final whistle at Stamford Bridge. Frank Lampard & Thiago Silva lead the celebrations.
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) December 5, 2020
Chelsea fans celebrate first win they’ve seen in person in 9 months.#CFC go top of the Premier League table after beating #LUFC. #CHELEE pic.twitter.com/S4ocVv2W7n
GOALLLL! USMNT’s Christian Pulisic has his first Premier League goal of the season, scoring in stoppage time to seal the 3-1 win. Chelsea top of the table!
PULISIC IS BACK 🔥#MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/xYqvt9dFB6
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 5, 2020
4 minutes stoppage time: Chelsea being roared over the finish line by their fans. Reece James just made a great tackle and clearance. Home advantage has returned.
Sub, 80th minute: Giroud gets a huge ovation from the fans, and his teammates, as he leaves the pitch after another goal and great all-round center forward display.
Chelsea players showing Olivier Giroud lots of love as he comes off the pitch. Great display. #CFC 2-1 #LUFC #CHELEE pic.twitter.com/N3g9GuuQFu
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) December 5, 2020
74th minute: Chelsea should be so far ahead here. Giroud (twice) and Werner should have scored. They could have scored six. Meanwhile, Chelsea’s fans continue to taunt Ayling and Llorente mercilessly.
62nd minute: GOALLL! Zouma heads home moments after Werner and Mount were denied by great blocks. Chelsea deserve this lead.
Zouma leaps, Zouma scores 😤#MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/hotI1QES4g
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 5, 2020
57th minute: Raphinha has a shot from a corner blocked and then blazes the rebound over. He should score there. Moments later Harrison comes off and Ayling tells him to walk instead of run to give Leeds a rest. Llorente is now being heckled by the fans after going down easily and yelling out.
52nd minute: Leeds still look lively on the break, but Pulisic wriggles free. The USMNT star has a shot deflected and it is easily saved. The crowd are really getting into this now.
50th minute: Fairly quiet start to the second half. Aside from Raphinha going down under very little contact right by the Chelsea fans. Let’s just say they gave the Leeds winger ‘a piece of their mind’ as the boos rang down.
Half time: Really good first half here at Stamford Bridge. Leeds dangerous and took the lead via Bamford’s cool finish, but Chelsea have had so many chances and should be ahead. Olivier Giroud made it 1-1, and he is on fire.
So, so nice to have fans back inside the stadiums. We’ve had banter chucked at the Leeds players, a goal wildly celebrated, the usual repertoire of chants and even though there are only 2,000 fans, it sounds and feels like a lot more!
🔵👏⚪️ My half time thoughts from here at Stamford Bridge.
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) December 5, 2020
My goodness, it’s good to have 2,000 fans back. They’ve made a huge difference. #CFC 1-1 #LUFC #CHELEE pic.twitter.com/XiWMAVEroi
Sub: Christian Pulisic is on! Moments after the goal is scored, Hakim Ziyech goes down with a hamstring injury. Big blow for Chelsea. USMNT fans will be happy to see Pulisic come off the bench and play for over an hour.
👀🇺🇸🔵 #USMNT’s Christian Pulisic is about to come on for Hakim Ziyech, who has gone down injured. Hamstring issues for Ziyech. #CFC #CHELEE 1-1 pic.twitter.com/Eja9ZxV9rf
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) December 5, 2020
26th minute: GOALLL! Chelsea level. They deserve that. Giroud flicks home at the near post. He can’t stop scoring. The crowd here goes wild. 1-1. First goal Chelsea’s fans have seen in person since March 8.
GIROUD!
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 5, 2020
He's the man in form, and he can't stop scoring 🔥#MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/5M7w8tPew7
15th minute: There was an announcement asking fans to sit down and stop standing persistently, as that is part of the COVID-19 protocols allowing fans back into stadiums.
Announcement just went over the PA system here at Stamford Bridge asking the Chelsea fans to sit down. It said if they continue to stand up in their seat then no fans will be allowed back to games. #CFC #CHELEE
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) December 5, 2020
9th minute: HOW!? Just how has that not gone in. Timo Werner somehow clears a flicked effort which is going in, for Chelsea, off the line and he then hits the crossbar from a yard out with the rebound. Meslier is then getting some abuse from the Chelsea fan behind the goal, as they claim his mom doesn’t love him. Bit harsh. But the players can hear every bit of banter now, and it feels sort of like a small high school football match.
3rd minute: GOALLL! Leeds 1-0 up. Kalvin Phillips is free down the left and plays a great ball to former Chelsea academy star Patrick Bamford who rounds Edouard Mendy and slots home. Hmmm. The home fans have gone quiet as Leeds’ players celebrate in the far corner.
BAMFORD strikes early 💥
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 5, 2020
He scores against his former club. #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/QC5TOmKtpw
2nd minute: Wow. What a start. With 40 seconds on the clock, Hakim Ziyech has a shot saved at the near post. Moments later Giroud nods inches wide. Great start for Chelsea.
Kick off: This has been lovely. Chants from the Chelsea fans for their players. Boos for the Leeds players. They are making a lot of noise.
🔵🗣 Jorginho really getting in to the signing along with the Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge! Love to see it. #CFC #CHELEE pic.twitter.com/5aog4smxJj
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) December 5, 2020
Pre-game shenanigans: Hello from the Bridge, where there is a real buzz in the air. Fans are back for the first time in nine months, and my goodness, it is great to have some atmosphere in these famous stadiums. 2,000 lucky Chelsea fans have tickets to see this, and this is probably the game of the weekend for the neutral as both teams love to but on a show. I’ll keep you updated from here at Stamford Bridge on this emotional day! Fans! We have them!
✅🏟👋 Welcome to Stamford Bridge! 2,000 fans are here to watch Chelsea for the 1st time in 9 months.
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) December 5, 2020
I’ll have live analysis, info on the atmosphere with fans & updates from #CFC v #LUFC which kicks off on @NBCSN at 3pm ET ➡️ https://t.co/KKS4XOLK0G#CHELEE should be brilliant pic.twitter.com/5q4QP9ni6p
Pre-game stats: Chelsea have done well to sit third in the Premier League table, two points back of leaders Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, after 10 games — Lampard’s side is unbeaten in its last eight league games, since losing to the Reds on matchweek 2, though they have drawn as many games (4) as they have won during that period. 12th-place Leeds, meanwhile, have already endured a wild roller-coaster start to the campaign — as many losses and wins (4 each) as games in which they conceded three or more goals (they have conceded four goals three times already).
Team news: Chelsea - Leeds (INJURY REPORT)
Our line-up for #CHELEE is in! 📝 pic.twitter.com/u0Uxf4HVyY
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 5, 2020
📋 Your #LUFC Starting XI...
— Leeds United (@LUFC) December 5, 2020
What they’re saying: Chelsea - Leeds
Frank Lampard, on squad rotation: “I said it at the start of the season to the players. Most of the big teams in the Premier League have big squads. For example, Tottenham had (Gareth) Bale on the bench at the weekend and Dele Alli wasn’t there. It has to be seen as a strength not a weakness. It has to be seen as a strength when players are not playing a lot. … I have to leave out four or five players per game. If I speak about all the permutations of all of them and considered the risk of it, then I wouldn’t be able to make a decision or do the job.”
Marcelo Bielsa, on summer signing Raphinha: “He’s adapted very quickly to the Premier League. Victor Orta anticipated that he had the characteristics to play in this league, so he was correct in choosing him. He, of course, is a player who worries the opposing defense.”
Odds and ends (full odds provided by our partner, PointsBet)
Chelsea (-189) | Leeds (+325) | Draw (+475)
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Prediction: Chelsea - Leeds
Chelsea struggled to create scoring chances against an organized, deep-sitting Tottenham side last weekend, which is good news for the Blues because Leeds will do anything and everything but defend deep in their own half. Provided Chelsea can play their way through the middle-third pressure — or, simply target Timo Werner in the channels over and over again — they’ll find far more jot in the final third this week. Chelsea 3-2 Leeds.
How to watch Chelsea - Leeds: stream and start time
Kickoff: 3 pm ET Saturday
TV: NBCSN
Online: Stream via NBCSports.com