Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is expecting an 'emotional' game at Elland Road on Sunday, against a Leeds United side that 'loves the chaos'.
Both sides are unbeaten in their first two Premier League fixtures, accumulating four points each. Chelsea will likely provide Leeds' toughest test of the new campaign so far, and the Whites haven't beaten the Blues in 20 years.
Chelsea won 3-0 in Yorkshire in May to further increase Leeds' relegation fears, but the Blues have never recorded back-to-back wins at Elland Road. Last season's game between the two sides was all but over as a contest after 24 minutes, with Dan James sent off with Leeds already 1-0 down. Christian Pulisic and Romelu Lukaku added to Mason Mount's early opener to pile more misery on Leeds.
However, with the Whites starting the new season in fine form, Tuchel is expecting a difficult and 'high-intensity' contest against Leeds, who the German boss has likened in style to Liverpool.
“I expect a high-intensity game, a high-pressing team from Leeds and a very emotional stadium," said Tuchel, who will be in the dugout at Elland Road despite being sent off in Chelsea's game against Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday. "We had a fantastic game last season at Elland Road and scored very early, very dominant and very focused and effective in front of goal.
"Of course, there was an early red card that played into our hands. Still, it was a very good performance. This is what we expect. Repetitive intensity, high-pressing and a team that loves the chaos, a team of Leeds that has a high acceptance for mistakes. They don’t get frustrated by mistakes, they accept mistakes as chances to do counter-pressing and so on.
"We have to be well aware and also to manage our expectations, our level of acceptance for mistakes because mistakes against these high intensive teams like Liverpool, Leeds, Southampton, who have a certain style of pressing – you make mistakes. You cannot play without mistakes against these teams. You accept it before the match and make the best out of it, find the spaces.
"There is not a lot of time for decision making and this is what we prepare for now in training and hope to be on our top level and to find the level we had last week to be able to prove the statistics wrong! I did not know about it (record at Elland Road). So thanks for telling me!”
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