Chapter 159 of "Shokugeki no Soma" is already online through D-Manga. The chapter concludes the battle between Ryo of Cutting Edge Research Society and Rentaro of Central. Before any predictions and speculations on the upcoming chapters, here's a recap of the recent events in the manga.
The chapter starts with Isshiki surprising Erina at her room and invites her to come watch the matches. Meanwhile, Rentaro tasted Ryo's dish in disbelief that it's actually better than what he has. It was then explained that Ryo added a layer of spinach and combination of spices with dehydrated bacon to enhance the salmon flavor. He also placed the spices in an uneven manner so the meal would combine the strong umami flavor with unique salmon dish. Through flashback, it was revealed that Ryo learned his technique and developed them during his stagiaire. Ryo was declared the winner 3-0 and Azami Nakiri was there to congratulate him. The chapter ends with Alice feeling uneasy with the presence of his uncle.
The ending of chapter 159 is foreboding since the presence of Azami would most likely change the conditions of the Shokugeki. The upcoming chapters would also involve Erina as she accepts the invitation of Isshiki. Erina might finally have to face her father and finally tell him she wants to be in Polar Star Dorm.
Fan feedback and predictions also point to some controversy to be stirred by Azami. User TotalEcon predicts, "So a lot of students don't like the direction Azami is pushing the academy, so Azami will use this fact to publicly blame Jou. He will say something along the lines of 'This is Soma's father fault,' which may cause some students to resent Soma by extension." User noobybuilder also has the same sentiment on the upcoming chapter with regards to Azami, Alice and Erina's presence, "Fun chapter, but now the real drama begins. Hopefully Nakamura-senpai does something completely out of the blue to stir things up."
