By Paul Lagan at King Energy Stadium
Leicester Metropolis 1 v Chelsea 2
Targets from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo, one in every half noticed Chelsea retain third place within the Premier League with deserved 2-1 away to Leicester Metropolis.
A late, late penalty by Jordan Ayew was the perfect it bought for them.
The Foxes are a shadow of their league successful selves, and are rightly struggling on the fallacious finish of the league.
Chelsea didn’t must get out of second gear to safe all three factors.
The sport gained’t final lengthy within the reminiscence banks, such was the paucity of goal-scoring possibilities and normal poor technical degree and severe on-field ambition.
Chelsea began brightly, whereas Leicester ere content material to sit down again and ab sorb and strain, whereas on a regular basis on the lookout for the fast breakaway to permit Jamie Vardy to pump in to motion .
However the house aspect have been compelled I to an early substitution, ex-Spurs Harry Winks limped off to get replaced by ex-Spurs Oliver Skipp on 11 minutes.
Joao Felix had a few volleys, the primary properly broad, the second simply inches over the Leicester crossbar.
Seconds later, on 16 minutes, then guests took a deserved lead.
Wout Faes and Caleb Okoli didn’t take care of in -running Nicolas Jackson as they battled for the ball. Jackson got here out on high and from eight yards, clipped a wise angled right-footer previous Mads Hermansen
Noni was on the top of a fast break by the Blues and cured a stunning left-footer, which Hermansen did properly to parry away for a nook on half-hour.
However he thought he had side-footed house three minutes later, however set-up man Marc Cucurella was deemed offside rightly by VAR
Leicester broke rapidly on 38 minutes, reducing the Blues defence aside. Skipp’s ball to in-running Victor Kristiansen was excellent however his execution of a left-footed curling daisy-cutter was simply off and the ball inched broad of Robert Sanchez’s proper publish.
They adopted it up with one other high-quality probability however Wilfred Ndidi’s effort was weak and broad.
There have been no modifications by both aspect at half-time.
Chelsea ought to have scored on 54 minutes when one other fast break noticed a Jackson shot parried away by Hermansen, however Cole Palmer’s follow-up shot, on track on the far publish smacked off the legs of Noni who was in the way in which and the ball went for a objective kick.
Chelsea, whereas not as dominate as the primary half, nonetheless confirmed a larger leading edge within the second, and with quarter-hour left they scored their second.
A easy clipped ball into the penalty space on the left by Cucurella, noticed Jackson get forward of his defender and nod the ball in the direction of objective. Hermansen might solely punch the ball on to Enzo who headed house from shut vary into the empty internet.
Enzo Maresca determined to make his first substitutions – deliver on Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia for Felix and Moises Caicedo on 81 minutes.
Jadon Sancho was quickly on the pitch changing, Noni.
VAR denied Leicester a penalty, agreeing with referee Andrew Madley that Wesley Fofana didn’t foul Stephy Mavididi within the penalty space.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Corridor bought a great reception from his former membership’s followers when he made a late entrance to the pitch on the expense of Jackson.
One other late VAR name for a penalty instructed that Lavia dedicated a foul. Up stepped within the 95tyh minute substitute Jordan Ayew who slotted house previous Sanchez.
Might the Foxes rally to attain once more?
No.
Groups: Chelsea: Sanchez, Cucurella, Badiashile, Colwill, Enzo, Noni, Felix, Jackson, Palmer, Caicedo, Fofana
Subs: Tosin, Mudryk, Jorgensen, Bettinelli, Nkunku, Sancho, Dewsbury-Corridor, Veiga, Lavia
Leicester Metropolis: Hermansen, Justin, Faes, Okoli, Ndidi, Winks, Vardy, Khannouss, Kristiansen, Soumare, McAteer
Subs: Ward, Coady, Mavididi
De Cordova-Reid, Choudhury, Ayew, Daka, Skipp, Thomas
Referee: Andrew Madley
Pictured high: Noni celebrated his objective in Chelsea’s 2-1 win at Leicester Image: PA
