ENZO MARESCA welcomed his former side Leicester for a huge clash in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge.
Cole Palmer was the subject of early penalty discourse as he was denied an early shout in the opening exchanges before having his spot-kick saved twenty minutes later after Jadon Sancho was clipped in the box.
Marc Cucurella eventually broke the deadlock in the second half with a superb strike from the edge of the box.
Blues failed to add to the Spaniard’s strike, but it was enough for Maresca to secure victory against his former employers.
- Match result: Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
- Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Fofana, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Sancho, Palmer, Nkunku; Neto.
- Leicester XI: Hermansen, Justin, Faes, Coady, Kristansen; El Khannouss, Ndidi, Soumare, Thomas; Vardy, Daka.
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Massive win for Chelsea
With Chelsea’s last two games now being Leicester and Southampton at home they knew they could not allow any slip ups as they aim for that top four finish.
From Chelsea’s viewpoint they got the job done but will know they still need to convert more of the chances they create with their xG only being lower than league leaders Liverpool at the moment.
Cole Palmer will personally still feel disappointed as that means he is now seven games without a goal or assist after missing a penalty early in the first half.
Full time – Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
Chelsea win a much needed second game in a row and see themselves in the top four above Man City.
Enzo Maresca enjoyed that one as the second the whistle blew he was hugging his managerial team – he knows what that win does for him and his team.
That means for Leicester they have now lost 12 out of their last 13 in the league now and their chances of survival are looking very slim indeed.
Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
90+6. Leicester freekick now on the halfway line.
Everyone is up for this one!
Nothing amounts from it – poor delivery from Hermansen and Chelsea get it clear.
Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
90+4. Chelsea looking shaky in the final stages of the game with Leicester putting on a lot of pressure here.
Buonanotte just misses a pulled back ball to him as it was just ahead of him.
Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
90+3. Massive penalty appeal from the Leicester players as when Cucurella tries to clear the ball it looks like it may have grazed his own arm.
Play is carried on as it has been checked and cleared.
Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
90. Six minutes added on again as they were at the end of the first half.
Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
89. Another sub for Chelsea as Acheampong comes on for Nkunku who hasn’t really done enough today.
Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
87. Neto has to be forced off the pitch with the cut from earlier in the game looking like it has opened again.
Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
86. Pereira jumps straight into the action as his strike from outside the area is saved by Sanchez.
Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
83. Subs for Leicester as it looks like they’re going all out for a draw now.
Daka, Kristiansen and Justin coming off for De Cordova-Reid, Pereira and Mavididi.
Pereira received a big applause from his fans with this being his first game in four months.
Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
80. Yet another penalty shout for Chelsea!
Sancho has a shot blocked by Coady’s arm but there’s nothing the defender could do there with his back being turned.
VAR checks it and clears it quickly.
View of SunSport’s Andy Dillon from Stamford Bridge
Marc Cucurella has finally broken the deadlock with a goal for Chelsea – his fourth in the Premier League this season.
Much more of this and the left back will become Chelsea’s top scorer before long. Cole Palmer certainly needs some help up front at the moment.
Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
77. Chelsea not giving up on this second goal as they’ve just won a couple of corners in the last few minutes.
Enzo to put this one in.
It’s cleared away but finds its way back to Enzo who floats in a dangerous looking cross back in.
Nothing amounts from it though and a freekick is awarded to Leicester.
Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
72. Two subs for Chelsea now and one of them is Palmer.
That means it is now seven games without a goal for him!
Palmer and Fofana make way for Chalobah and George.
Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
70. Chelsea still pushing for another with Palmer getting forward and see’s his shot blocked.
The ball is eventually cleared for a corner but it’s clear to see Chelsea are in need of a second goal to close this game off.
Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
66. The first sub of the game is for Leicester.
Soumare comes off for Winks.
ANDY DILLON AT THE BRIDGE
MARC CUCURELLA has finally broken the deadlock with a goal for Chelsea – his fourth in the Premier League this season.
Much more of this and the left back will become Chelsea’s top scorer before long. Cole Palmer certainly needs some help up front at the moment.
Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
60. Chelsea finally break the deadlock!
Cucurella scores a beauty as his low driven shot from range finds the right sided corner of the net.
It was coming from the blues as since this half has kicked off they have been applying non stop pressure and been racking up the chances.
It’s the Spaniards fourth goal of the season and that’s easily the best one yet!
Credit: PA Chelsea 0-0 Leicester
58. You can hear the frustrations from the home crowd now!
It’s clear they want the ball forward quicker.
Chelsea 0-0 Leicester
54. Another penalty shout for Chelsea!
How many penalty shouts will there be today!?
Neto’s dancing feet in the box cause him to go down by the Leicester player but it did look like he may have initiated the contact by dragging his leg.
Checked and cleared by VAR
Chelsea 0-0 Leicester
52. Vardy forces a save out of Sanchez.
The Leicester striker fights for the ball and gets his shot away but Sanchez puts it out for a corner.
ANDY DILLON
THEY WEREN’T loud or prolonged but Chelea just got booed off at half time. Cole Palmer’s saved penalty ort of sums it up. Tame and lacking direction.
There is a sense of frustration at Stamford Bridge. The team on a five game losing streak is holding its own – just about.
Chelsea 0-0 Leicester
49. Chelsea have come out impressively in this half picking up where they left off from the first half.
Great pressure from the Maresca’s men whenever they’re not in possession.
Hermansen just about dives onto the ball before it falls to the feet of Sancho after the ball is headed in the danger zone for Leicester – close for Chelsea.
Chelsea 0-0 Leicester
47. We’re back underway at the bridge.
Chelsea have come out straight back into the action as Neto lays off Cucurella but his shot is blocked resulting in a corner for them.
Nothing comes from the corner with the ball falling to Enzo and he just smashes it into the side netting.
Half time – Chelsea 0-0 Leicester
It’s still somehow deadlocked at the break.
There’s no chance it will stay this way till the end of the game.
Here are the stats at halftime:
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
