Chelsea secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, climbing within a point of second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League. The match marked Enzo Maresca’s return to Leicester, where he had led the club back to the top flight last season.
The visitors appeared to be in control after goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez, but a stoppage-time penalty converted by Jordan Ayew left Chelsea holding on nervously in the dying moments. The win, Chelsea’s first after two consecutive draws, lifts them to 22 points, putting pressure on City and giving them a three-point cushion over fourth-placed Arsenal ahead of Saturday’s later fixtures.
Maresca praised his team’s effort despite limited preparation following the international break. Speaking to TNT Sports, he said: “The only thing I asked the players before the game, I said, ‘Guys, we have the chance today to make a statement in terms of (who) we are’.”
He continued, “Because when you play this kind of game, all the clubs that they are behind, like in this moment, I don’t know, Arsenal or Villa or Brighton or (Manchester) United, Tottenham, they are watching. They are waiting for us to drop points. And we show that we are there. And we’re going to compete until the end and then we’ll see where we arrive.”
Match Highlights
Chelsea dominated the early stages, with Joao Felix looking lively in his first Premier League start this season. The breakthrough came when Nicolas Jackson capitalised on a tussle with Wout Faes, slotting in his seventh league goal of the campaign.
Leicester fought back with bursts of energy as Kasey McAteer, making his Premier League debut, narrowly missed a chance before Wilfred Ndidi fired wide just before half-time.
In the second half, Chelsea squandered a golden opportunity when Cole Palmer’s goal-bound effort comically struck teammate Noni Madueke on the line. Despite the mishap, Chelsea doubled their lead in the 75th minute when Enzo Fernandez headed in after Mads Hermansen parried a Jackson attempt.
Leicester appealed for a penalty when substitute Stephy Mavididi was brought down in the box, but the referee waved play on. Ayew finally got Leicester on the scoresheet from the spot in the 95th minute after Bobby De Cordova-Reid was fouled, but it was too late for a comeback.
2016 Premier League champions, Leicester remain just three points above the relegation zone after 13 matches, with pressure mounting as they seek stability in the top flight.
