Chelsea secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, moving to within a point of second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League.
The visitors dominated possession from the kick-off and were rewarded with a deserved early lead through Nicolas Jackson’s seventh league goal of the season. “We started the game well and deserved the lead,” said Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.
Jackson won his tussle with Leicester defender Wout Faes, who missed several chances to clear, before poking home with the outside of his right foot. “Nicolas is a top player, and he’s been in great form for us this season,” Maresca added.
Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen kept out Noni Madueke’s sharp effort, and Madueke had a goal disallowed for a tight offside against Marc Cucurella just after the half hour. “We had a few chances to score more goals, but we didn’t take them,” Maresca said.
As the first period wore on, there was a momentum shift and Leicester suddenly started looking more dangerous. “We knew Leicester would come at us in the second half, but we defended well,” said Chelsea defender Thiago Silva.
Leicester broke at pace and Oliver Skipp found Kasey McAteer on the right. McAteer, making his full Premier League debut, cut inside but steered his shot just beyond the far post. “We had a few chances to score, but we didn’t take them,” said Leicester manager Steve Cooper.
Chelsea looked certain to double their lead 10 minutes after the restart but somehow contrived to squander the chance when Madueke got in the way of a Cole Palmer shot on the goal line. “It was a funny moment, but we didn’t laugh about it,” Maresca joked.
Chelsea did find the net in the 75th minute when Enzo Fernandez headed home after Hermansen kept out Jackson’s header. “Enzo is a top player, and he’s been in great form for us this season,” Maresca said.
Leicester substitute Jordan Ayew pulled a goal back from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time after Bobby De Cordova-Reid was brought down, but it was too little, too late. “We’re disappointed to lose, but we’ll bounce back,” Cooper said.
The win lifts Chelsea to 22 points, one behind Manchester City and three clear of fourth-placed Arsenal. “We’re happy with the win, but we know we have to keep working hard,” Maresca said.
Leicester, the 2016 Premier League champions, remain just three points above the relegation zone. “We’ll keep fighting, and we’ll get out of this situation,” Cooper vowed.
