- Chelsea defeated Leicester City 2-1 in a thrilling Premier League clash, with Enzo Maresca’s side dominating the game at the King Power Stadium
- Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez were impressive, scoring decisive goals as Chelsea capitalised on Leicester’s defensive errors
- Wilfred Ndidi’s red card debate incident drew attention, but Maresca defended his former player, dismissing claims of foul play
Chelsea delivered a masterclass as they secured a 2-1 victory over Leicester City in a thrilling encounter at the King Power Stadium. The match saw a return for Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca to his former club, as his new team, Chelsea clearly dominated the game and sent a clear message to early-season doubters.
The Blues took the lead early in the game through Senegalese forward Nicolas Jackson. The striker's continuous pressing forced Leicester defender Wout Faes into an error, and Jackson capitalised swiftly. A smart return pass from Enzo Fernandez saw Jackson fire a beautiful shot into the bottom corner, silencing the home crowd.
Chelsea continued to apply pressure, with their intensity forcing Leicester to succumb to pressure. Noni Madueke thought he had doubled the lead just before halftime, but his celebrations were cut short when VAR ruled out the goal due to Marc Cucurella straying offside during the build-up.
Leicester fought back towards the end of the first half, with Wilfred Ndidi and Kasey McAteer narrowly missing the target. However, the Foxes’ hope of a comeback failed to yield a breakthrough, much to the frustration of manager Steve Cooper on the sidelines.
The second half saw Chelsea regain control, although they had a moment of frustration when Madueke blocked Cole Palmer from converting a rebound after Mads Hermansen had cleared off Jackson's shot.
Despite this missed opportunity, the Blues doubled their lead shortly after, thanks to a stunning diving header from Fernandez that left the Leicester defence helpless.
Leicester managed a late consolation through Jordan Ayew, who calmly converted a penalty after Romeo Lavia fouled Bobby De Cordova-Reid in the box. However, it was too little, too late, as Chelsea saw out the game comfortably.
Maresca lauded his team’s performance but admitted they had moments of sloppiness, particularly towards the end of the first half. Speaking about a controversial foul involving his former player and Nigeria international Wilfred Ndidi, Maresca expressed his admiration for the Nigerian midfielder and dismissed claims of foul intent,
“I don’t think Cole is the target. I don’t think that, I’m not saying Wilf [Ndidi] was bad intention because I love Wilf. Overall, when there is bad intention, I think the punishment has to be different. I don’t think so. I saw the clip and I don’t think it is a red, to be honest. The other one [vs Manchester United] I said that was a red card, for sure,” Maresca said during his post-match interview.
Carabao Cup: 2 African foxes show Tranmere Rovers they are now in a bigger league
Previously, TheRadar reported that Wilfred Ndidi played a key role in Leicester City's dominant 4-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers in the second round of the EFL Cup.
The Nigerian midfielder scored the third goal of the match, capping off a brilliant team move that involved an assist from his African brother Jordan Ayew, who had earlier put Leicester ahead in the first half.
