14th of December 2015

Blues undone on the road against League leaders (2-1)

Loic Remy’s second-half goal halved the deficit in Monday night’s match in the Midlands but an equaliser proved elusive as the Blues slipped to a consecutive league defeat.

Jamie Vardy gave the league leaders the advantage in a first half featuring few chances but unfortunately containing an early injury to Eden Hazard. A Nemanja Matic header from a set-piece that clipped the woodwork was the closest we came in the first 45 minutes.

After half-time Chelsea improved, especially after Jose Mourinho made a tactical change, but Riyad Mahrez had made it 2-0 to Leicester with a good goal early in the second period and ultimately that proved a lead too great to overcome.

In this first Premier League meeting between teams managed by ‘the Special One’ and ‘the Tinkerman’, monikers acquired while each was in charge at Stamford Bridge, both Jose Mourinho and Claudio Ranieri named an unchanged side, which was not surprising given both were coming into the game off the back of wins.

For Chelsea, it was very much a case of trying to maintain the verve in evidence in the Champions League against Porto and not relapse to the frustration and ultimately fruitless showing in our last league outing against Bournemouth.

An early shot from Mahrez after Cesar Azpilicueta, making his 100th Premier League appearance, had been caught out wide on the flank, was comfortable for Thibaut Courtois and apart from that, it was an uneventful first 10 minutes of the match.

A chance for the home side to put the in-form Vardy in on goal was over-hit and a free-kick from Christian Fuchs was claimed by Courtois, albeit with a second grab of the loose ball required.

On 15 minutes Chelsea worked our best move of the half as Oscar took possession in space having moved out to the right. The Brazilian did well to get his cross in and even better to make it clear the defence. Hazard controlled with his chest but his half-volley was blocked. As a result of trying to stop Oscar however, Leicester lost a man. Midfielder Danny Drinkwater went off with a pulled muscle and was replaced by Andy King.

The game continued on as before with neither side poised to breakthrough. Courtois had to come to claim another couple of speculative balls into his box without properly being tested,

Shortly before the half-hour Hazard was fouled and not for the first time in the game, but on this occasion Vardy’s late shove hurt the Belgian who needed treatment and even then did not look comfortable as he limped to the touchline. The signal came for a change to be made and Pedro prepared for action.

Hazard came back on for one second before turning and going down the tunnel. This game had been deprived of his skill and it remains to be seen how many more will during this busy period.

Three minutes later Leicester took the lead. The ball was won deep in midfield by the Foxes and played quickly to the Chelsea left. Mahrez’s cross dipped in dangerously and Vardy ran into a gap between Terry and Zouma to volley in.

The home fans had the moment they had come to see but Chelsea went close to scoring a rapid equaliser when Matic rose above a crowd at a corner. His header skimmed off the top of the crossbar.

In open play, the Blues needed to get to more of the 50-50 challenges first, emphasised when Zouma fouled the darting Vardy on the edge of our area. Fortunately the free-kick came to nothing.

Courtois saved from Marc Albrighton to ensure the half-time scoreline mirrored the one back in April.

Within 20 seconds of the restart Vardy took out Diego Costa at the ankle and this time was booked; the first yellow card of the game. With the next piece of action Leicester doubled their lead through their other top scorer. There was still plenty to do for Mahrez when he collected a pass on the left of our area but he did it well, twisting and doubling back inside Azpilicueta before curling powerfully past Courtois. A comeback to match last season’s 3-1 win here now looked a mighty tall order.

Huth was booked for sending Diego Costa tumbling as they chased a ball into the Leicester half shortly before Mourinho switched players and formation, bringing on Cesc Fabregas for Terry as we went to three men at the back. Remy later came on as an additional striker.

On the hour there was a moment of hope as Leicester dealt uncertainly with balls in from wide by Diego Costa and then Willian and it looked to be falling for Pedro in front of the net, but a crucial block was still able to be made.

The Leicester goal continued to live through a couple of minutes of siege as Diego Costa’s shot from a Fabregas pass deflected off Kasper Schmeichel and cleared the net, and then Willian’s corner was missed by all in the middle but a stretching Ivanovic could not find a way past the defender on the far post.

Fabregas glanced a Pedro cross on target but without power in the header and Pedro shot over soon after. The Blues were now making chances in open play.

There was quarter of an hour to go when substitute Remy was found just inside the area by Willian but his attempt to control the ball and wrong-foot his marker at the same time did not pay off. Moments later the France international was celebrating his first league goal of the season.

Pedro’s cross from the left was a peach, the equal to Mahrez’s for the Foxes opener. Remy, just three yards out, applied the finishing touch with a firm header.

This was now a test of Leicester nerve, and maybe their legs as well given the way they chased hard in the first half. Albrighton shot wide from distance for the home side and Remy did similar at the other end but it was Chelsea with the ball in the opposing final third more of the time.

When the added-time board showed five minutes still to play, there was outcry from the home fans and from Ranieri but it proved to be the case that our better chances and half-chances had already come and gone in that lively second half.

Next up are Sunderland and then Watford at Stamford Bridge. Every game is vital but this weekend’s has the added significance of the 16th-placed Blues facing a team three points below us.

 

- Match stats:

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry (c) (Fabregas 53), Azpilicueta; Ramires, Matic; Willian, Oscar (Remy 65), Hazard (Pedro 31), Diego Costa.
Unused subs Begovic, Cahill, Mikel, Kenedy.
Scorer Remy 77

Leicester (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan (c), Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez (Inler 82), Drinkwater (King 17), Kante, Albrighton; Ulloa, Vardy (Okazaki 87).
Unused subs Schwarzer, Wasilewski, Benalouane, Dyer.
Scorers Vardy 34, Mahrez 48
Booked Vardy 46, Huth 51

Referee Mark Clattenburg
Crowd 32,054

- Match report by chelseafc.com


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