After two weeks off for the final international break of the calendar year, Chelsea showed no ring rust as it went on. Leicester City 2-1 at the King Power Stadium.
Nicolas Jackson’s seventh goal of the season gave the visitors a deserved lead in the 15th minute, with the Senegal international directing a superb move out of the attack to beat Mads Hermansen in the home goal.
Noni Madueke had a second free ruled out by VAR – with Marc Cucurella offside in the build-up to the goal – but it didn’t matter as Enzo Fernandez, the provider of Jackson’s opener, secured the points with a closed distance completed with 15 minutes to go from full time.
It could, and perhaps should, have been more for Chelsea, who strengthened their place inside The top three in the Premier League with the win, especially as Cole Palmer comically had a certain goal blocked on the line by teammate Madueke.
In the end, Chelsea had to settle for a one-goal win as Jordan Ayew scored a stoppage-time penalty for Leicester after substitute Romeo Lavia fouled Bobby De Cordova-Reid.
Here are the top four talking points from the East Midlands.
Nicolas Jackson’s £32million arrival at Chelsea last summer was met with widespread derision.
Sure, 12 goals in 35 games for Villarreal wasn’t an incredible record by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s still not bad for a player who was just 21 when he finished his last La Liga campaign .
ChelseaApparently, Jackson’s belief in Jackson wasn’t ironclad either, evidenced by his relentless pursuit of Victor Osimhen and any other established “number nine” who needed a move.
But in Jackson, Chelsea have found an absolute gem. He lacked effectiveness in his first season at Stamford Bridge, despite scoring 14 Premier League goals, but now seems to have put all the pieces together. Suddenly he has solved it.
Whether it was taking on the counter with pace, putting a deliciously weighted cross onto Noni Madueke’s right foot, scoring his first goal with a superb finish or simply beating Caleb Okoli with his movement in the box, Jackson did it all added class
Those who were laughing at the 23-year-old sure aren’t laughing at him now.
Whisper it quietly, Chelsea might be Premier League contenders for this season’s title.
This may seem like an exaggeration to some as they have only won half of the 12 games they have played under Enzo Maresca, but the progress they are making is impossible to ignore. The Italian has a clear philosophy and style of play and his players seem to have bought into the project.
Moises Caicedo looks a different animal in midfield, Cole Palmer is exceptionally good and they are much more organized at the back. Throw in the indifferent form of Arsenal and Manchester City and it’s not so far-fetched to suggest that Chelsea could join Liverpool in the title race.
They need to kill teams though, as this shouldn’t have been a game that ended 2-1.
Four touches in the Chelsea box are lackluster Leicester could manage in the first 45 minutes.
You’d have thought the Foxes would have been high on adrenaline, wanting to prove former manager Enzo Maresca wrong to abandon ship in the summer, but that’s not what happened.
Instead, the home side sat against Chelsea, particularly in the first half hour, and allowed the visitors too much of the ball. Indifferent defending from Wout Faes led indirectly to the opener, not the first time the Belgian has invited unwelcome trouble, and Steve Cooper’s side showed no real desire to get stuck in.
Leicester’s energy improved minimally after the break, but that was largely down to a vocal home support wanting to see more from their team. A late penalty made the score seem a lot closer than it actually was, but that kind of performance can’t be the norm at the King Power, even if this game wouldn’t necessarily have been marked as winnable.
Chelsea were one step ahead of Leicester throughout the 90 minutes, but Palmer often played a completely different game.
The weight of the 22-year-old’s pass was excellent, his deceptive movement and the ease with which he did everything impressive. He was certainly too quick for Leicester’s Wilfred Ndidi midway through the first half, cutting the ball away with the outside of his boot as he looked for another attack.
Unfortunately for Palmer, he was so quick to turn things around that Ndidi stepped up awkwardly on his achilles – his studs pulled the Chelsea star’s sock down in a way that that all who saw them moved with pain.
Referee Andy Madley awarded a yellow card, much to the frustration of the Chelsea players and bench, and this decision was surprisingly verified by VAR. You have to wonder, given some of the other red cards handed out each week, why this didn’t constitute dangerous play, but that’s the continuing beauty of this system.
Zero consistency and zero concern for player welfare, Palmer was lucky to escape a more serious injury.
