Rudiger uses his head to salvage point for Blues
LEICESTER and Chelsea played out an entertaining Premier League draw in a see-saw encounter at King Power Stadium.
The result means the Foxes stay third in the table, eight points above Chelsea in fourth.
After a largely uneventful first half, the game came to life just after the break when Antonio Rudiger headed Chelsea in front from Mason Mount’s corner.
Brendan Rodgers’ team levelled eight minutes later, Harvey Barnes’ effort deflecting off Blues defender Reece James into the top-right corner.
And Rodgers looked to be heading towards a first win over Chelsea at the 14th attempt as a manager when Ben Chilwell swept a Youri Tielemans cross into the bottom left corner.
But Rudiger’s second headed goal of the day – from another Mount delivery – ensured Frank Lampard’s side claimed a point.
“We were the better team in the first half, in terms of how we moved the ball, and we created some gilt-edged chances,” Lampard said after the match.
“In the second half we weren’t so fluid and they created some good chances themselves.
Toni (Rudiger) and Andreas (Christensen) were really good. Toni was aggressive – the second goal is a really great header – so I’m really pleased with him.
“We were underdogs at the start of the season.
Not many people gave us the top-four slot and I understand why, and it’s probably the same now.
“We’ve come to Leicester, who everyone’s raving about, quite rightly, and we’ve got a point. We move on.”
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers talking to BBC Match of the Day said: “We’re disappointed not to have won the game. I thought we started both halves slow.
“We should have won having gone 2-1 up. We gifted them two goals really, which we’re disappointed with.
“Our concentration and organisation wasn’t quick enough in one or two players.
“But what we did was show a fantastic mentality to come from behind against a really good side with top-level players.
“Against a top team it might be deemed a good result but we should win that game. But they’ve come from a tough game in midweek and battled to get a point.
“It’s been a long period form
December. We’ll go away, come back and get back to being consistent.”