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Sarri admits his ‘mentally confused’ team are out of the race as Vardy earns Puel a crucial reprieve
Chelsea 0
Leicester 1
Vardy 51
THIS was a day to confirm what most at Chelsea may already have known. Chelsea are not in the title race. Eleven points behind leaders Liverpool before Christmas, Chelsea are instead operating among the also-rans. Indeed, as Arsenal improve and Manchester United rally, there is no guarantee of a return to Champions League football next season.
After two defeats in the Premier League in December, this was another day to demonstrate Chelsea’s laws. Chelsea had the vast portion of the ball but lacked authority in both penalty areas.
They do not possess an outstanding centre half, as underlined by how Jamie Vardy broke free of Antonio Rudiger and David Luiz to score the Leicester winner. And manager Maurizio Sarri requires a worldclass frontman to liberate Eden Hazard and take games away from even middle-tier opposition.
For Chelsea’s manager and his Sarri-ball vision, this was a damaging afternoon and, in truth, Leicester’s winning margin might have been more handsome. The goal on 51 minutes destabilised Chelsea.
‘After the goal, it was a strange reaction,’ said Sarri. ‘Not in the right direction. Not as a team but as 11 different players. So it was really very strange. There was time to score. Instead, we were without a reaction — as a team, shocked, a team in mental confusion.
‘As we said from the beginning of the season, we knew very well that this season it was impossible for us to fight for the Premier League.’
Sarri’s verdict is blunt but true. His team’ s fluency evaporated, they conceded the ball repeatedly in their own territory and the manager was reduced to replacing Jorginho after 7 5 minutes, t he player most integral to his style.
The Leicester goal was a sheer delight. Pedro lost possession carelessly on the left flank and Ricardo Pereira jinked onwards, sidestepping by two home players and finding James Maddison in space. Maddison took a touch and slid a perfect reverse pass into Vardy, who took the ball on the run firsttime and drove it past a static Kepa Arrizabalaga. On the sidelines, Sarri grew irritated. By the hour mark, he had already hooked Willian and Matteo Kovacic, introducing Ruben LoftusCheek and Olivier Giroud, but the changes only served to unsettle the home side more. When Loftus- Cheek gave away the ball and Cesc Fabregas committed a foul, Sarri threw his jacket into the dugout.
Leicester chances came and went. Vardy might have scored a second when his impudent back-flick was superbly blocked by Cesar Azpilicueta. Kepa intervened as Wilfried Ndidi ran through on goal and the Spaniard made another fine stop to deny Albrighton.
Leicester defended superbly, marshalled by the commanding Harry Maguire, while the midfield three of Ndidi, Hamza Choudhury and Nampalys Mendy shielded the backline with intelligence. How Claude Puel needed this.
Pu el’ s Leicester reign had appeared to be teetering on the brink. The newspapers spoke of training ground discord and a man isolated from the dressing room. For much of the first half, Puel’s body language was that of a manager under strain. He spun on his heels and vented his frustration towards the substitute’s bench.
Recently, his relationship with striker Vardy has also appeared fragile. But signs of a surprise were there in the first half, if only in spo- radic bursts. Ben Chilwell, one of the most menacing full backs in the Premier League these days, embarked on a forward gallop, sliding the ball to the excellent Maddison, who backheeled a return into space. Chilwell strode into the area, where he was crowded out.
During a timid period, neither side recorded a shot on target in the first half hour. Chelsea operated with Eden Hazard as the lone frontman but the Belgian was well-shackled. He broke free only once, rolling Harry Maguire at the edge of the penalty area, jinking free and blasting against the crossbar.
Chelsea had come within a whisker of the breakthrough when Luiz launched himself at a Pedro flickon but the ball narrowly evaded the Brazilian at a set-piece.
Leicester’s menace was always there. Five minutes before the interval, Ndidi controlled the ball 30 yards out and shot towards the top corner. Kepa palmed the ball over the bar.
Leicester have a superb goalkeeper of their own. After Kepa’s save, N’Golo Kante went on the rampage, leading a counter-attack and teeing up Willian, who was denied by Kasper Schmeichel.
After Leicester took the lead, Schmeichel remained stubborn. Hazard got in behind the Leicester line, powering a strike at speed towards the near post but Schmeichel stuck out a palm and deflected the ball up and over the goal.
In the closing moments, Chelsea’s threat belatedly emerged. Rudiger glanced the ball wide from a corner and Marcos Alonso sprinted into the penalty area — sliding his finish under Schmeichel but against the inside of the post.