WILL ANYONE STOP CHELSEA?
Tuchel fires up title charge as Kante and Chilwell tear their old club apart
CHELSEA’S victory was embarrassingly one-sided and to rub salt into the wounds of Leicester fans, it was two of their heroes who were instrumental.
N’Golo Kante, part of the 2016 Foxes’ title team, scored the visitors’ second goal to make the result a formality after only 28 minutes. And Ben Chilwell had set up the opener and was excellent throughout.
Chilwell, thriving along with his fellow England wing-back Reece James in a fluid Chelsea side, is no longer liked by Leicester fans but he doesn’t care. When he trotted over to take a corner to jeers from around the ground, he pointedly placed his arms above his head to applaud the noisy travelling fans who were savouring another away-day triumph.
If Manchester City and Liverpool were pre-season favourites to win the Premier League, nobody can now ignore Chelsea.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are top of the table and have won their last four away games in all competitions without conceding. They haven’t been beaten outside Stamford Bridge in the league and the only player to score against them is Mo Salah from the penalty spot. This win was as straightforward as you are going to get. Leicester, already without Wesley Fofana and James Justin with long-term injuries, missed their Wembley FA Cup matchwinner Youri Tielemans with a calf problem.
Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers decided to leave James Maddison and Kelechi Iheanacho on the bench to try to make a fight of it rather than a football match. But the tactical plan backfired disastrously. Jonny Evans and Wilfred Ndidi gave fouls away in the opening minutes but they couldn’t stop Chelsea’s domination.
Antonio Rudiger headed Chelsea in front after 14 minutes — the fourth time in five matches Leicester had conceded a goal from a corner — and Kante took advantage of a backpedalling defence to make it 2-0.
By the time substitute Christian Pulisic added a third after 71 minutes, Leicester were imploring the final whistle to be blown. Remarkably, Chelsea put the ball in the net three more times, all ruled offside, but a final scoreline of 6-0 would have been a more accurate reflection.
The only downside for the Londoners ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League tie against Juventus was the sight of Jorginho hobbling off.
Chelsea welcomed back Mason Mount after dental surgery while Rodgers gave a clue to his intentions by choosing midfield scuffler Boubakary Soumare to replace Tielemans. It didn’t make any difference because Leicester couldn’t get anywhere near their opponents.
Chilwell had already burst forward to hit the top of the crossbar before the opening goal arrived. Chelsea’s press hurried Caglar Soyuncu into conceding a throw. From there, Chelsea won a corner and Rudiger beat Timothy Castagne’s challenge to flick home Chilwell’s delivery despite facing away from goal.
Kasper Schmeichel blocked a Kante shot with his legs and Mount floated a free-kick narrowly over after Daniel Amartey’s panicky trip on the dangerous Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Things got worse for Leicester when James switched a pass inside to Kante and the Frenchman thumped a leftfooter past Schmeichel.
By half-time, Leicester — now four games without a win — still hadn’t managed a shot or corner. Rodgers was proactive, sending on Maddison and Iheanacho for Ademola Lookman and Harvey Barnes and there was marginal improvement though one suspected Chelsea also dropped off the pace.
Amartey had a shot saved at full stretch by Edouard Mendy but Chilwell had a shot tipped around the post by Schmeichel and the third goal eventually arrived courtesy of two Tuchel substitutes.
Hakim Ziyech’s trickery in the box was too good for Soyuncu and when he rolled a pass into the six-yard box, Pulisic slid home from close range.
‘We put in a huge effort attacking and defending,’ said Tuchel. ‘I thought we could have been more precise in the final third. I am happy but there is also room for improvement.’
Rodgers was unhappy Leicester fans booed his team at the end of both halves, saying: ‘You can see why Chelsea are European champions. They were a much better team.’