Leeds United secured a hard-fought 3-1 win over Chelsea at Elland Road on Wednesday night, ending their four-game losing streak.
The host enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges and was rewarded with an opener in the sixth minute, via Jaka Bijol, after he headed home Anton Stach’s inswinging corner.
At the half-hour mark, João Pedro forced an error from Lucas Perri, but the Brazilian couldn’t capitalise.
At the other end, the Whites almost got an identical goal to the opener as Struijk headed wide another inswinger from a corner.
The Blues struggled to muster a shot on target, and in the 25th minute, Estevao had his sights on goal, but his curling effort was deflected wide for a corner.
Minutes later, Liam Delap was through on goal, but the striker’s effort was comfortably collected by Perri.
Ao Tanaka doubled the Whites’ advantage just before the break after he was found by Jayden Bogle, and the midfielder unleashed a belter beyond Robert Sanchez.
Maresca made two changes at the break, and Pedro Neto made an instant impact after Jamie Gittens skipped past his marker and laid a pass to the back post for the Portuguese to fire in from close range.
Nmecha almost increased the deficit minutes later when he was found with a long ball from the right, but his goal-bound half volley was parried away by Sanchez.
Moments later, the German thought he had restored the host’s two-goal advantage, but the flag went up for offside in the build-up.
Delap had another chance to draw the Blues level, but he found the side netting with a low shot.
Cole Palmer and Alejandro Garnacho were introduced in the Blues’ quest to get an equaliser, with the former making his first appearance since September due to injury.
Minutes later the two substitutes combined as Garnacho’s cut-back pass found Palmer, but the Englishman’s first-time effort rolled just wide.
With a little over 15 minutes left of play, Chelsea’s defensive woes struck again after Gruev nicked the ball off Tosin in the Blues’ box, and his effort ricocheted off Sanchez into the path of Calvert-Lewin, who tapped it into an empty net.
Chelsea’s first defeat in five Premier League games sees them drop down to fourth in the Premier League standings; Leeds are three points clear of the drop zone.