Recap:
Leicester City fell to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday morning by a score of 1-0. Mads Hermansen made a fantastic save to deny Cole Palmer’s penalty to keep things goalless at the half. A defensive lapse allowed Marc Cucurella to score from distance on the hour for the game’s only goal.
The headlines will rightly read that the Foxes failed to win (again) and failed to score (again) and there’s no argument against that. That’s the story. We’re six points from safety with ten matches to play and nothing really matters but points at this juncture. Was it an improved performance? Absolutely. But, did we ever really look like getting a goal? No. Not at all.
I applaud the decision to go with three at the back. Something needed to change and this seemed to tighten up the defense aside from the one moment when it didn’t. Chelsea out-shot City 20-3, but in terms of shots on target, the margin was only 7-3 and most of them were tame. I was a little surprised to see Thomas deployed as a centre-half, but he was quite good and earned a longer look.
The attack, of course, was woeful. Neither Daka nor El Khannouss seemed to know what their role was in this system and both were loose with the ball. The wingbacks didn’t provide enough of an outlet and the Chelsea defence looked comfortable all day. There are probably ways to make this system work. This wasn’t it.
3 Takeaways
Wilfred Ndidi makes everything better. He won all five of his tackles and all three aerial duels.
Ricardo will make everything better. As he returns to fitness, so too returns my optimism. May have left it too late, though.
Vardy looked sharp, but...will this club ever find someone to displace him? On today’s evidence, Daka’s not the man to do it.
The defeat leaves the Foxes moored on 17 points from 28 matches and 19th on the table. That’s 6 points from safety, but it feels like 60. We’re 19th in scoring, 19th in fewest goals allowed, and 19th in goal differential. This bodes ill. It’s a good thing the next five matches are:
16 March - Manchester United
2 April - at Manchester City
7 April - Newcastle
12 April - at Brighton and Hove Albion
20 April - Liverpool
FML.
Leicester City: Mads Hermansen, Wout Faes, Conor Coady, Luke Thomas, James Justin (Ricardo Pereira 83’), Wilfred Ndidi, Boubakary Soumare (Harry Winks 65’), Victor Kristiansen (Stephy Mavididi 83’), Patson Daka (Bobby De Cordova-Reid 83’), Bilal El Khannouss (Facundo Buonanotte 73’), Jamie Vardy
Chelsea: Robert Sanchez, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella, Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Jadon Sancho, Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto
1’- It’s a beautiful day at Stamford Bridge. Manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has changed things up, going with five at the back and two strikers...sort of (Daka is on the right). I don’t know if it will work, but I can tell you this: What we were doing wasn’t working so I’m happy to see a change.
2’- Cole Palmer barges into Luke Thomas and goes down in the box. There are shouts for a penalty but the Chelsea man is a bit fortunate not to see yellow for this one.
11’- It been a bit of a storm for the Foxes to weather in the opening ten minutes.
20’- Penalty to Chelsea! Kristiansen makes a foolish challenge on Sancho and the Chelsea man goes over theatrically. Annoying as that is, it’s still a legitimate penalty. Hermansen guesses right and saves to his left.
25’- Close! A raking ball from Ndidi finds Justin deep in the Chelsea half. The wingback crosses to the centre of the area and Adarabioyo heads it off his own crossbar. Vardy tries to head it in but Cucurella just beats him to the ball.
30’- Chelsea are enjoying a lot of possession and getting a lot of shots off, but most of them are getting blocked. Faes is doing fine work clearing everything in the air.
36’- El Khannouss finds some space in the centre of the park. He had Vardy in front of him and the wing backs on either side, but his pass to the left is unfortunate and the move breaks down.
40’- Close! Thomas does incredibly well to deny Neto a tap-in at the far post.
40’+5- Chelsea are on top here, but they’re not really threatening anything. The stats will show Chelsea with a lot of shots, but other than the penalty save, it’s been a pretty quiet half for Hermansen.
46’- No change for either side. No shock.
51’- Close! A ball over the top finds Vardy on the right side of the area. He wants to take it on the half-volley but the bounce is wrong, so he has to shoot from a tighter angle. It’s on target but Sanchez parries over.
60’- GOAL! No one closes down Cucurella outside the box so he lines up a shot and rolls it into the far corner. Where was the defence? The world wonders.
Chelsea FC v Leicester City FC - Premier League If you’re wondering where the defenders were, you’re not alone.
Photo by Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
65’- Harry Winks is on for Soumare. I get it, but it’s like for like. Daka’s not working on the right.
73’- El Khannouss comes off and Facundo Buonanotte replaces him. Again, it’s like for like.
78’- The thing is, and the commentators have mentioned it, we’re awfully loose with the ball for a team that doesn't enjoy a great deal of possession.
80’- Penalty shout for the hosts as a shot comes off Coady’s bum and strikes his elbow. VAR confirms that it’s not a penalty. You’ve seen them given, but that would have been harsh.
83’- Two more changes for the Foxes as Ricardo Pereira, Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Stephy Mavididi come on for Justin, Daka and Kristiansen.
Chelsea v Leicester City - Premier League Not the best action shot, but I’ll take it. It’s so good to see him on the pitch.
Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images
85’- Riccy lines up a shot from distance. It’s right at Sanchez, but it’s a reminder of what he brings to the table.
90’- Six minutes of time to be added. We don’t really look like scoring. Or threatening.
93’- Sigh. Ricardo cuts it back for Buonanotte but it nutmegs the Brighton loanee.
90’+6’- That’s it.