Chelsea took another step towards claiming a place in the Premier League top four after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Leicester City at Stamford Bridge earlier this afternoon.
Marc Cucurella’s strike on the hour mark secured all three points for Enzo Maresca’s side, making it back-to-back league wins, keeping two clean sheets in the process.
Cole Palmer could’ve found the net for the first time in nine matches but had his penalty saved by Mads Hermansen in the first half - ending his 100% record from 12 yards since his move in 2023.
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The victory moves the Blues ahead of Manchester City into fourth place, just two points off Nottingham Forest and three points clear of sixth-placed Brighton - with the top five likely to secure Champions League qualification at the end of the campaign.
However, despite the triumph, numerous first-team players failed to deliver in West London, potentially putting their starting roles at risk ahead of Thursday’s Conference League clash with Copenhagen.
Chelsea’s poor performers against Leicester City
As previously mentioned, attacker Palmer has endured a tricky run within the final third, with his lack of goal threat evident once again in the clash with the Foxes.
The 22-year-old was unable to register another shot on target after his penalty, missing another big chance in the process and highlighting his struggles which he’s recently faced in front of goal.
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Pedro Neto was once again utilised as the Blues’ most advanced player this afternoon, covering in the absence of striker Nicolas Jackson, who still remains sidelined due to injury.
The Portuguese international was only able to register one effort on goal, completing just 33% of the dribbles he attempted, and finding a teammate with just 17% of his crosses.
However, despite the showings from the aforementioned duo, one other starter failed to impress, with Maresca desperately needing to cash in on him at the next available opportunity.
The Chelsea player who dropped a 5/10 against Leicester
Over the last couple of weeks, Blues boss Maresca has presented opportunities to various players in the squad to stake their claim for a regular role under his guidance.
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Neto is just one example of a player who’s come into the side in recent weeks, producing inconsistent showings as seen today, but still offering glimpses of his quality.
However, the Italian has also handed starts to Christopher Nkunku, with the Frenchman looking to take advantage of Jackson’s setback and force himself into the side.
Today was another afternoon to forget for the £52m signing, once again looking toothless in the final third and a long way short of the player they paid big money for in 2023.
The 27-year-old featured for 89 minutes of the victory, registering 40 touches, but was largely ineffective and looking out of place off the left-hand side of the attack.
Nkunku's stats for Chelsea against Leicester
Statistics
Minutes played
Touches
Shots taken
Dribbles completed
Possession lost
Ground duels won
Aerial duels won
Chances created
Stats via SofaScore
Whilst he managed to get two of his efforts on target, he only managed to complete 50% of the dribbles he attempted, whilst losing possession six times - once every six times he touched the ball.
Nkunku also only won 38% of the ground duels he entered and was unable to create any opportunities for his teammates - leading to creator Alex Goldberg dubbing the attacker as “useless”.
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To top off his disappointing showings, the forward was handed a measly 5/10 match rating by The Standard journalist Malik Ouzia, with his inability to impress against a side in the relegation perhaps the final nail in his Blues career.
He’s constantly been unable to produce the goods, as seen by his run of just one league goal in 2025, with Maresca needing to take action and cut their losses on the former RB Leipzig man.
He was subject to interest back in the January transfer window, with the hierarchy hoping that numerous sides would want to reignite their previous interest to allow him to be sold in the summer.
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