Chelsea picked up a huge three points away to Leicester City in the first game since the November international break with a 2-1 victory in the East Midlands. Enzo Maresca had a positive return to a ground where he had so much success last season, following his promotion with the Foxes from the Championship.
It was a dominant performance from the Blues, who never really gave the home side a chance. Goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez earned all three points for Maresca’s side, with the Senegalese striker’s goal a particularly good strike. A late penalty from Jordan Ayew was too little too late for Steve Cooper’s men.
The statistics, courtesy of Sofascore, show just how dominant the West Londoners were at the King Power Stadium. They had 64% possession, and had far more shots than the Foxes, with 16 to the home side’s four. Chelsea also created more expected goals, with 2.64xG compared to 1.11xG for Leicester.
It was a strong performance from the Blues, who had some standout players on Saturday lunchtime.
Chelsea’s best players vs. Leicester
Two of the standout players for Maresca’s side were the goalscorers, Jackson and Fernandez. The Chelsea number 15, who took his goal well, has been on fire this season, and now has seven goals and three assists in the top flight this term, in just 12 games.
After spending several weeks as a substitute, Fernandez must surely be relieved to be back in the starting XI in the Premier League, and it was a real statement performance. The midfielder created three chances and won seven from nine ground duels, in a fantastic performance against the Foxes.
Fullback Marc Cucurella also performed well, winning three from four tackles and five duels, putting in a fantastic shift defensively. The Spaniard also worked hard in the final third, creating one chance for his teammates.
Key Stats – Leicester vs. Chelsea | |
|---|---|
Stat | Leader |
Passes | Badiashile (90/101) |
Chances created | Fernandez, Palmer (3) |
Final third passes | Palmer (21/26) |
Take-ons completed | Joao Felix (4/8) |
Ball recoveries | Badiashile, Soumare (7) |
Tackles | Fernandez, Kristiansen (5/6) |
Interceptions | Badiashile (4) |
Stats from Stats Zone | |
His fellow defenders Levi Colwill and Benoit Badiashile had a good day at the office at the King Power, too. It was a particularly impressive game from England international Colwill, playing at right-centre back despite the fact he is a left-footer. It can be awkward at times, but the Blues number six handled it well.
However, one man who struggled in the victory in the East Midlands was goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Sanchez’s stats vs. Leicester
The pressure is certainly mounting on the Blues goalkeeper, who continues to struggle in the Chelsea goal. He has not been at his best this season and young goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen is knocking on the door for a starting spot.
Against the Foxes, Sanchez left a lot to be desired with the ball at his feet. Kicking is a key component of any goalkeeper under Maresca, who likes his side to play out from the back, but the Spaniard looked uncomfortable at times. In the first half, he played Moises Caicedo into trouble in the Blues box, but the home side failed to capitalise on a mistake from the Chelsea goalkeeper.
Indeed, his disappointing work is reflected in his post-match stats. Sanchez, who had 34 touches, completed just 63% of his passes, 19 out of 30 to be specific, and completed just two from 13 long balls. He prevented -0.2 goals and could have done better from Ayew’s penalty; the Spaniard failed to keep it out despite getting a firm hand to it.
Sanchez’s performance got him a 5/10 rating at full-time from GOAL journalist Gill Clark. The football writer was critical of the Chelsea goalkeeper’s ability in possession, explaining he ‘really doesn’t look confident’ with the ball at his feet.
The Blues number one is certainly in frustrating form, and it is certainly a worry for Maresca. With plenty of games coming up ahead of a busy Christmas period, he has a big decision to make and could well decide to drop the Spaniard and give Jorgensen a chance in the side.
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