Chelsea started with plenty of energy, impetus, and intention, flying into tackles, pressing well, and creating chances. But then, a most ill-advised tackle from Conor Gallagher saw him earn a second yellow in the span of just a handful of minutes, and Chelsea went down to 10 men before the half-hour mark.
Chelsea should’ve been up a couple by then, with Loftus-Cheek missing a point-blank chance and then VAR stepping in to rule Havertz offside by a hair (not a Cucurella hair), nullifying the penalty also won by Loftus-Cheek.
The sending off didn’t change the game drastically, but it made Chelsea less effective with the ball, far less effective on the press, and gave Leicester more opportunities to counter dangerously or build patiently. Chelsea still dominated possession, but there are no points awarded for possession.
A half-time tactical shift back to a 3-4-3 (well, 3-4-2) worked wonders, at least initially, with Raheem Sterling grabbing two goals in quick succession, and also hitting the woodwork in the process — the second time in the game for Chelsea after James had rattled the post late in the first half.
Chelsea’s comfortable lead lasted only 3 minutes however, with Harvey Barnes absolutely leathering the ball past Mendy from a decent angle.
It was all Leicester from then on, but Chelsea hung on for the win!
Carefree.
- Back-four from Chelsea for the first time this season, with Cucurella and James as full back, and Silva and Chalobah in the middle. Midfield three of Gallagher, RLC, and Jorginho behind the usual front three.
- 3-4-2 in the second half, with Azpi-Silva-Chalobah at the back. Pulisic & Kovačić for Sterling & Jorginho in like-for-like changes for the final 15.
- Next up: Southampton away on Tuesday
- KTBFFH
Read More: Chelsea 2-1 Leicester City, Premier League: Post-match reaction, ratings