Enzo Maresca left with lingering Chelsea question despite Leicester win - 5 talking points

LEICESTER CITY 1-2 CHELSEA: Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez secured 3 points for Enzo Maresca's broadside against the Foxes arsenic the Blues saw retired a constrictive triumph astatine the King Power Stadium

Enzo Maresca coached his Chelsea broadside to a comfy triumph implicit Leicester City connected his instrumentality to the King Power Stadium.

The Foxes acceptable their stall heavy into their ain fractional and proved incapable to make thing for overmuch of the 90 minutes. When Blues defender Benoit Badiashile headed backmost a hopeful agelong ball, Chelsea were rapidly questioning the information of the Foxes' backline however.

Nicolas Jackson hassled and harried Wout Faes earlier claiming the shot to supply a chill decorativeness that handed Maresca's broadside the pb aft 15 minutes. Chelsea spent the adjacent 30 minutes camped successful Leicester's fractional but could not find their mode to extending their lead.

Maresca's men enjoyed the lion's stock of possession but required an hr to find much success. Jackson saw a header well-saved but Enzo Fernandez was connected manus to treble Chelsea's vantage and seal 3 points

Leicester earned a stoppage clip punishment which Jordan Ayew dispatched with nary occupation but determination was nary clip for his broadside to find an equaliser. Mirror Football instrumentality a look astatine the talking points to look from the match.

Nicolas Jackson continues to beryllium himself

The Senegal planetary scored his seventh extremity of the play for Chelsea and his 4th successful arsenic galore games distant from home. Jackson produced a cool, composed decorativeness that makes immoderate of the wayward shooting of 2023/24 scarcely imaginable to comprehend.

The young guardant has started this word successful awesome signifier and quietened the criticism, that was often unwarranted, from 12 months ago. The erstwhile Villarreal ace showed a sharpshooting inclination combined with the work-rate often associated with the experienced fig connected the other side, Jamie Vardy.

Jackson showed plentifulness of different talents excessively and was unfortunate to spot an awesome tally and transverse with his weaker ft not converted by Noni Madueke.

Lucky Ndidi

Leicester's Wilfred Ndidi started a acquainted signifier of Foxes stars picking up cautions for mediocre tackles. The Nigerian midfielder received a yellowish paper erstwhile attempting to assertion the shot from Cole Palmer from behind.

The video adjunct referee took a 2nd look and it showed Ndidi coming obscurity adjacent to the shot and raking his studs down the backmost of Palmer's leg. A foul worthy of a reddish successful astir eyes.

No determination was taken to upgrade the paper nevertheless arsenic VAR stuck with the onfield conclusion. The crippled was not re-officiated connected this juncture but aft taking the clip to reappraisal the infinitesimal regardless, possibly a puzzling 1 to not spot overturned.

Boubakary Soumaré and Oliver Skipp soon joined Ndidi successful the publication for precocious challenges of their ain but not of the aforesaid severity.

Chelsea's extent showing through?

Enzo Maresca was incapable to prime either Pedro Neto oregon Malo Gusto connected Saturday afternoon. The erstwhile picked up a sound connected planetary work which allowed his countryman Joao Felix to commencement astatine the King Power Stadium, portion Gusto missed retired done illness.

That saw the Blues Italian manager forced to swap from his archetypal prime antiaircraft concern arsenic Wesley Fofana moved to close back, with nine skipper Reece James retired with a hamstring injury. Not an perfect determination but the Frenchman was capable to deputise, portion the incoming Benoit Badiashile was ascendant successful the air.

It did let Maresca to amusement his ain depth, with Marc Cucurella employed arsenic a winger successful attacking play alternatively than into a midfield role. The Spaniard became portion of the westbound London side's attacking offering with Fofana becoming portion of a antiaircraft trio.

Rome Lavia was besides constricted to starting the crippled from the seat aft dealing with an wounded during the planetary break. That saw Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo commencement the crippled contempt a speedy turnaround from their trips to South America.

Lavia had appeared to marque himself indisposable alongside Caicedo but determination was small contented connected Saturday. More than £200million worthy of endowment should beryllium capable to comfortably woody with a squad battling for Premier League survival, but that their opposition's midfield 3 each picked up a yellowish paper showed who was winning the conflict successful the centre of the pitch

Things are looking tough for Leicester

The Foxes whitethorn beryllium 15th successful the Premier League but the signs are wide that the side's dreams tin scope nary further than survival. Their lone wins this word person travel against Ipswich and Southampton, and portion they are the teams Cooper's broadside indispensable decision to clasp their top-flight status, the unit to assertion 3 points connected those occasions continues to grow.

Defensive performances volition beryllium important to ensuring a bully extremity quality and earning a constituent present and there, but specified was Leicester's deficiency of ambition and occasional uncertainty, they volition request to connection more. It took 40 minutes for Leicester to find a changeable connected extremity and portion it offered a glimmer of hope, it possibly showed much that they should person attempted to situation a Chelsea defence that has suffered from mistakes this term.

Only successful 2001 had Leicester recorded less wins aft 11 games and they volition request to airs Brentford and West Ham much predominant problems to halt that grounds from getting worse.

Chelsea's lingering question

Even with fewer opportunities to amusement his shotstopping abilities and lone being denied a cleanable expanse via a penalty, questions volition linger implicit Robert Sanchez arsenic Chelsea's archetypal prime successful goal. The Spaniard's organisation was erstwhile again uncertain arsenic helium near Caicedo successful occupation successful his ain country and showed immoderate wayward passing.

It is not of course, each of his ain doing. Even successful hard upwind conditions Sanchez volition person been encouraged to play retired ambitiously.

While uncertainty prevails however, the Blues volition beryllium location to a tense feeling.

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