Chelsea 2-1 Leicester: Blues in the driving seat for Champions League football

The teams were the same, even the colours, but nothing else remained of FA Cup final day, once Chelsea were finally done with Leicester here.

As disappointing as Thomas Tuchel’s side were at Wembley, so they were superior in this second leg. A different competition, and a very different occasion at Stamford Bridge in front of home fans only, but this was Chelsea at their most dangerous – or it would have been had their taken all their chances. Leicester were disappointing and surprisingly tame for much of the match, but Chelsea’s profligacy meant a Kelechi Iheanacho goal after 76 minutes made for a very nervy finish. It shouldn’t have been that way. Chelsea were much the better team and should have been ahead by some distance before Leicester’s revival. Instead it needed two goals with an element of fortune to deliver what they deserved.

The first came in the 47th minute through another outstanding corner from Ben Chilwell. It was whipped in, onto the head of Cesar Azpilicueta, as often happens, and then over the line via the thigh of Antonio Rudiger, a yard or so from goal. He was in the right position, but didn’t seem to know a great deal about it. He celebrated, however, as if he had struck a 30 yard winner at Wembley, like Youri Tielemans.

The Italian midfielder put the Blues ahead in the 66th minute in what was a dominant night for Thomas Tuchel’s men

Jorginho, after his trademark skip, slots home into the bottom right corner after Timo Werner was tripped up in the area

As for the second, the eventual winner, it came from a moment of rashness by Wesley Fofana. He has been brilliant this season but shepherding Timo Werner away from danger – he was on the left edge of the penalty area, back to goal, facing the East Stand – he decided to have a crack and nicking the ball. He clipped Werner instead, who fell as if his legs had been taken by a passing lumberjack. Mike Dean was unimpressed by Andre Marriner in the VAR booth saw contact just inside the area and advised a penalty award. Jorginho’s take was coolness personified, a pass into the net. Everything Sergio Aguero was aiming for against Chelsea two weeks back, and failed to achieve.

That should have been it, had Chelsea not got into a mess playing out the back. Mateo Kovacic – on for the injured N’Golo Kante, a worry with two huge matches looming – was caught in possession by Wilfried Ndidi, feeding substitute Iheanacho whose shot defeated Edouard Mendy. It wasn’t enough and Leicester are now vulnerable to Liverpool’s advances. The brawl, such as it was, that further extended injury time, involving players, substitutes and staff, shows the tension at the top. 

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