Chelsea’s dismal defending punished in defeat at Leicester
Chelsea’s poor defending was emphatically punished as they slumped to another defeat.
First-half goals from Wilfred Ndidi and James Maddison won the points for Leicester – and took them to the top of the Premier League.
Chelsea are eighth and have now lost five of their past eight league matches.
Ndidi scored after just six minutes after the Blues had switched off at a short-corner routine.
Marc Albrighton pulled the ball back from the right and Ndidi’s spinning – possibly mis-hit – left-footed shot went in off the post.
Maddison fired a long-range effort against the bar before profiting from more poor Chelsea defending to double the Foxes’ lead four minutes before.
Albrighton clipped the ball in from the right and Maddison finished coolly after drifting between Chelsea’s static defenders.
The second goal came shortly after the visitors were initially awarded a penalty only to then be given a free-kick after VAR showed that Jonny Evans had tripped Christian Pulisic just outside rather than inside the area.
Chelsea: Mendy, James, Rudiger, Silva, Chilwell, Kovacic, Hudson-Odoi (Havertz 68), Mount, Havertz (Ziyech 68), Pulisic, Abraham.
Subs not used: Arrizabalaga, Christensen, Jorginho, Zouma, Gilmour, Azpilicueta, Emerson.
