Chelsea have won three games in a row in all competitions as they continue to ease the pressure facing manager Graham Potter. The Blues endured a dismal run of form in all competitions prior to the 1-0 win against Leeds last week, before following that up with a 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League - booking their place in the last eight with a 2-1 aggregate victory.
It was fairly even in the opening exchanges but Chelsea took the lead through an emphatic Ben Chilwell volley against his former team. The Blues left-back was booed with every touch, so he made sure the Foxes supporters knew all about his goal when celebrating.
Joao Felix had an effort ruled out for offside before the Atletico Madrid loanee lost the ball cheaply on the edge of his penalty box, allowing Patson Daka to capitalise and equalise. Kai Havertz scored his second goal in two games with a delicate chip on the stroke of half-time, before Mateo Kovacic sealed the three points with a clever volleyed finish in the second half.
READ MORE: Every word Graham Potter said on Leicester vs Chelsea, BBC, Joao Felix, Mykhaylo Mudryk
Potter has proved a lot of doubters wrong, with the performance level looking to have improved significantly. football.london takes a look at how the national media reacted to the result on Saturday afternoon against Leicester.
Chelsea made it three consecutive victories as they dismissed Leicester 3-1 in front of under-fire Gary Lineker at the King Power Stadium.
Ben Chilwell volleyed the Blues into the lead against his former club as his effort zipped past Foxes stopper Danny Ward after latching onto a cross at the far post. Patson Daka then equalised for the hosts with his own driven shot from the edge of the area.
The goal of the game arguably came from Kai Havertz' as he combined with Enzo Fernandez to devastating effect to chip home a glorious strike. Mateo Kovacic then sealed the three points ten minutes from time with a brilliant, acrobatic effort with Wout Faes receiving a late red card to make things even worse for the hosts.
Assuming Match of the Day is still running by the time their goal of the month competition for March is staged, Chelsea should have three contenders on the shortlist. Brilliant finishes from Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovacic enabled Graham Potter to celebrate a third win in what had been cast as potentially the manager’s final week at the club.
Gary Lineker could be forgiven for wanting to return to the warmth of the BBC studio if this is what watching Leicester live is like. A fifth successive defeat in all competitions means Brendan Rodgers picks up the baton as the Premier League manager most under pressure. Leicester are one point above the relegation places.
This was the first time Chelsea had scored three times in a game since October, and only the third time this season. Even if their improved performance was still far from dominant, two league victories and a safe passage into the quarter-finals of the Champions League presages well for Potter.
If Gary Lineker had been on the pitch instead of in the stands, his old team Leicester would surely have got something from this game. But as the exiled Match of the Day presenter looked on from the directors’ box, Daniel Amartey, Harry Souttar and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall wasted golden chances and Leicester slithered to a fourth successive defeat that leaves them in dire trouble and had some fans calling for manager Brendan Rodgers to be sacked.
The ground looked half-empty at full-time and those who stayed booed long and loud. Former Leicester man Ben Chilwell put the visitors ahead early on before Amartey’s amazing miss and though Patson Daka levelled, Chelsea were ahead again in first-half stoppage time through Kai Havertz.
And after Souttar and Dewsbury-Hall had somehow failed to score, Mateo Kovacic made the game safe for Chelsea. To put the seal on it for Leicester, Wout Faes was sent off for a second booking late on as they ended the day above the bottom three by a single point.
Chelsea boss Graham Potter must be relieved to see another manager under the microscope after leading his team to their third win a week. Until now, Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha has shown the same patience with Rodgers that Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has with Potter. His nerve will be tested again in the days ahead.
READ NEXT:
Every word Graham Potter said on Leicester, Chelsea future, James, Silva, Kante, Mount, Mudryk
Chelsea star has ‘private conversations’ with Graham Potter after Leeds and Dortmund snubs
Joao Felix drops major hint on Chelsea summer transfer decision amid £124m permanent deal
Graham Potter has rare Chelsea chance vs Leicester City but Denis Zakaria decision remains
Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from Stamford Bridge
