Chelsea secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, with goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez propelling the Blues to third in the Premier League table.
PUNCH Online reports that the win, however, was nearly derailed by a bizarre intervention from Chelsea winger Noni Madueke, who inadvertently blocked a certain goal from teammate Cole Palmer.
Chelsea set the tempo early, and their relentless pressure paid off in the 15th minute. Leicester’s failure to clear their lines allowed Fernandez to pick out Jackson, who showed exquisite skill, flicking the ball past Foxes keeper Mads Hermansen with the outside of his boot.
Despite dominating possession and creating multiple chances, the Blues struggled to extend their lead. The most glaring miss came in the 54th minute when Palmer’s shot at an empty net was unintentionally deflected wide by Madueke, leaving fans and players alike in disbelief.
Fernandez redeemed the Blues’ frustrations in the 75th minute, capitalising on a parried effort from Jackson to head home the rebound and seemingly seal the game.
Leicester, however, refused to back down. Substitute Bobby De Cordova-Reid won a stoppage-time penalty after being tripped in the box, and Jordan Ayew converted with a nervy strike that narrowly beat Chelsea keeper Robert Sánchez.
The Foxes launched a late siege on the Chelsea goal, but the Blues held firm to secure all three points.
The victory takes Chelsea to 22 points, bolstering their top-four ambitions, while Leicester languish in 16th place with 10 points.
For Chelsea, it was a crucial win, but the near-misses and defensive lapses will give manager Mauricio Pochettino much to ponder ahead of their next fixture.
