Premier League
LeicesterLeicester City0ChelseaChelsea3

Leicester City 0-3 Chelsea: Rudiger, Kante & Pulisic on target for dominant Premier League leaders

By Michael BeardmoreBBC Sport
Antonio Rudiger has scored five Premier League goals since the start of the 2019-20 season - and four have come against Leicester.
Antonio Rudiger has scored five Premier League goals since the start of 2019-20 - four have come against Leicester

Premier League leaders Chelsea ruthlessly tightened their grip on top spot by punishing the failings of lacklustre Leicester at King Power Stadium.

Antonio Rudiger continued his habit of scoring against the Foxes with a glancing, looping header from a corner whipped in by ex-Leicester wing-back Ben Chilwell.

Another former Foxes favourite, midfielder N'Golo Kante, doubled the lead by firing home from the edge of the box after being allowed to roam 30 yards virtually unchallenged.

Chelsea could have been out of sight by half-time, Chilwell grazing the bar when he should have scored from an early one-on-one with Kasper Schmeichel, who later denied Kante with his legs.

Leicester offered more as an attacking force after the break as Edouard Mendy made a fabulous save to tip away a fierce long-range shot from Daniel Amartey and Jamie Vardy headed over from close range.

But Chelsea, who stretched their lead at the top to six points before Saturday's later kick-offs, could have had more as Schmeichel saved smartly from Chilwell and Callum Hudson-Odoi curled inches over.

The Blues had also three goals ruled out for offside, the assistant's flag foiling Hudson-Odoi, Reece James and substitute Christian Pulisic, who slotted home Chelsea's third from Hakim Ziyech's cross.

Leaders on a real Power trip

Leicester City 0-3 Chelsea: Tuchel 'very happy' with 'strong' performance

The Blues' last trip to King Power Stadium inadvertently led to the beginning of the Thomas Tuchel era, a limp 2-0 defeat in January proving to be predecessor Frank Lampard's final game, and this display was further evidence, if needed, of how much they have progressed since.

It was Chelsea's fourth win in five Premier League away games, and they are yet to concede from open play - the only points they have dropped coming in a 1-1 draw at Liverpool when the Blues played the entire second half a man light.

Just as impressive as their dazzling defensive record - just four goals conceded in 12 games - has been their ability to conjure goals despite injuries to Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner and Pulisic.

Christian Pulisic scores for Chelsea against Leicester.
Christian Pulisic scored his second Premier League goal of the season in just his third game of an injury-hit campaign

No team in the top flight has had more players find the net than Chelsea - 15 - and the fact Rudiger and Kante, hardly prolific scorers, both registered their second goals of the campaign was further proof Tuchel's side, who barely missed a step on their return from the international break, carry a threat from all over the pitch.

Foxes' failings laid bare by Blues

Leicester City 0-3 Chelsea: Foxes lacked 'belief' against outstanding opponents - Rodgers

It was another chastening afternoon for Leicester, who have become regular contenders for the Champions League places in recent seasons, but look as far away from that top four as at any point of Brendan Rodgers' reign.

Since the start of last season, no side has conceded more goals from corners than the Foxes with Rudiger's early effort taking that tally to 15.

However, they were torn apart just as often from open play, as evidenced by defence-splitting through balls from Jorginho that led to big chances for Chilwell and Kante, while the room the latter was allowed to run into for his goal verged on embarrassing.

They were just as poor defensively after the interval, as only some wasteful finishing, a couple of Schmeichel saves and some marginal, albeit correct, offside calls kept the margin of defeat respectable.

Player of the match

KantéN'Golo Kanté

with an average of 8.51

Leicester City

  1. Squad number1Player nameSchmeichel
    Average rating

    4.76

  2. Squad number18Player nameAmartey
    Average rating

    4.53

  3. Squad number10Player nameMaddison
    Average rating

    4.40

  4. Squad number9Player nameVardy
    Average rating

    4.23

  5. Squad number6Player nameEvans
    Average rating

    4.20

  6. Squad number14Player nameIheanacho
    Average rating

    4.14

  7. Squad number25Player nameNdidi
    Average rating

    4.13

  8. Squad number4Player nameSöyüncü
    Average rating

    4.01

  9. Squad number37Player nameLookman
    Average rating

    4.01

  10. Squad number11Player nameAlbrighton
    Average rating

    3.98

  11. Squad number27Player nameCastagne
    Average rating

    3.85

  12. Squad number22Player nameDewsbury-Hall
    Average rating

    3.73

  13. Squad number42Player nameSoumaré
    Average rating

    3.72

  14. Squad number7Player nameBarnes
    Average rating

    3.72

Chelsea

  1. Squad number7Player nameKanté
    Average rating

    8.51

  2. Squad number29Player nameHavertz
    Average rating

    8.49

  3. Squad number24Player nameJames
    Average rating

    8.36

  4. Squad number2Player nameRüdiger
    Average rating

    8.34

  5. Squad number6Player nameThiago Silva
    Average rating

    8.33

  6. Squad number10Player namePulisic
    Average rating

    8.18

  7. Squad number16Player nameMendy
    Average rating

    8.13

  8. Squad number21Player nameChilwell
    Average rating

    8.09

  9. Squad number20Player nameHudson-Odoi
    Average rating

    7.85

  10. Squad number22Player nameZiyech
    Average rating

    7.83

  11. Squad number14Player nameChalobah
    Average rating

    7.80

  12. Squad number5Player nameJorginho
    Average rating

    7.61

  13. Squad number12Player nameLoftus-Cheek
    Average rating

    7.35

  14. Squad number19Player nameMount
    Average rating

    6.33

Line-ups

Leicester

Formation 3-4-3

  • 1SchmeichelBooked at 45mins
  • 18AmarteyBooked at 39mins
  • 6EvansBooked at 45mins
  • 4Söyüncü
  • 11Albrighton
  • 42SoumaréSubstituted forDewsbury-Hallat 75'minutes
  • 25Ndidi
  • 27Castagne
  • 37LookmanSubstituted forIheanachoat 45'minutes
  • 9Vardy
  • 7BarnesSubstituted forMaddisonat 45'minutes

Substitutes

  • 5Bertrand
  • 10Maddison
  • 12Ward
  • 14Iheanacho
  • 17Pérez
  • 20Choudhury
  • 22Dewsbury-Hall
  • 23Vestergaard
  • 29Daka

Chelsea

Formation 3-4-2-1

  • 16MendyBooked at 65mins
  • 14Chalobah
  • 6Thiago Silva
  • 2Rüdiger
  • 24James
  • 7Kanté
  • 5JorginhoSubstituted forLoftus-Cheekat 77'minutes
  • 21Chilwell
  • 19MountSubstituted forZiyechat 62'minutes
  • 20Hudson-Odoi
  • 29HavertzSubstituted forPulisicat 62'minutes

Substitutes

  • 1Arrizabalaga
  • 3Alonso
  • 4Christensen
  • 10Pulisic
  • 11Werner
  • 12Loftus-Cheek
  • 18Barkley
  • 22Ziyech
  • 28Azpilicueta
Referee:
Paul Tierney
Attendance:
32,192

Match Stats

Home TeamLeicesterAway TeamChelsea
Possession
Home38%
Away62%
Shots
Home4
Away16
Shots on Target
Home3
Away7
Corners
Home3
Away5
Fouls
Home15
Away8

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Leicester City 0, Chelsea 3.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Leicester City 0, Chelsea 3.

  3. Post update

    Offside, Leicester City. Daniel Amartey tries a through ball, but Kelechi Iheanacho is caught offside.

  4. Post update

    Attempt missed. Ben Chilwell (Chelsea) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Christian Pulisic.

  5. Post update

    Offside, Chelsea. Hakim Ziyech tries a through ball, but Callum Hudson-Odoi is caught offside.

  6. Post update

    Offside, Chelsea. Antonio Rüdiger tries a through ball, but Ben Chilwell is caught offside.

  7. Post update

    Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  8. Post update

    Foul by Çaglar Söyüncü (Leicester City).

  9. Post update

    Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Thiago Silva.

  10. Post update

    Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Édouard Mendy.

  11. Post update

    Attempt saved. James Maddison (Leicester City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

  12. Post update

    Offside, Chelsea. Antonio Rüdiger tries a through ball, but Ben Chilwell is caught offside.

  13. Substitution

    Substitution, Chelsea. Ruben Loftus-Cheek replaces Jorginho because of an injury.

  14. Substitution

    Substitution, Leicester City. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall replaces Boubakary Soumaré.

  15. Post update

    Offside, Chelsea. Hakim Ziyech tries a through ball, but Christian Pulisic is caught offside.

  16. Post update

    Attempt missed. Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Reece James.

  17. Goal!

    Goal! Leicester City 0, Chelsea 3. Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Hakim Ziyech.

  18. Post update

    Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  19. Post update

    Foul by Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City).

  20. Post update

    Foul by Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea).

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