You have to admire Enzo Maresca’s sense of timing.
His first job as a manager in English football was to win promotion with one of the best squads in the history of the Championship. Once he had completed that task with Leicester, Maresca was able to get out before the going got tough and take charge of Chelsea, whose group of players is envied worldwide.
Nobody knows how Maresca would have gone about trying to steer a flawed Leicester squad to survival. The chances are he would not have had many days as comfortable as this one – the final seconds of stoppage time aside.
Goals in either half from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez left Chelsea third in the table, six points adrift of leaders Liverpool ahead of the rest of the weekend fixtures. Apart from a brief flurry before half-time, Leicester offered nothing in attack and could have received at least one red card. Although they did get on the scoresheet through Jordan Ayew’s stoppage-time penalty, it looks like a long, hard winter for boss Steve Cooper, who is still searching for the way to bring the best from these players.
Maresca was spared the boos that greeted Wesley Fofana, who has still not been forgiven by the Leicester fans for forcing a move to Chelsea in summer 2022. With Malo Gusto absent ill, Fofana slotted in at right-back and both he and the visitors settled well.
Though Chelsea did not test Mads Hermansen in the opening 10 minutes, they were in complete control. On his first start of the campaign, Joao Felix thrashed wide from a good position after Leicester failed to clear a corner, and moments later put a thumping volley from the edge of the box just over.
Nicolas Jackson was once again in the goals as he opening the scoring against Leicester
Jackson continued his impressive start to the season with the away goal in the 15th minute
Enzo Fernandez doubled Chelsea’s lead against Leicester when he scored in the 75th minute
Maresca’s men were now tapping ever more loudly on the door and in the 15th minute, it flew open. Jackson outmuscled the hapless Wout Faes who, in attempting to rescue the situation, sliced to Enzo Fernandez. Quick as a flash, the Argentine released Jackson and the Senegal forward did the rest with the outside of his right boot. Maresca roared in celebration and gave it the full fist pump.
At this stage, Leicester looked unmoored. Having lost Harry Winks to injury early on, Steve Cooper’s men lacked the one player capable of controlling the tempo. There were wild tackles from Wilfred Ndidi on Cole Palmer, and Boubakary Soumare on Felix. Both midfielders were lucky only to be shown yellow cards, and Winks’ replacement Oliver Skipp soon joined them in the book for a mistimed lunge at Fernandez.
Moments later, Noni Madueke thought he had doubled Chelsea’s lead when he swept in Marc Cucurella’s cross, but the Spanish full-back was a fraction offside.
That reprieve gave Leicester the jolt they needed. Bilal El Khannouss was growing into the game impressively and he was at the heart of two moves that could have brought goals.
First the Moroccan combined well with Soumare and Skipp, leading to an angled drive from Kasey McAteer that flew just wide.
Then Jamie Vardy collected another clever pass from El Khannouss before slipping in Victor Kristiansen, whose deflected cross reached Ndidi. Not known for his technical precision, Ndidi shanked wide with his shin.
Yet here was the conundrum for Leicester. The further they crept from their bunker, the more space there was for Chelsea. After a rapid break, Jackson’s cross left Hermansen stranded but luckily for the home side, Madueke’s feet ended in a tangle and his volley drifted wide.
Fernandez, who had provided the assist for Jackson’s goal, increased Chelsea’s advantage
Jordan Ayew got a goal back for Leicester with a penalty in the closing stages of the game
Enzo Maresca managed to guide Chelsea to victory against his former club Leicester
Leicester midfielder Wilfred Ndidi only received a yellow card for his challenge on Cole Palmer
Former Leicester defender Wesley Fofana was booed by the Foxes supporters
Chelsea somehow failed to make it 2-0 early in the second half. Hermansen saved superbly from Jackson and when the loose ball fell to Palmer, Madueke found himself in the way of his team-mate’s goalbound effort and Leicester had a goal-kick. Madueke could do nothing but smile in disbelief.
The Leicester revival simply never developed after the break. Chelsea stayed in control and it was no surprise when they scored the clincher. Hermansen kept out Jackson’s point-blank header from Cucurella’s cross and the ball looped perfectly for Fernandez to head it in, as Leicester appealed in vain that Caleb Okoli had been fouled by Jackson.
Cooper had already been booked and was even angrier when Fofana was not penalised when he tangled with substitute Stephy Mavididi inside the box. VAR backed referee Andrew Madley, much to the fury of the home side when the replay was shown on the giant screen.
Leicester had better luck from VAR when Madley was told to give a spot-kick for Romeo Lavia’s foul on fellow sub Bobby Decordova-Reid. Ayew beat Robert Sanchez’s dive but it proved too little, too late.
