Chelsea puts three past 10-man Leicester
Chelsea capped an excellent week in style with an entertaining 3-1 Premier League win at Leicester City, which ended the game with 10 men.
The Blues' midweek win over Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League served to ease the pressure on greatly Graham Potter, and he was given more reason to cheer at King Power Stadium.
Former Leicester full-back Ben Chilwell gave Chelsea the lead in the 11th minute, and although Patson Daka levelled for the hosts, Kai Havertz's superb sixth league goal of the season restored the advantage.
Mateo Kovacic made sure of the points with a stunning third, providing further evidence a Chelsea team who added several players in January may finally be starting to click.
Chilwell broke the deadlock with his second league goal of the season, beating Danny Ward at his near post with a well-struck half-volley.
Leicester almost responded instantly, Daniel Amartey somehow diverting James Maddison's cross wide from point-blank range with the goal at his mercy.
Joao Felix would have put Chelsea in command had his effort not bounced off the right-hand post, but the visitors were then grateful for the woodwork as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's deflected long-range effort cannoned off the crossbar.
There was further frustration for Joao Felix when he saw a goal disallowed for offside, and he was then guilty of losing possession just outside his own area as Daka levelled in style, bending a vicious effort just inside the right-hand post.
Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had no answer to that strike but was crucially equal to shots from James Maddison and Kelechi Iheanacho to prevent Leicester completing the turnaround.
There was another twist in added time of an engrossing first half when Chelsea retook the lead, Havertz deftly flicking beyond Ward from Enzo Fernandez’s exquisite ball over the Leicester defence.
Joao Felix was withdrawn by Graham Potter for the second half, but Chelsea continued to create chances, Wesley Fofana seeing a header kept out by Ward, who produced heroics to prevent Havertz doubling his tally shortly after Mykhailo Mudryk had blocked a goal-bound Harry Souttar effort.
After Mudryk saw a goal disallowed, Kovacic had the final say to put the game to bed 12 minutes from time, beating Ward with an acrobatic volley. Wout Faes was then shown a second yellow card for a bad tackle on Carney Chukwuemeka.
