The international break is finally over and fans can once again enjoy all the entertainment and drama that the English Premier League has to offer. Chelsea and Leicester City restarted the season again at the King Power Stadium. The match was supposed to be tightly contested with both the teams looking for high-placed finishes in the league. The Blues are trying to win their first domestic title in half a decade and the Foxes are looking to finish in a UEFA Champions League qualifying spot after coming up just short the last two seasons.
Chelsea was sitting on the top of the table upon entry into Leicester while Brendan Rodgers’ men were struggling. However, the international break can hurt the momentum of teams at the top and the underdogs have a big chance to emerge as victors. Nevertheless, to the delight of Blues fans and the dismay of the Leicester faithful, this was one of the most one-sided affairs of the season amongst top sides. The London side—donning its yellow away threads for the first time this season—was dominant throughout the game.
The reigning UCL winners ended up winning the game 3-0, but Thomas Tuchel was understandably frustrated at the number of chances the Blues missed yet again. They could have easily scored five or six goals had it not been for some sloppy finishing and some excellent saves from Kasper Schmeichel. This result keeps Chelsea at the top of the table though and it has extended its lead to six points for the time being.
Here are three lessons we learnt in the Blues’ big victory at Leicester:
1. Chelsea is mastering the free-flowing football style
This was arguably one of the best games from Chelsea visually this season. The players were all synced together perfectly and there was a proper, free-flowing style that took the opposition by surprise. The Blues were so comfortable on the ball, they mostly built up through one-touch passes and their positions were interchanged seamlessly. Antonio Rudiger was playing very high up on the pitch several times, but Jorginho’s position allowed him to do so. The Italian maestro was always there to make sure that a quick counter-attack would not develop. Callum Hudson-Odoi, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz all played in a relatively free role and they created space for others so that they could have a more clear view of goal.
Chelsea was playing as a complete team on Saturday. The Blues kept over 60 percent of possession, played 200+ more passes than the Foxes and had a passing accuracy of 85 percent compared to Leicester’s 72 percent. These figures show that they were not only more lethal in front of the goal, but they also won the game in the midfield. Chelsea simply outplayed its opponents in every facet of the game. Rodgers’ players looked slow, sloppy and only managed to take four shots throughout the game, compared to the Blues’ 16.
The home side was not able to match the quick tempo shown by Tuchel’s men and thus, Leicester gave away a lot of fouls, as well. The Foxes tried to be aggressive and show a physical side to start the second half, but the Blues quickly pick up on this and switched accordingly. They managed to draw 15 fouls throughout the game too, which saw Leicester become hesitant to be as physical down the stretch. Overall, Chelsea was much more articulate on the day and it maneuvered around Leicester with relative ease.