After a long international break, club football returned in good fashion for all Chelsea fans. Their Blues went on to beat Brendan Rodgers’ struggling Leicester City 3-0 at the King Power Stadium. The west London side started on the front foot, attacking and pressing the Foxes’ defenders all throughout the first half. Chelsea was rewarded for its hard work in the 14′ as Antonio Rudiger headed in Ben Chilwell’s corner to take the lead. Just before the half-hour mark, the visitors extended their lead through N’Golo Kante, who shot just from outside the box, beating Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel on his near post.
In the second half, the Foxes started to get in the game more and played much better compared to the first half. Nevertheless, Leicester was still sloppy and wasteful with the ball. That wastefulness cost it as Chelsea put the game beyond their reach after substitutes Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech combined to make the scoreline 3-0. Just like the start, the Blues ended the game in dominating fashion and extended their lead on top of the Premier League table.
Here’s how each Chelsea player fared in a dominant win against Leicester City:
Edouard Mendy (Goalkeeper): 7.5/10
The Senegalese international once again had nothing to do in the first half as Leicester didn’t even have a shot on goal. But, when the Foxes improved improved in the second half, Edouard Mendy was called into action. Out of nowhere, Mendy had to make a few acrobatic saves from long-range efforts. Otherwise, the Blues’ No. 1 had a more quiet afternoon than he would have expected.
Trevoh Chalobah (Right centerback): 8/10
After being dropped for the match against Burnley just before the international break, Trevoh Chalobah was recalled into the side and fully justified his selection. Chalobah maintained the defensive line well and looked comfortable throughout the game. As the game went on, the English defender carried the ball forward more and created the chance for Ziyech to set up Chelsea’s third goal of the afternoon.
Thiago Silva (Centerback): 8/10
The Brazilian veteran kept Leicester’s talisman at bay throughout the game. Thiago Silva was the last man in Chelsea’s defense and played his part perfectly even after Rodgers made changes to his side in the second half by introducing Kelechi Iheanacho and James Maddison. Silva put in a very simple, yet dominant, performance that featured some exquisite passing.
Antonio Rudiger (Left centerback): 9/10
The German international was all over the pitch on Saturday, attacking and defending in both halves. He keeps reminding Chelsea that it will miss one helluva player next season if he decides to depart. Rudiger scored the first goal with a fine header from Chilwell’s corner to put the visitors ahead. He didn’t have much defending to do but when he did, he did it well.