Vardy was making his 250th Leicester appearance
Leicester stunned Chelsea at Stamford Bridge as Jamie Vardy's second-half strike saw Maurizio Sarri's side defeated at home for the first time this season.
Vardy finished first time in the box from James Maddison's pass in the 51st minute after the Foxes had withstood heavy pressure.
Chelsea were dominant before the break and struck the bar through Eden Hazard, the best of a host of chances that came following a Harry Maguire error.
But having gone behind it was Chelsea who became sloppy and Leicester only grew in strength.
Indeed, the Foxes might have doubled their lead but for Cesar Azpilicueta's sliding block to deny Vardy after Kepa Arrizabalaga had spilled a cross, before the keeper saved well from Marc Albrighton.
Chasing a goal of their own, Chelsea could not break down Leicester's resistance, despite creating two key late chances.
In the 89th minute, Antonio Rudiger nodded just wide from a corner, before Marcos Alonso struck the post with only the keeper to beat.
The Blues had not lost at home since 1 April, against Tottenham, and this defeat leaves them level on points with fifth-placed Arsenal, who beat Burnley 3-1 earlier on Saturday.
For Leicester, the win moves them up to ninth in the table and is their first victory from 11 matches in London.
Crisis? What crisis?
Reports before the game spoke not just of pressure on Leicester boss Claude Puel from the club's owners but of an apparent falling out with his players, too.
There was little sign of the team lacking any motivation or desire on the pitch on Saturday.
Resisting the intensity of Chelsea's attacking intent is by no means a small feat. Puel's men not only managed to achieve that, but also to build on it as they forced themselves slowly but surely into the game.
It was Vardy's goal, scored on his 250th appearance for the club, that sealed victory, but it was a win earned by the whole team through constant running, daring in defence, and precision when it counted.
With Manchester City up next on 26 December, it had been suggested that Leicester's following match at home to Cardiff on 29 December might even decide the future of their French manager.
Instead, this impressive victory, a first at Stamford Bridge since 2000, must surely now stand as evidence of Puel's worth.
Chelsea however, will now face questions of their own.
Bad misses, bad luck?
This was not a vintage Chelsea performance, not at all the kind of showing we have come to expect from them at home since Sarri's arrival in the summer.
Looking back on the match, the Italian will identify three big misses that cost his side.
There was Hazard, smashing against the bar in search of his 100th Chelsea goal, there was Rudiger's header wide under pressure at a corner, and finally Alonso's 91st-minute miss when clean through.
The Spaniard, played in behind the Leicester defence, side-footed his shot against the upright and out, having been given what seemed an age to pick his spot.
Perhaps these were moments of bad luck. Sarri is renowned as being a very superstitions man, but he will not have failed to observe the clear dip in intensity from his side after going behind which ultimately defined their afternoon.
They seemed shell-shocked after Vardy's predatory finish, and only managed to conjure something of their finer play in the final few dramatic minutes. It turned out to be too, little too late.
Hazard left the field with a wry smile having missed out on the chance of becoming just the 10th Chelsea player to reach that landmark total of a century of goals.
Had he done so today, the afternoon might have ended very differently for Puel, the man who gave him his senior debut 11 years ago for French club Lille.
More to follow.
-
Relive Chelsea v Leicester
Reaction to Saturday's Premier League games
-
Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text
Line-ups
Chelsea
1Arrizabalaga
28Azpilicueta
2Rüdiger
30David Luiz
3Alonso
7Kanté
5JorginhoSubstituted forFàbregasat 75'minutes
17KovacicSubstituted forLoftus-Cheekat 61'minutes
11Pedro
10E Hazard
22WillianSubstituted forGiroudat 61'minutes
4Fàbregas
8Barkley
12Loftus-Cheek
13Caballero
18Giroud
21Zappacosta
24Cahill
Leicester
1Schmeichel
14Ricardo Pereira
5Morgan
15Maguire
3Chilwell
38Choudhury
24MendyBooked at 81mins
25NdidiBooked at 31mins
11Albrighton
9VardySubstituted forIheanachoat 84'minutes
10MaddisonSubstituted forGrayat 82'minutes
6Evans
7Gray
8Iheanacho
12Ward
20Okazaki
21Iborra
28Fuchs
Referee:
Lee Probert
Attendance:
40,558
Match Stats
Home TeamChelseaAway TeamLeicester
Possession
Home72%
Away28%
Shots
Home17
Away8
Shots on Target
Home5
Away3
Corners
Home9
Away5
Fouls
Home10
Away9
Live Text
Posted at
Match ends, Chelsea 0, Leicester City 1.Full TimePosted at 90'+5'
Second Half ends, Chelsea 0, Leicester City 1.
Posted at 90'+1'
Marcos Alonso (Chelsea) hits the left post with a left footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by N'Golo Kanté.Posted at 90'
Offside, Leicester City. Demarai Gray tries a through ball, but Kelechi Iheanacho is caught offside.Posted at 89'
Attempt missed. Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea) header from very close range misses to the right. Assisted by Pedro with a cross following a corner.Posted at 89'
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Ricardo Pereira.Posted at 88'
Attempt missed. Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Hamza Choudhury.SubstitutionPosted at 84'
Substitution, Leicester City. Kelechi Iheanacho replaces Jamie Vardy.Posted at 83'
Hand ball by Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea).SubstitutionPosted at 82'
Substitution, Leicester City. Demarai Gray replaces James Maddison.Posted at 82'
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.Posted at 82'
Foul by Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City).Posted at 81'
Attempt saved. Marc Albrighton (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.BookingPosted at 81'
Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.Posted at 81'
Foul by Cesc Fàbregas (Chelsea).Posted at 81'
James Maddison (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.Posted at 78'
Foul by César Azpilicueta (Chelsea).Posted at 78'
Ben Chilwell (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.Posted at 75'
Attempt blocked. Eden Hazard (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.SubstitutionPosted at 75'
Substitution, Chelsea. Cesc Fàbregas replaces Jorginho.Posted at 74'
Foul by Olivier Giroud (Chelsea).Posted at 74'
Wes Morgan (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.Posted at 71'
Eden Hazard (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the right wing.Posted at 71'
Foul by Harry Maguire (Leicester City).Posted at 70'
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Wilfred Ndidi.Posted at 69'
Attempt blocked. Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by James Maddison.Posted at 68'
Foul by César Azpilicueta (Chelsea).Posted at 68'
James Maddison (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.Posted at 67'
Offside, Chelsea. Jorginho tries a through ball, but Olivier Giroud is caught offside.Posted at 66'
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Marcos Alonso.Posted at 66'
Attempt blocked. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.Posted at 62'
Foul by Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea).Posted at 62'
Ben Chilwell (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.SubstitutionPosted at 61'
Substitution, Chelsea. Olivier Giroud replaces Willian.SubstitutionPosted at 61'
Substitution, Chelsea. Ruben Loftus-Cheek replaces Mateo Kovacic.Posted at 60'
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Jamie Vardy.Posted at 59'
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Kasper Schmeichel.Posted at 59'
Attempt saved. Eden Hazard (Chelsea) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Mateo Kovacic.Posted at 57'
Jorginho (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the right wing.Posted at 57'
Foul by Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City).
Show more updates
goal
Source: bbc.com
Comments