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EPL: Chelsea Edge Past Leicester to Move into Top Four

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Chelsea secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Leicester City, with Marc Cucurella's second-half strike proving the difference, as the Blues moved back into the top four.



Chelsea secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Leicester City at Stamford Bridge, overcoming a resilient Foxes side to move into the top four of the Premier League.


Chelsea's positive start was spearheaded by Cole Palmer, who was instrumental from the outset. Palmer had an early penalty appeal waved away, before unleashing two shots on goal. The Blues were finding success down the right flank, with Enzo Fernández's cross causing concern for Leicester. Moments later, Chelsea was awarded a penalty after Victor Kristiansen clumsily tripped Jadon Sancho, prompting celebrations from the home fans.


However, Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen employed delaying tactics to disrupt Cole Palmer's rhythm, and his strategy paid off. Hermansen became the first goalkeeper to deny Palmer from the spot, ending the Premier League's longest-ever 100% conversion rate from penalties, which had stood at 12 successful strikes.


Under Enzo Maresca's guidance, Chelsea continued to dominate possession, a hallmark of their play. However, a peculiar sequence of events nearly gifted Leicester an unexpected lead. Robert Sánchez's decision to dive towards a James Justin cross caused chaos, resulting in Tosin Adarabioyo heading the ball onto his own crossbar. This proved to be a rare attacking foray for Leicester in the first half, with the teams entering halftime level after Christopher Nkunku's off-target strike.


The second half began with renewed energy, as Jamie Vardy tested Sánchez from a tight angle. Following a deflected effort from Pedro Neto that served as a warning shot, Marc Cucurella broke the deadlock with a low drive from just outside the box. The onus was now on Ruud van Nistelrooy's Leicester side to respond, but Chelsea appeared more likely to score the game's second goal as the clock ticked towards full time.


Despite late pressure from Leicester, they were unable to capitalize, and Chelsea's single goal proved sufficient for a 1-0 victory. This win propelled Chelsea back into the top four, two points clear of fifth-placed Manchester City, while strengthening their impressive home record in the league (W8, D4, L2). Conversely, Leicester remains entrenched in a relegation battle, six points from safety, having suffered a fifth consecutive Premier League defeat without scoring.





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