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Chelsea 0 Leicester City 0: Stalemate at Stamford Bridge as Blues fail to overcome 10-man Leicester
There was a time when every decision Antonio Conte made seemed destined to yield results, from his radical new formations to his substitutions, which is why when he replaced Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas before the hour without even a sympathetic glance, one assumed that a goal was coming.
Conte is not a man who is prepared to die wondering what might have been and yet as his Chelsea side failed to overcome a Leicester City team down a man for the last 22 minutes plus stoppage time after Ben Chilwell’s red card, their manager was out of options. This was the club’s third consecutive goalless draw, after those in the FA Cup and EFL Cup, and while their defence of the Premier League title has long since turned to dust, this one felt the most damaging of all.
Much of the blame will rest on Alvaro Morata, now five goals without a game, and given his fragile confidence this was the wrong time to run into the outstanding Harry Maguire, winning challenges and carrying the ball clear like a farmer delighting in his new 4x4. Even when Chilwell was sent off for two yellow cards within the space of six minutes, the second of which was for a reckless challenge on Victor Moses, there was no breaking Leicester.
The most damning verdict was Conte’s response to Hazard and Fabregas, the creative soul of his team, early in the second half when the Italian did not even bother to wait for an hour before he hauled both of them off. Hazard did his best to suppress his displeasure at the indignity of it but Conte had clearly seen enough for him to feel that Pedro was a better option than one of the Premier League’s finest players.
Hazard was overshadowed by Riyad Mahrez, especially in the first half, when his flickering feet and bursts of acceleration was a constant source of concern for Chelsea’s left-sided defender Antonio Rudiger, who nevertheless stuck grimly to his task. There was frustration at Conte’s line-up with a five-man midfield that included another full game for Tiemoue Bakayoko, a more obvious substitution, it appeared, when Conte tried to ramp up the pressure with Pedro and Willian.
There were boos for Chelsea at the final whistle, and afterwards Conte defended his players citing the exertions of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal, although it should be noted that Hazard felt fresh enough to attend the NBA game at the O2 Arena. Their manager rejected the notion that he should jettison the unpopular 3-5-2 in favour of last season’s title-winning 3-4-3 system and said that he just did not have the players.
And there was the mandatory response to the latest Jose Mourinho intervention, Conte responding to the Manchester United manager’s view that he held his counterpart in “contempt”. This answer might not have been the incendiary response of one week earlier but this feud will simmer, even if Conte accepted he would be willing to call a truce if his counterpart did likewise.
“I think I said I'd stop,” Conte said. “It's the same for me [that he would halt the back-and-forth if Mourinho did likewise]. I don't know if he said this for me. I'm not worried. I sleep very well.” He might sleep less well knowing that never before have Chelsea strung together three goalless draws in their history and with no imminent move in the transfer market, for Alexis Sanchez or any other attacking player, it will be down to the Italian to change things himself.
“I think the problem is for the team, not only for Morata,” Conte said. “Compared to last season, we are conceding less and showing great solidity defensively. But, at the same time, we are not showing great quality in our finishing. This is the truth. But not only for Morata. Defenders have had chances from corners, and we've not taken those chances to score. We have to try to improve on this aspect. But the problem is not only for Morata or [Michy] Batshuayi when he plays. It's for all the team.”
Conte said that he saw “a lot of players very tired” and when asked again about whether the club might consider a bid for Sanchez, he was non-committal. “I'm the coach. I'm trying to do the best with my players, to try and improve my players, to try to work and give every day 110 per cent. Sometimes this is enough. It [transfers] is not my business.”
Leicester had dominated the attacking parts of the first half, and Mahrez was a constant thorn in their side. Shinji Okazaki in particular should have scored from a cross and they ended the half with 12 attempts on Chelsea’s goal which was more, their former player Gary Lineker pointed out, than any away side in a first half at Stamford Bridge in 15 years.
Chelsea lost Gary Cahill to injury but mostly they were just struggling to build any attack of significance. Mahrez seemed to drag his foot into Cahill’s replacement Andreas Christensen on 55 minutes and was denied a penalty by referee Mike Jones. Chilwell’s first yellow card was for a foul on Willian, Fabregas’ replacement, and he was sent off on 68 minutes for the challenge that left Moses limping. Claude Puel declared both of the cards “harsh”.
“When we watch our game [back], we lost two points,” Puel said. “Of course there's a little disappointment at the end, but a good feeling to show our quality. They are champions playing at home, so it's a good feeling to see my players with this quality, and all the chances we created this afternoon.”
Chelsea had one final chance when substitute Vicente Iborra gave away a dangerous free-kick in the third minute of injury-time but Marcos Alonso dragged his shot wide, and it would have been hard to say they deserved the three points.
90 mins +2
This game might be 0-0 but it's been excellent viewing. Leicester have been excellent, Chelsea seem a little lethargic but have played some really nice football too. Leicester are doubling up in wide areas to prevent the cross, it's switched and then Willian looks for a hole, can't find one... and is fouled in prime free-kick land. This is a huge chance.
84 mins
Mahrez is now the central striker, which makes sense since he doesn't like defending. He's also very good at holding the ball up and moving away from defenders and is a great outball to have.
Leicester's midfield and defence have dug in around the penalty area now, which about five yards separating defenders from midfielders. It's a congested area.
Alonso wins a corner.
75 mins
Kante fouls Vardy but won't be given a second yellow, which is entirely fair. Okazaki is replaced by Fuchs, which should mean a 4-4-1 formation for the remainder of this from Leicester.
They have a free-kick wide left in a dangerous area now though. Mahrez lining up the cross from deep... it's good... but too deep and Maguire can only stretch and put it behind.
69 mins
Chilwell dives into slide and get the ball and Moses comes from behind him - it doesn't look like the defender knows he's there - but he catches him full on on the shin. Moses felt that one. That'll make the final 20 minutes interesting. Or actually, more likely it'll make this attack vs defence until full time.
68 mins
Morata keeps looking for free-kicks instead of just holding up the ball and using his strength. It's getting annoying to watch.
Mahrez has been so good (if we ignore his dive) and some of the little flicks and quick dribbles he's going on are opening things up for Leicester.
Chilwell is late to a tackle here... RED CARD! He's off! It's a second yellow card for Chilwell!
65 mins
Willian is causing problems. Chilwell can't keep up with him and gives away a free-kick on the right of Leicester's box... and Chelsea win a corner. James hooks it away, Pedro chips to Moses, who goes backwards, and Leicester are now having to sit deeper than they were before the substitutions. Will Puel make a change now?
58 mins
Kante is booked for another foul.
Vardy does superbly to hold off attention on the right wing, keeps the ball alive and then Mahrez cuts in from the right, has space and lines up the shot. It's not great but takes a deflection... and Courtois is beaten! But the ball goes just wide.
Conte takes Hazard and Fabregas off for Pedro and Willian, changing to a 3-4-3.
57 mins
Chelsea can't keep the ball here! Leicester pressing high in numbers and forcing clearances which they then soak up.
Mahrez goes on a dribble into the box, he's gone round Christensen... and he's down! Is that a penalty?! It looked weak... and replays show it is an atrocious dive. Boooooooooo.
51 mins
A Leicester free-kick from wide right is cleared but Chelsea can't do anything with the counter-attack.
Vardy has half the pitch to run into as Leicester work a throw-in near their own box quickly and neatly. Mahrez wins a throw near Chelsea's box and Leicester keep the ball well. Azpilicueta then boots the thing away.
41 mins
Hazard and Fabregas keep trying their lovely link play but the Stamford Bridge crowd groan when an attempted pass or trick doesn't come off. As someone who grew up watching Aberdeen play in the 90s, might I suggest they rethink the quality they're actually paying to see. The only Hazard you ever got at Pittodrie was a warning about one of Robbie Winters' errant attempts on goal.
38 mins
Christensen's first job is to keep up with Vardy and he doesn't really manage it. Vardy's switched pass to Mahrez is unbelievably good and the Algerian takes it down effortlessly, does a lollipop and leaves Rudiger chasing him, then hits a low ball across the area. Again nobody is there to tap it in for a certain goal. How many more times are Chelsea going to get away with it? How many more times can Leicester waste these chances!?
And a mistake by Rudiger! Vardy wins the ball, Okazaki snaps a shot, blocked, and Albrighton hits one from distance which is turned away.
34 mins
Cahill's hamstring has gone. The defender goes down clutching the back of his thigh after trying to catch up with Vardy. Christensen is warming up on the sidelines and will probably replace the Chelsea captain.
And he does. The captain's armband hasn't been handed over to anyone yet though.
Morata shows an incredible turn of pace to go around his man and burst into the box, winning a corner. Fabregas completely shanks it and it's cleared at the near post without any hassle.
27 mins
This is still great fun to watch. Both teams playing nice football, the team shapes are open. Leicester get tight inside their own defensive third but otherwise are stretching the pitch and hitting direct forward passes. Hazard is staying out on the left to operate in the space left by Mahrez but Leicester's defensive midfield two shift over and help out.
24 mins
Mahrez has been excellent so far. Rudiger looks scared of him and his movement from right to inside is so unpredictable. Vardy makes forward runs as soon as Mahrez gets on the ball too and a clever reverse pass nearly puts the striker in behind the defence again.
Odd that Leicester are overloading the left side and attacking down the right.
21 mins
Hazard is having to come back to track Mahrez now. He's playing on the left, which is the same side as Conte, which means he's got an angry Italian shouting instructions at him constantly.
Vardy is put into an attacking area, has two defenders to beat... and his shot is blocked. The move keeps going, passed out left, curled into the area and Mahrez is there! He shoots but balloons it over the bar. Should have done much better there.
14 mins
WHAT A SAVE! Leicester are all over this game - it's a brilliant start! Leicester win a corner after surviving an Eden Hazard led counter-attack and Wilfred Ndidi heads at goal from inside the six yard box but Courtois throws himself into the save and needs a strong hand to push it away. Superb.
What a game this is!
11 mins
And now Vardy goes close! Chilwell spots the run in front of the defender and curls a pass from wide left ahead of Vardy. He gets a shot away at the near post but is wide.
Leicester are playing really well here. Vardy is put through again, this time into the right channel, but can't quite keep his low shot towards the far corner on target.
5 mins
Mahrez gets involved and is now unmissable thanks to that bleached hair on top of his head. He drops into midfield to help with keeping the ball, then pops up on the right and holds off Rudiger. Leicester stroking the ball around Chelsea's half confidently but they're sitting deep ready to spring on the counter.
Claude Puel wants to go for the win
"I think it's important to come here with ambition, we can cause problems... it's important in our last games away we were leading on the games with the possibility of keeping the result, it's important to play even we score away its important but it's of course another game away... they are champion, they play at home we will see (all sic)"
Stamford Bridge 2.0
Have you seen the story yet about a family who may halt production of Chelsea's new stadium? Step this way and find out!
Starting lineups
Hello everyone! It's football time (nearly) and this liveblog right here will provide all the analysis and updates you could possibly need for Chelsea vs Leicester. Huzzah!
Chelsea
There's no rest for Alvaro Morata, who has looked a little tired of late, as he starts upfront again alongside Eden Hazard in Antonio Conte's 3-1-4-2 formation.
Leicester
No surprises from Claude Puel either:
Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho are both linked with transfers to 'bigger' clubs in this transfer window but can they provide the goals needed to secure some sexy points this afternoon? It's a tough ask but if anyone can do it, it's Leicester, if they play like they did in the 2015/16 season. And if Chelsea play like they did in the 2016/17 season, they're near guaranteed a win. Two recent former champions battling it out - what's not to like?