Chelsea eventually overcame a stubborn Leicester City side at Stamford Bridge, recovering from Cole Palmer’s first penalty failure of his senior career to win 1-0 in an intriguing Premier League clash.
Aiming for their fourth consecutive home win in the Premier League, Chelsea started positively with Palmer being a key player from the very beginning. He had a penalty appeal turned down and fired off two early attempts on goal.
The Blues found some success on the right flank, and shortly after an Enzo Fernández cross created problems for Leicester, the home fans celebrated when a spot-kick was awarded for a clumsy trip by Victor Kristiansen on Jadon Sancho.
Mads Hermansen, Leicester’s goalkeeper, did his best to delay the penalty, and it ultimately paid off. He became the first keeper to deny Palmer from the spot, ending an impressive run of 12 successful penalty conversions—the longest in Premier League history.
As has become typical under manager Enzo Maresca, Chelsea dominated possession, but a strange sequence almost gave Leicester an unexpected lead. The teams went into halftime level, with Christopher Nkunku’s shot going off target.
The second half began energetically, with Jamie Vardy testing Sánchez from a tight angle. After Pedro Neto had a deflected effort that served as a warning, Marc Cucurella broke the deadlock with a low shot from just outside the box.
Late pressure from Leicester did not result in any goals, and in the end, Chelsea claimed the three points with a single goal victory over Maresca’s former side.
As a result, Leicester remains deep in a relegation battle, now six points from safety after suffering a fifth consecutive Premier League defeat without scoring. Chelsea, having solidified their home record in the league, moved back into the top four, holding a two-point lead over fifth-placed Manchester City.
