Chelsea secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium, marking a triumphant return for Enzo Maresca to his former club. Goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez propelled Chelsea to third place in the Premier League table ahead of the afternoon fixtures.

Maresca, who led Leicester to the Championship title last season, left the Foxes in the summer to rebuild Chelsea. His impact is starting to show, as the Blues continue to gel as a cohesive unit despite their expensively assembled squad.

For Leicester and their new manager, Steve Cooper, the story is quite different. With just two wins from 12 games, the pressure is mounting. The Foxes managed just one shot on target — a late penalty converted by Jordan Ayew in the fifth minute of injury time — leaving fans frustrated with an uninspired performance.

Chelsea Dominate Early

Chelsea controlled the game from the outset and took the lead in the 15th minute through Nicolas Jackson. Leicester defender Wout Faes failed to clear a long ball despite multiple opportunities, allowing Jackson to pounce. After a neat one-two with Fernandez, Jackson slotted home with the outside of his foot.

The Blues continued to pile on the pressure. Moses Caicedo fired wide from the edge of the area, and Noni Madueke forced Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen into a superb save. Madueke thought he had doubled Chelsea’s lead after finishing a pull-back from Marc Cucurella, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Leicester briefly threatened toward the end of the first half. Kasey McAteer went close with a shot that whistled past the post, and Wilfred Ndidi missed a golden opportunity to equalize from close range.

Second-Half Pressure

Chelsea dominated the second half, though their wastefulness kept the scoreline tighter than it could have been. Madueke, who struggled to make an impact, inadvertently blocked a tap-in from Cole Palmer after a Hermansen save.

The Blues eventually doubled their advantage in the 75th minute. Fernandez capitalized on a rebound after Jackson's header was saved, nodding home to give Chelsea a two-goal cushion.

Late Drama

Leicester had their appeals for a penalty waved away after Stephy Mavididi went down under Wesley Fofana's challenge. However, they were awarded a spot-kick in injury time following a VAR review for a foul by Romeo Lavia on Bobby De Cordova-Reid. Ayew converted the penalty, but it was too little, too late for the Foxes.

What’s Next?