Vardy and Mahrez score to send Chelsea packing and Leicester top again
Leicester 2 - 1 ChelseaHome team scorersJamie Vardy 34
Riyad Mahrez 48
Away team scorersLoic Remy 77
If anyone wanted evidence of what a wild and eccentric season this has become, it came during those moments when Leicester City – the team, lest it be forgotten, that began the season as 2,000-1 outsiders to win the title – started showboating against the side who call themselves Premier League champions but are hovering only a point above the relegation zone. Wes Morgan shimmied with the ball and eluded a couple of challenges. Riyad Mahrez played those lovely soft-touch passes. Jamie Vardy wanted to take on everyone and Leicester, almost implausibly, went back to the top of the league, enjoying the view.
They were brilliant, once again, and if the chasing pack are underestimating Claudio Ranieri’s team the story of this match should remove any complacency. Chelsea, in turn, have now lost five of their past seven league fixtures, leaving them fifth from bottom, and José Mourinho’s declaration that his players had “betrayed” him will bring another wave of scrutiny on an increasingly beleaguered manager. Mourinho, an expert in manipulating the headlines, used that word in virtually every interview and it felt like a calculated gamble on a night when John Terry was substituted and the faultlines appeared in the manager’s relationship with Eden Hazard.
If nothing else, Mourinho can take a glimmer of encouragement from the way his team fought to save themselves during the final exchanges. A header from the substitute Loïc Rémy ensured a nerve-shredding finale and the one redeeming feature for Chelsea was that they did show a flicker of the old spirit after Riyad Mahrez had made it 2-0.
Ultimately, though, it was another chastening experience for Mourinho and their nine defeats this season is the same number as the two previous seasons combined. Vardy added another goal to his collection and when Leicester are playing with this much vibrancy their supporters are allowed to wonder where it is all going to end.
“We’re going to win the league,” they sang, interspersed with the night’s best put-down, directed towards the away end, of “Jamie Vardy, he’s scored more than you”. It was not strictly true but the man who has just won back-to-back Premier League player-of-the-month awards now has 15 in the league, which is only three short of Chelsea’s total.
Vardy’s speed and directness were prominent features from the start, spreading anxiety among what used to be the most reliable and parsimonious defence in the country. He and Mahrez have a wonderful understanding and Ranieri was adamant afterwards that Leicester would not sell their most prized assets. “Nobody has the money,” he said matter-of-factly.
Ranieri cannot think any other way when the two players link up as exquisitely as they did for the opening goal. The cross came from the right, clipped over with the deft accuracy that has made Mahrez arguably the most effective wide player in the league. Vardy had already been involved in the build-up and as the ball was moved out wide he was already getting into position. Kurt Zouma hesitated for a split second. Terry was out of position and Vardy sent his volley past Thibaut Courtois with the confidence of a man who expects to score.
Chelsea’s position had been weakened shortly beforehand when Vardy, trying to win the ball in midfield, banged into Hazard and jarred the Belgian on his side. Chelsea’s medical staff sprayed Hazard’s lower back and hip but Mourinho initially instructed him to stay on while Pedro took off his tracksuit to warm up. Within moments the ball was played to Hazard but he was in so much discomfort he could barely move. He looked unimpressed, to say the least, that Mourinho had asked him to continue and there was an angry flick of his hand as he made his way past his manager.
Leicester had lost one of their own key players by that stage because of a hamstring injury for Danny Drinkwater but his replacement, Andy King, filled in seamlessly. There was a streak of confidence running through Ranieri’s team, encapsulated by the moment Mahrez slipped the ball through Ramires’s legs.
Three minutes into the second half, there was another demonstration of Mahrez’s gifts. He was on the right-hand side of the penalty area when Marc Albrighton’s long, crossfield pass picked him out. His control and footwork teased and tormented César Azpilicueta. The angle was tight but Mahrez has a rare knack for being able to put the ball where he wants it. He applied just the right mix of curl and pace and, with an elegant swish of his left foot, his shot curled around Azpilicueta and high into the far corner.
Eden Hazard trudges off past José Mourinho Facebook Twitter Pinterest
A lot will be made of Terry’s withdrawal but Mourinho was entitled to think the change to a three-man central defence improved his team. For the first time in the match, Chelsea started to play with width and penetration.
Willian, in particular, played with great spirit and Rémy’s goal, from Pedro’s left-wing cross, increased their hopes of a late feat of escapology. Leicester had to endure five minutes of stoppage time but Mourinho accepted afterwards that, on the balance of play, the better team had won. It was a night that ended with him fielding questions about his job and nobody can really be sure what Roman Abramovich does next.
Guardian
