Claudio Ranieri’s triumphant return to Stamford Bridge saw his title winning Foxes end 2015-16 with a 1-1 draw against Chelsea.
Leicester had already claimed the English top-flight crown from the Blues, yet in the early going it appeared as though the outgoing champions were not going to easily be taken advantage of. A side studded with young names was quick on the counter-attack and forced some close-range saves from Kasper Schmeichel, while the visitors were kept mostly out of the final-third.
The contest proved just as competitive after the restart and it was Jeffrey Schlupp’s poor tackle on Nemanja Matic inside the box which allowed Guus Hiddink’s side to find the breakthrough, with Cesc Fabregas dispatching a beautiful penalty in the 66th minute.
The result sees Chelsea scrape their way into a 10th placed finish with an even 50 points, while the Leicester City party can now hit full swing as the book closes on a memorable Premier League season.
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Chelsea
Thibaut Courtois – 6.5: Had no chance to stop Drinkwater’s rocketing strike, but made four other saves as the Foxes pressed forward in the latter stages. Was particularly good when diving low.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 7: Solid in his defensive duties as well as moving forward. Distribution was on point along the wing, while also making some important blocks around the 18-yard area.
Gary Cahill – 5.5: Perhaps a little too focused on not getting caught out by Leicester’s pace, Cahill stayed in the back-third for the entire match and kept the opposition from generating danger at close-range.
Branislav Ivanovic – 6.5: Was also pushed back deep for most of the contest, but commanded in the air and recorded four clearances from inside the 18-yard box.
Baba Rahman – 7: Was always going to be kept busy by Riyad Mahrez, yet the youngster did an exemplary job with his tackling and passing from the back.
Nemanja Matic – 8: Won Chelsea’s penalty just after the hour when he was brought down in the box by Schlupp. Worked hard all over the field, displaying a pinpoint eye when distributing the ball and a physicality that is difficult to match.
Cesc Fabregas – 7.5: The Spaniard put a sublime penalty past Schmeichel to give Chelsea the lead and continuously generated attacking momentum along both wings with his typically deft passing.
Eden Hazard – 6: Was somewhat out-muscled in the midfield battle, but when given the space he was able to create three chances by cutting into the box from the left-wing.
Willian – 6: Not nearly as effective operating in the centre and ventured to the right for the majority of his time on the ball. Perhaps a sign of fatigue, the Brazilian’s crossing was unusually poor and he failed a number of attempted take-ons. Deserves a long rest after his efforts this season though.
Pedro – 5.5: Was kept comfortably under-wraps by the Leicester defence, with little impact on the attack before his substitution for Reuben Loftus-Cheek.
Bertrand Traore – 5: Looked to get into dangerous positions, but the service and final execution was lacking. Replaced by fellow youngster Tammy Abraham in the second-half.
Substitutes
Tammy Abraham – 6: Had four attempts on goal that were either saved or blocked in an impressive debut showing.
Reuben Loftus-Cheek – 5: Lost possession numerous times after coming on for Pedro.
Fikayo Tomori – 5.5: Passed out well from the back, yet could have put more pressure on Drinkwater before he struck the equaliser.
Leicester City
Kasper Schmeichel – 7: Was guarded well by his backline but also made some very impressive reactionary saves. Unfortunately dove the wrong way when facing Fabregas from the penalty spot.
Danny Simpson – 6: Could have been better in the tackle, yet found constant space to move forward and help the attack along the wing.
Marcin Wasilewski – 6.5: Passed with high accuracy from the back and recorded three interceptions for the match.
Wes Morgan – 7: The Leicester captain made four clearances and two blocks around the penalty area to halt some of the home side’s pressure.
Christian Fuchs – 7: A very active game on the left for the 30-year-old, who probed forward at every opportunity and created two chances on goal for teammates.
Danny Drinkwater – 8: Unleashed an unstoppable curling strike from distance in the 82nd minute which drew the Foxes level. Also made six successful tackles.
N’Golo Kante – 8.5: An imposing presence in nearly every position on the field, with 10 successful tackles, five interceptions, two clearances and one created chance on goal.
Riyad Mahrez – 6: Had moments where his usual creative brilliance was on display, yet like Chelsea’s Willian seemed to be slowing down after a long campaign. Was given a deserved standing ovation by both sets of supporters when replaced by Marc Albrighton late on.
Andy King – 5.5: The Englishman was not incisive enough to find a way through to the dangerous areas. Substituted at halftime for Shinji Okazaki.
Demarai Gray – 5: Similarly to Gray, had little influence on the match and made way for Jeffrey Schlupp at the break.
Jamie Vardy – 6: The hero striker put two chances just wide of the box and had another two shots blocked, but was the focus of Chelsea’s back four, who cut out a lot of his service.
Substitutes
Shinji Okazaki – 5.5: Did not really see any chances on goal, but added some physicality to the Leicester attacks
Jeffrey Schlupp – 5.5: Gave away the penalty with a clumsy attempted tackle on Matic, yet provided the assist for Drinkwater’s late equaliser.
Marc Albrighton – N/A: Replaced Mahrez late and had little of the ball.
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