Leicester City returned to the top of the Premier League table with a 2-1 defeat of reigning champions Chelsea at the KP Stadium early this morning.
Both sides were forced into early changes, with Danny Drinkwater takn out of the contest with a hamstring issue in the 17th minute, while Eden Hazard is rumored to have sustained a hip injury which saw the star playmaker replaced by Pedro just after the half-hour mark. Chelsea had difficulty finding any sort of foothold in the match from the outset though, with the hosts’ continuous creative play rewarded in the 34th minute when a whipping cross from Riyad Mahrez was sent past Thibaut Courtois from close-range by Jamie Vardy.
The Blues offered little of substance when moving the ball forward and Leicester looked to put the result beyond doubt shortly after the restart when Mahrez got his own name on the scoresheet. The Algerian received a cross from Marc Albrighton on the edge of the box and used his silky skills to turn Cesar Azpilicueta inside-out before sending a magnificent curling strike inside the far post.
It was not until this point that Chelsea really came to life in desperation to try and salvage anything from the encounter and a period of sustained pressure did end with a 77th minute tap-in for Loic Remy, but it was mere consolation for the champions, who travel home only one point above the relegation zone.
Click NEXT for more major talking points
