Leicester City vs. Chelsea: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Leicester City returned to the top of the Premier League table with a 2-1 victory at home to Chelsea on Monday night.
Temporarily replaced at the Premier League summit by Arsenal, Leicester stormed back into first place thanks to goals either side of halftime from the prolific duo of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez. Chelsea improved after going two goals behind but could only pull back a single goal, through Loic Remy.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winners: Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy
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Leicester's improbable run to the Premier League summit has owed plenty to the attacking talents of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy, and both players starred again Monday night. Vardy opened the scoring before halftime—assisted by Mahrez—with Mahrez doubling the advantage with a classy strike early in the second half.
The breakthrough came in the 34th minute as Mahrez received a pass on the right and curled a delightful cross into the box. Vardy stole in between Kurt Zouma and John Terry and flicked a neat volley past Thibaut Courtois. It was a brilliant assist and a tidy finish.
But Mahrez had more to offer. In the 48th minute, the Algerian controlled a Marc Albrighton cross with outrageous skill before making Cesar Azpilicueta look silly with a series of feints. Finally, he curled an unstoppable shot past Courtois for 2-0.
With that, Leicester had done enough to win, although Chelsea made the match interesting with an improved performance from around the 60th minute. When assessing the game, as well as Leicester's season, one can't overstate the importance of both Mahrez and Vardy.
Vardy leads the top flight with 16 goals, having set a new Premier League record by scoring in 11 consecutive matches earlier this season. But while the striker dominates the headlines, Mahrez is probably even more important.
Monday's strike was his 11th of the season, and he's added seven assists as well. His trickery, pace and attacking flair are invaluable for Leicester at the moment, though it's likely several clubs will try to test the Foxes' resolve in the January transfer window.
Asked by Sky Sports (h/t BBC Sport) whether he feels unstoppable, Mahrez said:
"I don't know if no-one can stop me but I need to do my best for the team, but the most important thing is the performance of the team, we did a great game and deserved the win. I have a lot of confidence, when you keep scoring and making assists it's normal to have confidence."
Before the season, few expected Leicester to be anywhere near the top of the table. If the Foxes are to continue this amazing run, Mahrez and Vardy must remain in top form.
Loser: Diego Costa
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Diego Costa made his first league start since Nov. 21 after enduring a spell on Chelsea's bench. The Spain international failed to make the necessary impact, missing a big second-half chance and largely failing to trouble Leicester's defense.
From the start, the hosts showed they had no intention of letting Costa's confrontational style affect them. On the contrary, the Foxes manhandled Costa physically, with center-backs Robert Huth and Wes Morgan faring well.
As BBC's Phil McNulty tweeted, Costa might not have moved faster all night than after he was fouled by Jamie Vardy early in the second half. Then, in the 62nd minute, he failed to beat Kasper Schmeichel one-on-one.
After dominating Premier League defenses last season, Costa has failed to replicate his form. With just three goals to his name, matching last year's total of 20 seems impossible.
Winner: N'Golo Kante
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N'Golo Kante sparkled in the middle for Leicester, providing the fuel in the engine room of the Foxes' 4-4-2 formation.
The French midfielder has been a key player for Leicester this season, winning the ball, starting transitions and assisting goals. Kante bossed it again on Monday, running all over the pitch while recording seven tackles, two interceptions and one clearance (stats via WhoScored.com).
"Vardy and Mahrez will get all the headlines, but what a player N'Golo Kante is in midfield," tweeted Daniel Taylor of the Guardian.
Loser: Chelsea's Miserable Season
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Another game, another loss. The title is long gone, and now, probably, the top four as well.
This defeat was Chelsea's ninth of the season. That's the same number of games the Blues lost over the last two Premier League seasons combined. After 16 matches, the defending league champions sit just one point above the relegation zone.
Mourinho is the most successful manager in Chelsea's history. He's a legend at the club. But how much more time will owner Roman Abramovich give him? The Russian has a notoriously itchy trigger finger, and even a manager as decorated as Mourinho can't be exempt from the sack forever.
"The top four is gone—clearly," Mourinho told Sky Sports (h/t BBC Sport) after the game.
When will Chelsea turn it around? Or can Mourinho do it? In fairness, the Blues improved considerably around the hour mark after the manager hauled off captain John Terry and changed formations.
"Had #CFC played like this from the start, they wouldn't be staring down the barrel of another defeat," tweeted Bleacher Report's Garry Hayes. "Since 60 mins they've impressed."
The problem was the previous hour, during which Leicester were much the better team. Chelsea dominated possession but couldn't handle Leicester's attacking verve. After falling behind by two goals, the Blues just couldn't recover.
"To turn things around, I know only one way—working at the top level," Mourinho said, per BBC Sport. "Day by day in training I have no complaints with (the players). But is it frustrating to see what they are doing in training and what they do in matches."
It's almost unthinkable, but Chelsea are now squarely in the relegation conversation. Assuming Aston Villa (who are eight points adrift of safety) are likely to go down, that leaves two spots yet to be decided. As it stands, Sunderland, Norwich, Swansea, Chelsea, Newcastle and Bournemouth appear to be in the most danger.
The Blues obviously have much more talent than the teams on that list, but you wouldn't know it from how they've played in the Premier League this season. Chelsea might seem too good to go down, but their talent won't save them in a relegation dog fight. Results simply must improve.
Winner: Claudio Ranieri
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Monday had to be a satisfying night for Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri. The Italian preceded Jose Mourinho's first spell at Chelsea, and the two have had an icy relationship over the years.
Mourinho once called Ranieri a "loser," per David Hytner at the Guardian, but on this night, he was a major winner.
This latest victory returned the Foxes to the Premier League summit, and on this evidence, it's unclear when they'll go away. The rest of the league has waited and waited to see when Leicester will slip up, but this was yet another impressive performance.
Under Ranieri's guidance, Leicester attack together and defend together. Cohesion and team spirit are often tenuous concepts in football that border on cliche, but this team shows them in abundance. What they lacked in technical quality compared to Chelsea, the Foxes made up for it with an incredible work rate and undeniable togetherness.
Ranieri has earned the nickname "the Tinkerer" over the years for his meticulous style, but he seems to have found the right combination at Leicester.
"It's a magical time," the Italian told Sky Sports (h/t BBC Sport). "We must continue to work hard because I don't want to wake up. I want to continue to dream with our fans."
Winner: The Atmosphere at KP Stadium
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If Claudio Ranieri doesn't want to wake up, then neither do any of Leicester City's fans. The King Power Stadium was rocking on Monday night as the Foxes won again, with the home supporters creating an ebullient atmosphere.
The feeling around the ground resembled a cup tie rather than a league match, and it's easy to see why. Nobody, not even Leicester's fans, would have expected this. Each game, therefore, is a celebration, and any neutral would be happy to see it continue.
"There was a lot of electricity tonight," Ranieri told Sky Sports (h/t BBC Sport). "Without that we are a normal team, but with the fans pushing us we are very happy. They continue to dream but we must continue to keep our feet on the ground."
Two points clear at the top of the table, Leicester face a tough run of games over the coming weeks. First up are back-to-back trips to Merseyside to face Everton and Liverpool, followed by a home game against Manchester City.
That's a test for any Premier League side, and if Leicester pass it successfully, maybe it will be time for more than just dreaming.
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