EPL

Leicester City 1-3 Chelsea: Havertz and Kovacic magic caps excellent week for Potter

By Sports Desk March 11, 2023

Chelsea capped an excellent week in style with an entertaining 3-1 Premier League win at Leicester City, who ended the game with 10 men.

The Blues' midweek win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League served to greatly ease the pressure on Graham Potter, and he was given more reason to cheer at the King Power Stadium.

Former Leicester full-back Ben Chilwell gave Chelsea the lead in the 11th minute, and although Patson Daka levelled for the hosts, Kai Havertz's superb sixth league goal of the season restored the advantage.

Mateo Kovacic made sure of the points with a stunning third, providing further evidence a Chelsea team who added several players in January may finally be starting to click. 

Chilwell broke the deadlock with his second league goal of the season, beating Danny Ward at his near post with a well-struck half-volley.

Leicester almost responded instantly, Daniel Amartey somehow diverting James Maddison's cross wide from point-blank range with the goal at his mercy.

Joao Felix would have put Chelsea in command had his effort not bounced off the right-hand post, but the visitors were then grateful for the woodwork as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's deflected long-range effort cannoned off the crossbar.

There was further frustration for Joao Felix when he saw a goal disallowed for offside, and he was then guilty of losing possession just outside his own area as Daka levelled in style, bending a vicious effort just inside the right-hand post.

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had no answer to that strike but was crucially equal to shots from James Maddison and Kelechi Iheanacho to prevent Leicester completing the turnaround.

There was another twist in added time of an engrossing first half when Chelsea retook the lead, Havertz deftly flicking beyond Ward from Enzo Fernandez’s exquisite ball over the Leicester defence.

Joao Felix was withdrawn by Graham Potter for the second half, but Chelsea continued to create chances, Wesley Fofana seeing a header kept out by Ward, who produced heroics to prevent Havertz doubling his tally shortly after Mykhailo Mudryk had blocked a goal-bound Harry Souttar effort.

After Mudryk saw a goal disallowed, Kovacic had the final say to put the game to bed 12 minutes from time, beating Ward with an acrobatic volley. Wout Faes was then shown a second yellow card for a bad tackle on Carney Chukwuemeka.

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    The Spaniard signed a two-year extension with the reigning champions and will remain in the dugout at the Etihad until 2027.

    He has won 18 major trophies in his time at City, including six Premier League titles, and twice beat Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool to the top-flight crown by a single point.

    Guardiola averages 2.35 points per game in the Premier League, the highest rate of any manager (20+ matches). Indeed, he is so far ahead of the next highest (Alex Ferguson's 2.16), he could lose his next 26 league games in a row and would still be top.

    Slot is yet to face City since taking over from Klopp at the start of the season, with the rivals' first meeting of the season set for December 1.

    "It's good news for City and for the league because everyone wants the best managers and the best players over here," Slot said when asked about Guardiola's new contract.

    "He is definitely one of the best managers, maybe the best manager of the league.

    "He's won four titles in a row, so it's fair to say he's maybe the best manager in the league.

    "On the other hand, they have so many quality players that, if he would have made the choice to leave, I wouldn't have expected them to end up bottom of the league next season."

    Other Premier League managers echoed Slot's sentiment, with Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, who inflicted a fourth consecutive defeat on City before the international break, saying it is the "best thing that can happen to the Premier League".

    "He is one of the best coaches in the world," Hurzeler said. "With his ideas, he always brings something new to the football stage, and it is always a challenge to compete against him.

    "He always adapts quickly, always has new ideas and he can always win the game. I'm very happy because we can learn from him and to compete with him is a big, big experience."

    Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe added: "He's contributed so much to English football. He's revolutionised how a lot of teams play.

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    Speaking this week, the Canada international named Barcelona as his "dream" club but suggested he would prefer not to leave Lille mid-season.

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    The 53-year-old recently signed a two-year deal, which will run out in 2027, ending months of speculation about his future after his contract had been due to run out at the end of the campaign.

    Following a 2-1 defeat to Brighton before the international break, Guardiola's side have lost each of their last four matches in all competitions for the first time in his managerial career.

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    He added that he was determined to help the club get back to a state where they are "more stable and more consistent".

    "We have to recover that because right now we don't have it and that's the target we have to do," he said.

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    "His hunger for improvement and success remains insatiable and the direct beneficiaries of that will continue to be our players and coaching staff, the culture of our club, and the English game at large."

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