- Marc Cucurella's 60th-minute strike gave Chelsea a 1-0 win over Leicester
- Cole Palmer’s penalty was saved, extending his goal drought
- Leicester’s defeat left them second-bottom in the table
Chelsea climbed back into the Premier League’s top four thanks to Marc Cucurella’s second-half goal, which earned them a hard-fought victory over Leicester City at Stamford Bridge. It was the Spain international’s fifth goal of the season and his second in as many league games, following his strike against Southampton.
Cucurella’s decisive moment came in the 60th minute, as he unleashed a left-footed shot from 25 yards that beat Leicester keeper Mads Hermansen.
Prior to that, Chelsea had struggled, with Hermansen saving a penalty from Cole Palmer after Victor Kristiansen fouled Jadon Sancho in the box. The miss marked the end of Palmer’s perfect record from the penalty spot, having converted his previous 12 attempts. It also extended his goal drought to nine matches across all competitions.
Leicester had looked dangerous in the first half and nearly took the lead in an unusual fashion when Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo accidentally headed the ball onto his own crossbar.
That was as close as the Foxes came, with Enzo Maresca’s side improving after the break. The win allowed Chelsea to leapfrog Manchester City, gaining a two-point advantage over the defending champions.
For Leicester, the defeat left them second-bottom in the table, level on points with 18th-placed Ipswich and six points behind 17th-placed Wolves.
While Chelsea will savor this much-needed win in their pursuit of a Champions League spot, Palmer will likely be frustrated by his continued goal drought. Despite being the team’s top scorer with 14 goals this season, the 22-year-old has failed to score or assist in Chelsea’s last eight matches, a stretch dating back to mid-January.
Palmer was presented with the ideal chance to end his dry spell in the 22nd minute when Chelsea were awarded a penalty after Kristiansen fouled Sancho. Palmer, who had previously converted all 12 of his career penalties, saw his effort brilliantly saved by Hermansen, diving low to deny him.
Though Palmer seemed unaffected, immediately chasing the ball to take the corner after his shot was tipped wide, his struggles continued. He was substituted in the 73rd minute for Tyrique George as Maresca began preparing for Chelsea’s upcoming Conference League match against Copenhagen.
If Chelsea are to maintain their top-four spot, Palmer’s luck in front of goal will need to improve, as they found it difficult to break down the resilient Leicester defense.
