LEICESTER, United Kingdom: Chelsea swept to a 3-0 win at Leicester as N’Golo Kante’s rocket helped the Premier League leaders move six points clear at the top on Saturday.
Antonio Rudiger opened the scoring and Kante’s long-range blast put Chelsea in control before Christian Pulisic came off the bench to score in the second half.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are unbeaten in their last nine games in all competitions after erasing the bitter taste of a frustrating 1-1 draw against lowly Burnley before the international break.
Chelsea’s ruthless display provided the perfect riposte to Paris Saint Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino’s recent claim that the European champions are a “defensive” team.
It was the ideal preparation for a big week that features a crucial Champions League tie against Juventus on Tuesday before Manchester United visit Stamford Bridge on November 28.
“It’s a good away game, an excellent result. We created a lot of chances,” Tuchel said.
“We knew we needed to be strong from first to last minute. This is what we did.
“N’Golo is outstanding. He finds another gear on the pitch, when he plays with a free mind he can be the difference.”
With Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku hoping to return shortly after an ankle injury and Timo Werner back among the substitutes following his hamstring problem, Chelsea are perfectly positioned to cement their place at the top of the table.
The only concern was an injury that forced off Italy midfielder Jorginho in the closing stages.
Chelsea made quick work of dispatching lacklustre Leicester, who had managed only one clean-sheet in their previous 17 league games and none since the opening day of the season.
Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers switched to a three-man central defense in a bid to shore up his leaky rearguard, but Chelsea easily found holes in the formation.
Ben Chilwell has been among the goals for both Chelsea and England lately and the left-back should have opened the scoring against his former club after just four minutes.
Picked out by Jorginho’s raking pass, Chilwell got behind the Leicester defense and surged into the penalty area, only to drive his shot against the crossbar with just Kasper Schmeichel to beat.
Every touch from Chilwell was jeered by Leicester fans, but he helped silence the crowd in the 14th minute.
Chilwell curled an in swinging corner toward Rudiger and the German center-back got between two Leicester defenders to glance a header into the far corner.
It was a well-timed reminder of Rudiger’s quality as Chelsea try to persuade the 28-year-old to sign an extension to a contract that runs out at the end of the season.
“Everybody wants him to stay. It’s pretty clear,” Tuchel said.
“Sometimes there’s a delay in these things, but he knows which club he plays for — a fantastic club in a fantastic league.
“We need a bit of patience and hopefully there will be a happy ending.”
Having squandered the lead against Burnley after missing a host of chances, Chelsea were in no mood to repeat that mistake and they struck again in the 28th minute.
Reece James dropped his shoulder to work space for a pass to Kante and the France midfielder advanced unchecked before drilling a fine finish past Schmeichel from the edge of the area.
Like Rudiger, it was Kante’s first goal since scoring in the win at Tottenham in September.
Under-worked Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy was tested by Daniel Amartey’s fierce strike and Jamie Vardy headed over from James Maddison’s cross as Leicester briefly put Chelsea under pressure.
Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount was anonymous in his first start for almost a month after dental surgery and he was hauled off on the hour.
Pulisic was Mount’s replacement and the United States winger seized his chance when he stabbed home from fellow substitute Hakim Ziyech’s pass in the 71st minute.
It was Pulisic’s first club goal since the opening weekend of another injury-plagued season for the 23-year-old.
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The Ivory Coast, who had 70 percent of possession in the first half, reduced the deficit eight minutes later when teenager Yann Diomande’s freekick near the corner took a slight brush off Kossounou’s head and ricocheted off the knee of full back Fatouh and into the net.
SALAH FINISHED OFF CLEVER MOVE
The Ivorians had come from 2-0 down to beat Gabon 3-2 earlier in the tournament but hopes of turning the scoreline around soon after the re-start were stymied by a simply created, but superbly finished, goal for Salah seven minutes after the break.
Rabia was well inside his own half when he chipped the ball over the top of the Ivorian defensive line, allowing Ashour to run onto it and hit an accurate pass with the outside of his right boot into the path of Salah to score.
An Ivorian comeback was still on when Doue touched home at the end of a goalmouth scramble in the 73rd minute.
That set up a siege of the Egyptian goal in the final 15 minutes but they held out to advance.
Earlier on Saturday, Nigeria overpowered Algeria 2-0 in Marrakech and will take on hosts Morocco in the other semifinal.
Chelsea cruise as Kante rocket inspires Leicester rout
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Chelsea cruise as Kante rocket inspires Leicester rout
- Antonio Rudiger opened the scoring and Kante's long-range blast put Chelsea in control
- Thomas Tuchel's side are unbeaten in their last nine games in all competitions
Marmoush, Salah strike as Egypt edge out holders Ivory Coast in quarter-final
- Egypt wasted little time in taking the lead as Marmoush scored in the fourth minute
- That set up a siege of the Egyptian goal in the final 15 minutes but they held out to advance
AGADIR, Morocco: Omar Marmoush netted the opener and Mohamed Salah scored the decisive goal as Egypt ended Ivory Coast’s reign with a narrow 3-2 triumph in Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final.
Center back Rami Rabia was the other scorer for the Egyptians, who had little possession at the Grande Stade Agadir but took their chances with clinical precision and held on grimly to book a semifinal meeting with Senegal on Wednesday.
An own goal from Ahmed Fatouh and a late effort by Guela Doue proved insufficient for the Ivory Coast, winners of the tournament on home soil two years ago but now deposed as African champions.
Egypt, who have won a record seven Cup of Nations titles, wasted little time in taking the lead as Marmoush scored in the fourth minute after Hamdi Fathy pinched the ball from Franck Kessie in the midfield, allowing Emam Ashour to thread a pinpoint ball to the sprinting Marmoush. He still needed to shrug off the attentions of defender Odilon Kossounou before slotting home.
But it quickly became clear the Ivorians were going to dominate possession, showing much more physical strength on the ball but without setting up clear chances.
Egypt went 2-0 up in the 32nd minute when Rabia rose above the defenders to head his side further ahead from a corner.
The Ivory Coast, who had 70 percent of possession in the first half, reduced the deficit eight minutes later when teenager Yann Diomande’s freekick near the corner took a slight brush off Kossounou’s head and ricocheted off the knee of full back Fatouh and into the net.
SALAH FINISHED OFF CLEVER MOVE
The Ivorians had come from 2-0 down to beat Gabon 3-2 earlier in the tournament but hopes of turning the scoreline around soon after the re-start were stymied by a simply created, but superbly finished, goal for Salah seven minutes after the break.
Rabia was well inside his own half when he chipped the ball over the top of the Ivorian defensive line, allowing Ashour to run onto it and hit an accurate pass with the outside of his right boot into the path of Salah to score.
An Ivorian comeback was still on when Doue touched home at the end of a goalmouth scramble in the 73rd minute.
That set up a siege of the Egyptian goal in the final 15 minutes but they held out to advance.
Earlier on Saturday, Nigeria overpowered Algeria 2-0 in Marrakech and will take on hosts Morocco in the other semifinal.
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