Chelsea took another step toward winning the English Premier League title as second-half goals from Didier Drogba, John Terry and Ramires helped them overturn a halftime deficit to win 3-1 at in-form Leicester City.
Jose Mourinho’s side can now secure the crown if they beat Crystal Palace on Sunday after overcoming a scare against a side who looked far from relegation contenders.
Leicester, who had won their previous four games, struck just before the break through Marc Albrighton and looked good value for their lead until Chelsea raised their game in the second half.
Photo: AFP
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho admitted he had been far from happy with the first-half display, though he had to restrain himself from revealing what he said to the players at the break.
“If I repeat on television what I said it will be ‘peep peep peep.’ Too many peeps,” the Portuguese manager said.
Mourinho, who has regained some of his luster since returning after a largely underwhelming spell with Real Madrid, said Palace would not be a walkover on Sunday.
Photo: AFP
“Stamford Bridge is ready to celebrate, but if I can ask something from them it is to not celebrate,” Mourinho said. “We all want to win on Sunday, but it will be a difficult game.”
His Leicester counterpart, Nigel Pearson, graciously said Chelsea would be worthy Premier League title winners and insisted his side would still avoid an immediate return to the second tier.
“There is a feeling we are capable and have given ourselves a better chance of avoiding relegation,” Pearson said. “Tonight is a setback because when you go ahead you expect to push on, but we came up against a side able to take advantage of their quality in second half.”
Leicester started well and Jamie Vardy headed straight at Petr Cech from Albrighton’s cross, before the former’s long-range snapshot just missed the target.
Chelsea should have taken the lead, though, when Willian ran down the left and pulled the ball back for Drogba, but his tame effort from hit Marcin Wasilewski.
Leicester were dealt a blow when midfielder Andy King, on his 300th appearance for the club, was forced off with an early knock and replaced by Matty James.
The hosts shortly afterwards suffered another injury with Robert Huth coming off after an innocuous challenge at a corner, with Ritchie de Laet coming on to necessitate a switch to a flat back four.
Those disruptions destroyed Leicester’s early rhythm and Chelsea came closer to the opener with Drogba firing wide on the turn.
Leicester might have taken the lead shortly afterwards when Albrighton’s shot was deflected onto the post by Paul Konchesky, prompting a mass goalmouth scramble involving Esteban Cambiasso and Albrighton, but they took the lead in stoppage-time when James fed Vardy down the left and Cesar Azpilicueta slipped on the wet surface for Albrighton to slot in his first goal for Leicester and his first since 2012.
Chelsea regrouped at halftime and were level within three minutes of the restart.
Branislav Ivanovic cut in down the right and crossed for Drogba to finish in cool fashion and it prompted an emotional celebration at his first goal of the year.
Drogba could have had a second as he twice went close, the first time blazing over and then firing over from a good position.
James’ deflected shot raised the tempo for Leicester, but it was Chelsea who came into the game late as the hosts tired.
Ramires’ deflected shot forced a 79th-minute Cesc Fabregas corner. Gary Cahill’s back header was superbly saved by Kasper Schmeichel, but Terry reacted quickest to scramble home his seventh goal of the season.
The game was over as a contest four minutes later when a Fabregas pull-back was driven with power by Ramires, while the visiting fans were ironically singing “boring, boring Chelsea,” mocking the taunts from Arsenal supporters during the sides’ goalless draw on Sunday.
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