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Enzo Maresca has lost a few old friends after leaving Leicester but it hardly matters when the Italian is busy making new ones at Chelsea, who tightened their grip on third place after cruising to victory at a muted King Power Stadium thanks to goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernández.
The final score felt deceptive. There was a late consolation for Leicester, Jordan Ayew coming off the bench to score from the spot after Roméo Lavia fouled Bobby De Cordova-Reid deep into stoppage time, but Chelsea had not been required to extend themselves.
Maresca, a perfectionist who will nonetheless be irritated not to have left with a rare clean sheet, could reflect on a structured, orderly performance against his previous club, who look short of ideas and direction under Steve Cooper.
It was strange that the return of Maresca did not draw a fast start from Leicester, who did not seem particularly interested in showing that they have moved on from their former manager after seeing him jump ship following last season’s promotion. The football was as drab as the atmosphere during the early stages and Chelsea quickly established a controlled rhythm, their dominance of midfield absolute and their snappy passing accompanied by a sense that trouble was on the cards every time they switched play out to the flanks.
A flurry of half-chances duly arrived, forcing Leicester into a series of panicked scrambles. The pressure was relentless – Chelsea had enjoyed 82% possession by the half-hour mark – and a goal seemed a matter of time. Noni Madueke was a bustling threat on the right flank and João Félix, making his first start in the league since joining from Atlético Madrid, was determined to impress after coming in for the injured Pedro Neto.
After a sustained spell of careful probing, though, it was nothing more complicated than a long punt that brought Chelsea an opener that owed much to Jackson’s ability to unnerve cumbersome centre-backs with his strength, speed and persistence.
Enter Wout Faes, who was blissfully unaware of the Senegal striker’s willingness to turn any lost cause into a goalscoring opportunity. The Belgian was soon scrambling around on the turf, four chances to clear his lines having come and gone, and when the ball ran loose there was space for Fernández to find Jackson, who swiped a lovely right-footed shot across Mads Hermansen and into the far corner.
Jackson’s seventh goal of the season was no more than Chelsea deserved. Fernández, starting in the league for the first time in more than a month, had his fifth assist in three games and was proving elusive in an advanced role. Leicester were struggling to keep track of the runners and only a tight offside call against Marc Cucurella, who had been freed by a gorgeous ball from Cole Palmer, stopped Madueke doubling the lead.
The one frustration for Maresca had to be his team’s failure to pull clear before the interval. Leicester’s injury problems had grown when Harry Winks made way for Oliver Skipp at 0-0, but they stirred after Wilfried Ndidi and Boubakary Soumaré saw yellow for a couple of crude tackles.
The mood changed. Kasey McAteer slid a shot just wide after cutting in from the right and Leicester should have equalised when Jamie Vardy sent Victor Kristiansen’s surging past Wesley Fofana overlapping run on the left. Chelsea, who had been forced to adjust at right-back after losing Malo Gusto and Reece James to injury, were relieved to see Ndidi make a hash of Kristiansen’s cross.
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But it was an isolated moment of jeopardy. Chelsea regained their grip at the start of the second half, Félix releasing Jackson. Hermansen saved the forward’s bending shot and Leicester survived when Madueke inadvertently blocked Palmer’s follow-up.
The second goal arrived eventually. Leicester were offering nothing as an attacking force, with Vardy unable to stretch Levi Colwill and Benoît Badiashile, and the contest was over with 15 minutes left. Cucurella delivered an inviting cross into the area, Jackson saw a header saved by Hermansen after bullying Caleb Okoli and Fernández hammered home Chelsea’s supremacy by nodding the rebound into the empty net.
Leicester, perched just above the bottom three, did at least refuse to give in. Stephy Mavididi had a penalty appeal waved away and a spot-kick was eventually awarded when Lavia, who had just come on, tripped the substitute De Cordova-Reid. Maresca, though, would not be denied his triumphant return.
