Chelsea Edge Past Resilient Leicester to Secure Top Four Spot Despite Palmer’s Missed Penalty

Chelsea managed to edge past a determined Leicester City side at Stamford Bridge, bouncing back from Cole Palmer’s initial penalty miss to secure a 1-0 victory in a captivating Premier League encounter.

With aspirations of achieving a fourth straight home win in the league, Chelsea’s strong start was characterised by Palmer, who was instrumental from the outset, having a penalty appeal turned down before unleashing two early shots on goal.

The Blues found some success down the right wing, and shortly after an Enzo Fernández cross caused concern for Leicester, the home crowd erupted in celebration when a penalty was awarded for a clumsy challenge from Victor Kristiansen on Jadon Sancho.

Mads Hermansen did everything he could to stall the penalty, and it paid off as the Danish goalkeeper became the first to thwart Palmer from the spot, ending Palmer’s impressive streak of 12 consecutive successful penalties in the Premier League.

In keeping with Enzo Maresca’s tactics, Chelsea were enjoying the lion’s share of possession. However, an unusual sequence of play nearly gifted Leicester an unexpected lead.

Robert Sánchez’s decision to dive towards a James Justin cross caused confusion in the Chelsea defence, leading to Tosin Adarabioyo inadvertently heading the ball against his own crossbar.

This moment was a rare chance for Leicester in the first half, and the teams went into the break level after a wayward shot from Christopher Nkunku.

The second half kicked off with energy as Jamie Vardy tested Sánchez from a tight angle. Shortly after, Pedro Neto attempted a deflected shot which served as a warning, but it was Marc Cucurella who finally broke the deadlock with a low drive from just outside the area.

With the pressure now on Ruud van Nistelrooy’s team to respond, Chelsea appeared more likely to score again as the match wound down towards the final whistle.

Despite some late pressure from Leicester, they failed to create any significant chances, leaving the Blues to clinch the three points against Maresca’s former side with just the solitary goal.

As a result, Leicester remains entrenched in a relegation struggle, sitting six points adrift of safety following their fifth consecutive league loss without finding the back of the net. Chelsea’s impressive home record has improved (W8, D4, L2), allowing them to reclaim a spot in the top four, two points ahead of fifth-placed Manchester City.

Click here to view all match statistics.