EPL results: Ndidi scores as Leicester defeat Chelsea to go top

January 19, 2021 11:43 pm

Leicester City put on a dominant display to secure a convincing 2-0 win over Chelsea in the English Premier League (EPL) game played at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night.

Wilfred Ndidi, Super Eagles of Nigeria player, scored the first goal of the encounter as Leicester trampled on a lacklustre Chelsea to move top of the EPL table.

Leicester’s win means the former EPL champions have started a calendar year with three consecutive league victories for the first time since 2014.

Chelsea had lost only once in eight visits to Leicester but Ndidi put the home side on the road to halting that statistic when he volleyed home from outside the edge of the area on six minutes.

The 24-year-old latched on to Harvey Barnes’ cutback from a short corner to volley in off the inside post to record his second league goal against Chelsea and give the Foxes a 1-0 lead.

The disjointed Blues sparingly threatened through Reece James’ feeble shot and Thiago Silva’s header, while Callum Hudson-Odoi could only find the side netting when well placed to hit the target.

The visitors thought they had earned a penalty kick from a foul on Hudson-Odoi but VAR ruled that the infraction happened outside the box, and Leicester responded by doubling their lead.

James Maddison, who earlier hit the crossbar, benefitted from a disjointed Chelsea backline that left him unmarked to collect a long ball from Marc Albrighton and slotted into the bottom corner for a 2-0 lead at the interval.

James Justin wasted a free header and Youri Tielemans was denied by Edouard Mendy, while Albrighton’s well-taken goal was ruled out for offside.

Chelsea brought on Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, two of their big-money summer signings, to salvage something from the game, and both forwards combined to score a disallowed goal.

Ziyech crossed for Werner to score but VAR ruled it out for offside as Chelsea succumbed to a deserved defeat in the midlands.

Leicester City have amassed 39 points from 19 matches, one point ahead of Manchester United, after playing a game more, while Chelsea are rooted in the eighth position on the table with 29 points.

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