Marcos Alonso and Pedro strike as Chelsea ease to win over Leicester
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Updated 14/01/2017 at 20:05 GMT
Premier League, King Power Stadium – Leicester City 0-3 Chelsea (Alonso 6, 51, Pedro 71)
Marcos Alonso celebrates scoring their second goal with Gary Cahill
Image credit: Reuters
Marcos Alonso scored twice and Pedro added a third as Chelsea went seven points clear at the top of the Premier League with a win over champions Leicester.
The Spanish wing-back struck after six minutes and added a deflected effort just after half-time to give Antonio Conte’s men the advantage in the absence of star striker Diego Costa, who was left out of the squad for the match.
Pedro then secured the win when he headed home in the 71st minute after Willian’s cross deflected to him off the shin of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel as another of Chelsea's Spaniards took centre stage.
Liverpool can cut the gap at the top of the table to five points if they beat Manchester United on Sunday, while Tottenham also showed their title credentials when they hammered West Brom.
Champions Leicester offered little themselves going forward and had to concede a massive 62 per cent of possession. They become the fifth reigning champions to lose at least 10 of their first 21 matches of a top flight season, the defeat leaving them 15th in the table.
TALKING POINT
Who needs Diego Costa? Chelsea's Spanish players are deputising nicely in his absence. Pedro's was the 54th PL goal by a Spanish player this term in the PL, most by any nation except England. Twenty-four of the 54 goals by a Spanish player have been scored by a Chelsea player.
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Chelsea's Pedro celebrates scoring their third goal with Willian
Image credit: Reuters
MAN OF THE MATCH
Marcos Alonso (Chelsea): It's not often that a left back bags a brace and is inches wide from a hat-trick. Alonso backed up his attacking prowess with a solid defensive display and some pretty impressive match stats.
PLAYER RATINGS
Leicester: Schmeichel 6, Morgan 6, Huth 5, Fuchs 6, Chilwell 6, Mendy 6, Drinkwater 6, Ndidi 7, Albrighton 7, Musa 6, Vardy 6. Subs: Simpson 6, Gray 7, Okazaki 6.
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Chelsea's Nemanja Matic challenges Danny Drinkwater of Leicester
Image credit: Reuters
Chelsea: Courtois 6; Azpilicueta 6, David Luiz 6, Cahill 7; Moses 7, Kante 6, Matic 6, Alonso 8; Willian 7, Hazard 7, Pedro 7. Subs: Loftus-Cheek 6, Fabregas 6, Batshuayi 6.
KEY MOMENTS
6’ – GOAL! Leicester City 0-1 Chelsea: They’re not missing Costa so far as an elegant sweep of the right boot from Alonso puts them ahead. Hazard with the assist.
51’ – GOAL! Leicester City 0-2 Chelsea: It’s Alonso again, this time with a deflected shot past Schmeichel. The keeper probably had that covered.
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Chelsea's N'Golo Kante with Leicester City's Jamie Vardy and Danny Simpson after the game
Image credit: Reuters
65’ – ALONSO CLOSE! A flashing left footed effort and he’s inches away from a hat-trick! What a match he’s had…
71’ – GOAL! Leicester City 0-3 Chelsea: Pedro heads home after Willian’s cross deflects to him off Schmeichel’s shin. Game over.
KEY STATS
Marcos Alonso scores his first top flight brace, bringing his total to three Premier League goals this season. Only once he scored three goals in a single top flight season - three for Fiorentina in 2015/16.
Pedro scores his first away goal of the season and his sixth in total. He had been directly involved in 10 PL goals this season (5 goals, 5 assists), but all in home matches.
Leicester become the fifth reigning champions to lose at least 10 of their first 21 matches of a top flight season, after Liverpool (11 in 1923/24 and 10 in 1906/07), Ipswich Town (11 in 1962/63) and Manchester City (10 in 1937/38).
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