Chelsea vs. Leicester City score: Blues close in on Champions League qualification with massive home win

Antonio Rudiger and Jorginho scored the goals for the Blues, who are now third in the Premier League

Chelsea leapfrogged Leicester into the Premier League top three with a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge on a crucial night in the battle for Champions League qualification on Tuesday. Victory for Thomas Tuchel's side brought with it a modicum of revenge for Leicester's win over them in Saturday's FA Cup Final and brings with it the prize of third in the Premier League and control over their destiny on Sunday, the final day of the season. Win at Aston Villa and Chelsea have qualified for the Champions League.

In a dramatic first half Chelsea were by far the better side and twice had the ball in the net through Timo Werner only for VAR to deny him as it had Ben Chilwell on Saturday, first for offside and then for handling the ball into the net. With the German also being denied a penalty when he put his foot between Youri Tielemans' clearing boot and the ball it was perhaps no wonder that returning fans at Stamford Bridge vented their frustration at referee Mike Dean at the interval.

However Chelsea got the goal their play had deserved early in the second period, Antonio Rudiger driving through the Leicester defense to reach a corner that deflected in off his thigh. Against opponents who seemed to be lacking the intensity they showed at Wembley there were further chances for the Blues to take the lead with Werner getting in behind and drawing a penalty from Wesley Fofana, who tripped the striker as he was running out of the box. Jorginho slotted home the spot kick and with that the Blues were into third.

A poacher's finish by Kelechi Iheanacho halved the deficit Leicester had to overcome with 14 minutes left to play but Ayoze Perez blazed a shot over the bar in the 90th minute as the Foxes slipped down to fourth, leading Liverpool by three points but with an inferior goal difference having played a game more.

Chelsea show intent they lacked at Wembley

Though Thomas Tuchel's view of the post-match data was that his side had done enough to be pleased with their performance at Wembley Stadium on Saturday he will surely have known that the Blues left it too late to swell their shot and expected goals tally in a match where they drifted too easily into their bad habit of sideways possession.

The same was certainly not true at Stamford Bridge. Perhaps determined to give returning fans a show there was intensity in everything Chelsea did from the outset. Their early press, led by the energetic Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic, hemmed in the Leicester defense. Werner was moving smartly and ghosted in between Fofana and Wilfred Ndidi in the build-up to a move that ended with Ben Chilwell flashing wide of the far post in a similar position to that where he put the ball in the net late on in the FA Cup Final.

It was not the only echo of Saturday. Moments later Cesar Azpilicueta miscued a header at the back post just as he had in the first half of the FA Cup Final.

Luck was not on Chelsea's side or Werner's. He should have had a penalty when he smartly stepped in to take possession from Tielemans before he could clear the ball. Equally he could not blame it all on misfortune. Players of his quality and pace should not find themselves caught so far offside as he was on the first occasion he put the ball in the net nor were there any convincing excuses for why he converted from a corner with his arm not his head.

Rudiger rather showed Werner how it was done early in the second half, barging his way past Luke Thomas to reach Chilwell's corner and hand Chelsea control of their top-four fate.

Ghost of seasons past looms over Leicester

This has happened before for Leicester, brilliant starters to the 2019-20 season who ran out of gas just before the finish line and found themselves overtaken by a Manchester United side on a tear in the final weeks of the campaign. Now it looks like Chelsea and Liverpool may steal in ahead of them.

If their season does end with Europa League qualification and an FA Cup there is no cause for disappointment, quite the opposite for a team who have been punching above their weight for years thanks to smart recruitment and outstanding team spirit. Many a Leicester fan would not have swapped Saturday's triumph for a second season among the Champions League elite, few will forget the jubilance that engulfed Wembley at the weekend.

And yet Brendan Rodgers may just feel frustrated that his side were a shadow of the team who played with such intensity and drive three days ago. The game rather passed by James Maddison, in for Iheanacho in the starting XI, whilst Fofana was more skittish than the imperious young center-back he had been last time out. Jonny Evans' steadying tone from the off was missed.

Of course their top-four bid is far from done. Liverpool still need to win at Burnley and at home to a Crystal Palace side who will presumably be all the more motivated by the chance to give Roy Hodgson a send-off befitting of his managerial career.

[May 18, 2021 at 4:55 pm ET · Roger Gonzalez]

A big boost with Iheanacho on as the Foxes go for the equalizer after his goal. An open game here now, and Chelsea are looking to kill it off.