Izuchukwu Okosi
Super Eagles-eligible midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka on Saturday was in action for Chelsea in the London side’s 3-1 win against Leicester City at the King Power stadium.
The game was the 10th game of the season in the Premier League for the Anglo-Nigerian.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelOn the opposite side was Chukwuemeka’s possible international teammate, Kelechi Iheanacho albeit Wilfred Ndidi was not in action for the Foxes throughout the duration of the match.
Chelsea got ahead in the 11th minute when left back, Ben Chilwell met a perfect cross from Kalidou Koulibaly deep inside the box and produced an accurate strike which sailed into the bottom right corner.
Prior to the goal, the Blues had scored just twice in six league matches.
Chelsea continued to assert themselves in the game and on-loan forward Joao Felix stormed into the box to get on the end of a pass but smashed his shot straight onto the right post.
A minute later, it was the turn of Leicester to attempt scoring when a fierce Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall shot came off the crossbar.
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Joao Felix thought he had doubled Chelsea’s lead in the 34th minute when he received a pass from Ruben Loftus-Cheek before unleashing a terrific shot from the edge of the box into the bottom right corner.
However, referee, Andrey Mariner signalled that the goal had been chalked off by VAR due to offside.
Kai Havertz got on the end of a long pass that was slotted through the defence by record signing Enzo Fernandez and easily sent the ball into the bottom left corner after a cushioned control in added time of the first half.
Zambian international, Patson Daka reduced the arreas with a fantastic goal in the 39th minute despite the attention of two Chelsea defenders.
Kelechi Iheanacho was denied by Kepa Arizzabalaga who jumped at the feet of the Super Eagles forward to deny him his 4th goal of the season early into the second half.
With less than 20 minutes left on the clock, Dewsbury-Hall’s tame effort was saved by the Chelsea keeper with everyone inside the King Power stadium believing that the Foxes had gotten their second goal.
Mykhailo Mudryk ‘scored a goal’ for Chelsea soon afterwards but it was chalked off for offside.
Kelechi Iheanacho was replaced by Jamie Vardy after Chelsea’s supposed goal was yanked off.
But Matteo Kovaciv wrapped up a deserved win for Chelsea with an assured finish as they petered away.
Kai Havertz was initially flagged offside but on a VAR check, the German was deemed onside.
His cross was nodded down by Mudryk before Kovaciv expertly volleyed home from close range.
Chukwuemeka then came on for Mudryk in the 82nd minute.
Barely six minutes after coming on, he was fouled by Leicester City’s Wout Faes who was sent off for a tackle on the former Aston Villa youngster – his second yellow card of the match.
Chukwuemeka had a shot deflected for a corner kick and despite the best efforts of the Blues, there was no more goal on the sheets.
Noni Madueke was not featured by Chelsea in the emphatic win against Leicester City.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
