Chelsea take another step towards clinching the title with a 3-1 victory over Leicester at the King Power. Marc Albrighton opens the scoring for the hosts before a second-half comeback ensures the Blues can win the league by beating Palace at the Bridge on Sunday afternoon.
Blues rebuff resilient Foxes en route to title
Chelsea placed one hand firmly on the Premier League crown following a 3-1 victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. Although the Foxes were able to breach the Blues’ defence for the first time in four fixtures and emerge in the second half with a 1-0 lead, Jose Mourinho’s men rallied after the break and scored through Dider Drogba, John Terry and Ramires.
Mourinho named two changes from the XI that secured a 0-0 draw against Arsenal on the weekend, with Oscar – who suffered a nasty head collision at the Emirates – making way to facilitate Drogba’s return and Petr Cech coming in for Thibaut Courtois (the Belgian shot-stopper was not “100% fit”, according to Mourinho after the match).
Drogba popped up with a crucial equaliser three minutes into the second half and with doubts still surrounding the fitness of both Diego Costa and Loic Remy, the Ivorian frontman may well be in pole position to continue up top for Chelsea’s home clash against Crystal Palace on Sunday. Fabregas served up his 18th assist of the campaign and earned a solitary bonus point in the process, taking his points haul to eight for the Gameweek.
Chelsea’s high-priced defenders, John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic, delivered strong points returns despite the absence of a clean sheet, with the former notching a goal and the latter bagging an assist. A further two bonus points for Terry ensured that he ended Gameweek 34 as the third highest-scoring player in any team (behind Hull City’s Steve Harper and Michael Dawson), validating those Fantasy managers that plumped for the club captain ahead of the marauding Ivanovic. The lesser-owned Gary Cahill also produced rare attacking returns, having been awarded the assist for Terry’s scrappy goal.
Frustratingly, Eden Hazard drew blanks in consecutive ties for the first time since Gameweek 21, disappointing the 59% voters who opted for the winger in our Captain Poll. Hazard was uncharacteristically subdued at the King Power Stadium, crafting just two chances for his team-mates and failing to fire a single attempt over his 87 minutes. Nonetheless, few will fancy shipping out the PFA Player of the Year in light of the Blues’ schedule.
Chelsea now embark on a largely favourable quartet of fixtures that includes three home ties (CRY, LIV, SUN) and a trip to West Bromwich Albion in Gameweek 37. A victory at the Bridge would seal the title for Chelsea, sparking concerns whether the squad will approach their remaining matches with the same intensity and desire. Moreover, there’s a fear that Mourinho may well decide to freshen up his XI once the silverware has been clinched.
Albrighton nets consolation goal in valiant defeat
Marc Albrighton netted his first league goal in three seasons as Leicester’s four-match winning run came crashing to an end. The 4.2-priced midfielder ultimately proved an excellent differential punt for the double – owned by less than 2% of FPL managers, his tally of 13 points was more than any team-mate.
Jamie Vardy grabbed the assist for Albrighton’s goal, complementing his strike against the Clarets last weekend. The English striker has now recorded three goals and assists in his last six starts, only failing to deliver attacking returns during Swansea City’s visit.
Pearson named an unchanged side from that which recorded a 1-0 win over Burnley last time out, with David Nugent and Jeffrey Schlupp both still sidelined and now doubtful for a home clash against Newcastle United this Saturday. Robert Huth (calf) and Andy King (hamstring) were both subbed off early in the first half with knocks and are also in a race to be fit for the Magpies tie.
In spite of last night’s result, Leicester boast the form and fixtures (NEW, SOU, sun, QPR) that should encourage backers to retain their assets until the conclusion of the season. Perching just one point shy of the relegation berths, the East Midlands club will doubtless be fighting tooth and nail to stay in the league – improving their chances of a strong Fantasy output.
