Jackson and Fernandez give Maresca a winning return to Leicester
Enzo Maresca made a victorious comeback to Leicester City as Chelsea clinched a 2-1 win at the King Power Stadium
demonstrating their superiority for the game’s duration. Maresca, who once helped the Foxes win the Championship in
his sole season as boss, opted to move to Stamford Bridge in search of fresh ventures. His exit signalled a huge shift for
both squads as he accepted the job of turning the Blues into a strong Premier League outfit. Signs are good he might be
the one who can handle Chelsea’s big and costly group of players, with Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez scoring to
boost them to third in the standings before other games kicked off hinting at a solid beginning for their journey.
Jackson and Fernandez give Maresca a winning return to Leicester
Nicolas Jackson opens the Scoring for Chelsea
Nicolas Jackson opens the scoring for Chelsea!
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 23, 2024
It's one the Leicester defence won't want to watch back in a hurry 😖
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/XFCnQ4oEl5
On the flip side, Steve Cooper, Maresca’s successor, is having a harder time than he might’ve thought. With a mere two
victories from their first 12 matches, the heat is on the ex-Nottingham Forest chief, who is tackling the task of kickstarting a lagging squad. Expectations are lofty and the fanbase is getting jittery seeing their side stumble to hit a
stride and maintain it. Leicester’s sole highlight in the clash was Jordan Ayew’s penalty in the match’s dying moments,
their single shot on goal the whole time. This dull show bummed out the fans, who had wished for a livelier fight from
their players. The overall performance was lifeless and lacking inspiration leaving the crowd vexed and longing for the
days of more combative displays.
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Chelsea took the reins keeping a tight grip and setting the game’s rhythm. They turned their efforts into a lead by the
15-minute mark, though Leicester’s Wout Faes won’t want a second look at that moment. The Belgian defender missed
multiple chances to clear a long pass but kept getting overpowered by the persistent Jackson. After getting the ball
from Fernandez, Jackson finished it off with his foot’s edge, which had visiting supporters going wild. The action was
around Leicester’s goal, with Chelsea missing few chances to score. Moses Caicedo missed a prime shot, and Noni
Madueke was denied by Mads Hermansen’s great save after a clever play in the box showcasing his talent and grit. Madueke thought he’d scored from Marc Cucurella’s assist but was left frustrated as the offside flag nixed the goal.
Leicester did try to make a comeback crafting a couple of decent shots to tie before the half-time whistle. Oliver Skipp
set up Kasey McAteer, whose effort was in followed by Wilfred Ndidi’s miss after Victor Kristiansen’s set-up, chances
that might have flipped the game’s dynamic
Enzo Fernandez gets the goal it’s Nicolas Jackson involved again
2-0 Chelsea!
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 23, 2024
Enzo Fernandez gets the goal but it's Nicolas Jackson involved again 👏
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/kmasq0PjY2
Jackson and Fernandez give Maresca a winning return to Leicester
Nevertheless, Madueke got another shot to add to Chelsea’s lead before half-time missing Jackson’s feed after a rapid
break. It seemed a difficult day for Madueke, as he later blocked his own team from scoring a second. Jackson’s strike
was stopped by Hermansen, and Cole Palmer had a simple follow-up, but Madueke got in the way adding to his
unfortunate day. Chelsea carried on in the second half in command fashioning numerous shots on goal. Their constant
push paid off in the 75th minute when Fernandez headed in the rebound from Jackson’s header, Hermansen having
blocked it first wrapping up the triumph for Chelsea. The match wrapped with