Leicester City 3-0

Independent:

Chelsea 3 Leicester City 0

Dominant Blues brush champions aside as woe continues for Claudio Ranieri

The Foxes had one eye on the Champions League but Antonio Conte's men took advantage in clinical fashion to teach them a lesson in life as champions

Matt Gatward

The last time these two teams met in the league was on the final day of last season when Leicester were celebrating their unlikely and brilliant championship, Claudio Ranieri was given a guard of honour and Chelsea were peeking under the sticking plasters to see if the wounds of Jose Mourinho’s painful departure had healed while they contemplated a season out of Europe.

Five months on and the tables have turned somewhat and here at Stamford Bridge on a mild afternoon Chelsea won 3-0 courtesy of first-half goals from Diego Costa and Eden Hazard and a third from Victor Moses with 10 minutes to go.

It could have been worse for the champions although they improved in the second half: Chelsea were dominant, especially in the first 45 minutes, with Costa a handful for Robert Huth and Wes Morgan, Hazard flitting here and there and N’Golo Kante patrolling the midfield with aplomb.

While Leicester struggle to hit the giddy heights of last season – they have eight points from eight games - for Chelsea, while all is not tickety-boo, as the 3-0 hammering by Arsenal earlier in the season showed, there are signs of life – and twice as many points as the Foxes - under Antonio Conte.

The Italian manager adopted the three-man defence that worked so well against Hull City a fortnight ago – although it was barely tested here - with Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta at the back and Moses and Marcos Alonso on the flanks.

It worked a treat in the early stages with the home side dominating possession and the visitors struggling to gain a foothold. Kante, the little dynamo that was so influential in Leicester winning the league last season, was constantly on the ball but in the blue of Chelsea of course. He was booed by a small section of the visiting fans who know what a loss he is.

Ranieri, who left his Algerian duo Riyad Mahrez and £29m Islam Slimani on the bench until the last half hour perhaps with Copenhagen in mind, was urging his team to move up the pitch as early as the fifth minute but to no avail. Moses got free on the wing and fired in a shot that Kasper Schmeichel turned behind for a corner on the right.


Eden Hazard drilled the ball across goal, Nemanja Matic, making a run across the front post flicked it on with the outside of his boot to Costa, completely unmarked and ambling towards the six-yard line. Schmeichel was only able to turn the Spaniard’s side-footed shot into the roof of the net. It is his seventh league goal of the season.

Leicester offered little in the way of a response with Jamie Vardy isolated up front and unable to latch on to Danny Drinkwater’s attempted through balls with Luiz dropping deep. Ranieri has admitted he is working on the training ground on how best to employ Vardy, Slimani and Mahrez in attack. The Italian needs to nail it fast with the Champions League back in swing in the week.

On 32 minutes Huth and full-back Luis Hernandez went for the same through ball down the middle of the pitch but Hernandez only deflected it rather than clearing it, allowing the prone Pedro to flick on to Hazard. The Belgian coolly rounded Schmeichel and rolled the ball home to double Chelsea’s lead.

It could have already been worse for the Foxes. Five minutes earlier Luiz had hit the post with one of his dipping side-foot free-kicks with Schmeichel at full stretch. Just before the break he tried it again but the Leicester keeper punched clear.

Conte, who even found time to nonchalantly trap an errant ball, must have liked what he was watching although you would never have known it from his volcanic touchline temperament.


Ranieri joined in the berating as the second half ticked on and Leicester began to enjoy some possession. Jeff Schlupp was blocked in the box and asked, forlornly, for a penalty. It was Chelsea though who nearly scored again when Kante and Moses broke from a corner. The former sped down the left and bent a beautiful pass into the path of the latter whose first-time shot was saved low to his right by Schmeichel.

But the Foxes were finding their feet and almost halved the deficit when Luis turned Albrighton’s cross onto his own post. It was as good as it got though.

Conte, now dangerously close to spontaneously combusting, introduced Nathan Chalobah for Pedro and Chelsea resumed their earlier dominance. Kante came close to capping a fine display with a goal in the 72nd minute but Morgan brilliantly blocked his shot from 10 yards after Costa’s cross cannoned off Schmeichel and Matic’s shot was then scrambled away by the Danish keeper.

But the pressure told with 10 minutes to go when Chelsea added their third. Moses cut in from the right wing to the edge of the box and his pass was brilliantly returned to him by Chalobah’s back-heel. The winger tucked his finish beneath Schmeichel to complete the victory.

Reasons to be cheerful for Chelsea who, of course, have a clear week to hone their tactics. For Leicester it’s back to work before Copenhagen visit on Tuesday. Such is life as champions.


Chelsea (3-4-3): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill; Moses (Aina 80), Kante, Matic, Alonso; Hazard (Loftus-Cheek, 80), Costa, Pedro (Chalobah 66). Substitutes not used: Begovic, Batshuayi, Terry, Solanke.

Leicester City (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Hernandez, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Schlupp (Mahrez 66), Amartey, Drinkwater, Albrighton (King 73); Vardy, Musa (Slimani 66). Substitutes not used: Zieler, Simpson, Gray, Ulloa, Mahrez.

Referee: Andre Mariner.

Man of the Match: Kante.



=======================================



Guardian:


Leicester’s woes continue as Hazard, Costa and Moses fire Chelsea to victory

Chelsea 3 - 0 Leicester

Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge


There was a moment just after the hour-mark here when frustration finally overcame Claudio Ranieri, prompting a comically exaggerated thumbs down as he spun on his heels in disgust on the edge of his technical area. His ire appeared to be directed at the referee, Andre Marriner, though he could have offered up the gesture to most of his side. The hangover from Leicester City’s title success is still pounding away.


This was a fourth pointless game in succession on the champions’ travels and it should have ended as a defeat as emphatic as those already endured at Liverpool and Manchester United. What was such a tight unit last term, a side propelled as much by self-confidence as technical quality and tactical organisation, has fractured, with self-doubt creeping in. Maybe the prospect of having to heave themselves into another slog of a domestic campaign has diminished their hunger, particularly with the tantalising distraction of the Champions League. Perhaps they have just been found out. It cannot all be pinned on N’Golo Kanté’s departure to south-west London.

A trio of first-choice players had admittedly been rested with one eye on Tuesday’s visit of Copenhagen, when victory would maintain progress at the top of their group and bring the knockout phase within sight, but that did not excuse the slackness of so much of this display.

Chelsea enjoyed a similar breeze against promoted Burnley back in August, the ease of their victory summed up by the substitute Nathaniel Chalobah’s neat backheel into Victor Moses’s pass 10 minutes from time that was finished emphatically by the right wing-back. Antonio Conte’s team have made a habit of dispatching teams outside the division’s elite this term. Leicester currently fall into that bracket.

The hosts had established their lead early, swarming all over limp opponents and swiftly exploiting a new-found fragility at set-pieces. This had felt a mismatch from the outset with Kasper Schmeichel overworked and increasingly exasperated by the manner that his backline wilted in front of him.

Wes Morgan and Robert Huth, such rocks last term, were gripped by indecision and culpable for errors that set a troubling tone. Luis Hernández, secured under freedom of contract in the summer, looked out of his depth at right-back, constantly bypassed by the interplay mustered by Marcos Alonso and Eden Hazard down the hosts’ left. Chelsea were irrepressible, but Leicester never hinted at resistance.


Schmeichel had already done well to deny a deflected shot from Moses, such an aggressive presence off the right flank, but Leicester consider dead-ball delivery an invitation for disaster these days. Hazard’s delivery was duly flicked on by Nemanja Matic with the loose ball allowed to run on to Diego Costa, untracked by a static Morgan, at the far post. The striker rammed in the seventh goal of a productive campaign from close range.

It was the kind of concession that would have been unthinkable only a few months ago, but it was the fifth goal shipped by this side at set-plays already this term. No team has conceded more. The lack of concentration and confidence was startling.


Panic had long since set in. Huth, booked for clattering Hazard, was fortunate to avoid dismissal after handling instinctively to choke another fluent Chelsea break. Within seconds Huth and Hernández, both hesitant, failed to cut out a slide-rule pass from Matic that a grounded Pedro Rodríguez hooked on for Hazard. The Belgian’s fortunate first touch took him away from Christian Fuchs and, having darted around Schmeichel, his finish was crisp and accurate.

Throw in David Luiz’s free-kick, which thumped the top of the post, and the fact the visitors departed at the interval having been breached only twice actually felt a cause for moderate celebration.

Dismantling the reigning champions would normally serve as a statement of intent at Chelsea, though this was all too easy. They could rejoice in Kanté’s busy presence, his every touched booed by the travelling support, with the Frenchman denied his first goal for his new club by Morgan’s desperate block. A midfield denied Willian and Oscar – both on compassionate leave back in Brazil – appeared to enjoy the leeway Conte’s 3-4-3 formation allowed them.

Moses might have added a third after a blistering break from Kanté before the hour mark, a chance that had actually punctured a period of more persuasive Leicester pressure, but the Nigeria international would enjoy his own reward before the end.

The closest Leicester came to a riposte was Luiz’s stretch to intercept Marc Albrighton’s centre, with the ball cannoning from the woodwork, but the visitors’ threat was only ever fitful.

At present, their title defence is feeling forlorn.



==========================


Telegraph:

Chelsea 3 Leicester City 0: Antonio Conte strikes gold with system and Blues tear flailing Foxes apart

Matt Law

Antonio Conte reminded Diego Costa that he is very much the boss after refusing the striker’s request to be substituted during Chelsea’s comfortable victory over Leicester City.

Costa opened the scoring for Chelsea and, after Eden Hazard had added a second, motioned that he wanted to be replaced in the second half with the threat of suspension hanging over him.

The striker was one booking away from being banned for the visit of Manchester United next weekend and reacted angrily when head coach Conte ignored his request and left him on.


But Conte’s defiance paid dividends as Chelsea added a third goal through Victor Moses and Costa stayed out of referee Andre Marriner’s book, meaning he will be available for Jose Mourinho’s Stamford Bridge return with United.

“I decide,” said Conte. “Always I take the responsibility in every situation. In positive or negative situations. It's always my decision whether or not a player is substituted.

“If I can, I keep Costa until the end of the game. Costa is an important player for us. He has a good personality and transfers his passion, and we need that passion in every moment of the game.


“I know I risked it today because if Costa took another yellow card he will miss the next game. I can take a risk about this, for a yellow card or an injury.”

Claudio Ranieri gave a thumbs down sign around the hour mark that may well have been directed at Marriner, but could easily have been aimed at his Leicester side.

Ranieri returned to Stamford Bridge as a title winner at the end of last season, but, five months later, his Leicester team still appear to be suffering from the hangover.

After claiming Chelsea’s title, the Foxes could now challenge the Blues’ unwanted record of making the worst-ever defence having failed to take a single point away from home.


“You see a different Leicester and so do I and my players,” said Ranieri. “Are we thinking more about the Champions League than the Premier League? I know it's normal that, when a team goes into the Champions League for the first time, the concentration is very high in Europe.

“It’s not the same in the Premier League. I can understand this, but for this reason I want more concentration in the Premier League. But I can do only one thing: work more, more and more.”

Ranieri insisted he had no regrets about resting Riyad Mahrez, Islam Slimani and Danny Simpson for Tuesday night’s Champions League game against FC Copenhagen.

Asked if he would do the same thing again, Ranieri replied: “Yes, of course. Now we have a tough match on Tuesday against a very well organised team. The Premier League is one year long. The Champions League is two months, in and out. We want to go into the knockout stage of the Champions League, or the Europa League. To achieve this you have to have all your players fit. I prefer to preserve some players for Tuesday night.”

Despite the return to fitness of John Terry, Conte stuck with the same back line that had kept a clean sheet at Hull City which meant Moses continued at right wing-back.

The early signs are encouraging, particularly for Moses who has been loaned out for each of the past three seasons but finally looks to be given an extended run in the Chelsea team.

It was Moses who raided forwards and had a low cross that was pushed out for a corner by Kasper Schmeichel. Nemanja Matic flicked on Hazard’s resulting delivery and Costa lost Wes Morgan at the far post to open the scoring in just the seventh minute.

It was the fifth time Leicester had conceded from a corner during this campaign. Morgan and Robert Huth were always punching above their weight in the title-winning season, but the duo should not be struggling so badly with set-pieces.

Ex-Chelsea defender Huth was booked for a foul on Hazard, which resulted in David Luiz hitting the crossbar from the free kick but the home side did not have to wait too long for their second goal.

Matic, clearly enjoying Conte’s new 3-4-3 formation, threaded the ball through for Pedro and, although he fell over, the Spaniard hooked it over his head and Hazard rounded Schmeichel to score.

As Costa had earlier, Hazard celebrated by making a ‘W’ sign with his hands in honour of Willian, who was missing because of the death of his mother earlier in the week.

There was a scare for the hosts four minutes after the hour mark, as Luiz struck his own post when trying to cut out Marc Albrighton’s cross but Costa felt his afternoon’s work had been done.

His desire to be replaced did not stop the Spain international nearly creating a goal for N’Golo Kante, as his cross was stopped by Schmeichel and the midfielder’s goal-bound follow up was deflected out of play by Morgan.

Moses put the result beyond doubt with 10 minutes remaining exchanging passes with substitute Nathaniel Chalobah before this time beating Schmeichel and he celebrated with an eye-catching back-flip.



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Mail:

Chelsea 3-0 Leicester City: Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Victor Moses all on the scoresheet to give Blues fine Stamford Bridge win over champions


By JOE BERNSTEIN FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY


Reports of Antonio Conte's demise have been greatly exaggerated. A few days after bookmakers took a flurry bets on the Chelsea manager leaving, his team turned in a performance that left even the notoriously hard-to-please Roman Abramovich laughing and clapping.

In an all-Italian battle of tactics and sharp suits, Conte outflanked Claudio Ranieri comprehensively. Chelsea were sharp and incisive and deserved their goals from Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Victor Moses as a bare minimum.

Leicester, on the other hand, were a shambles from front to back. The tone was set by conceding from a set piece after seven minutes. They failed to register a shot on target.



Strangely, Conte stayed his usual manic self in the technical area throughout while Ranieri stayed largely impassive. It should have been the other way round, though the losing manager defended his decision to rest his star players Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani before the European game in midweek against FC Copenhagen. 'I'd take the same decision,' Ranieri said.

'We have a tough match on Tuesday and the Champions League is two months, in or out. We want to get to the knockout stage and we need all our players fit so I prefer to preserve them.'


Conte stuck to the 3-4-3 that worked so well at Hull a fortnight ago, with wing-backs Moses and Marcos Alonso pushed so far forward they counted as midfielders.
Even without Branislav Ivanovic, John Terry, Cesc Fabregas, Oscar and Willian, they got off to a flyer and had already created chances for Moses and Hazard before they took the lead after seven minutes.


To mark the goal, Hazard pointed to the sky as a message of solidarity to teammate Willian, away in Brazil to mourn the death of his mother.

By that stage of the game, Leicester looked a mess. Ranieri's experiment with three centre-halves to combat Chelsea's formation failed, and in attack Vardy was starved of service. The closest Leicester got to a goal came when Luiz turned a Marc Albrighton cross against his own post in the second half

In contrast, Chelsea could have scored a hatful. Schmeichel saved from Costa and Moses while N'Golo Kante was denied a first Chelsea goal by a tremendous block by his captain at his former club, Wes Morgan.

On the touchline, Conte didn't calm down, but he was happy with what he saw. 'We played very well. High intensity, good passing between the lines. We were also very aggressive when we lost the ball,' he said.


'I am pleased because we worked so hard during the week, it's natural you want to see a good result.I changed our system before the Hull game because we conceded a lot of goals. This system suits the talent of all the players. The defenders, midfielders, wingers and strikers.'

Ranieri threw on his Algerian stars belatedly but it failed to change the pattern of the game. Indeed, Chelsea deservedly added a third when Moses played a one-two with Nathaniel Chalobah and fired home.

Moses then departed to allow 20-year-old Londoner Ola Aina his Premier League debut. By that time, most eyes were fixed on Costa, who spent the closing stages gesturing to come off, perhaps with a tight hamstring or maybe a worry than a booking would see him miss the next game against Manchester United.

But Conte kept him on. 'I decide. Me,' the manager said. 'I take the responsibility in a positive or negative situation.' Whatever the bookies may think, Conte continues to make the football decisions at Chelsea.

CHELSEA (3-4-3): Courtois 6; Azpilicueta 7, Luiz 7.5, Cahill 6; Moses 7.5 (Aina 82), Kante 8.5, Matic 8, Alonso 7; Pedro 7 (Chalobah 68, 6.5), Costa 8, Hazard 7.5 (Loftus-Cheek 81).
Subs not used: Begovic, Terry, Solanke, Batshuayi.
Booked: Azpilicueta.
Scorers: Costa 7, Hazard 33, Moses 80.
Manager: Antonio Conte 8.

LEICESTER CITY (4-4-2): Schmeichel 6; Hernandez 5, Morgan 5, Huth 6, Fuchs 5; Schlupp 5 (Mahrez 67, 5), Drinkwater 6, Amartey 5, Albrighton 6 (King 74, 5); Musa 5 (Slimani 67, 4), Vardy 5.
Subs not used: Zieler, Simpson, Gray, Ulloa.
Booked: Huth.
Manager: Claudio Ranieri 6.




======================


Star:

Chelsea 3 Leicester 0: Kante inspires Blues as Conte and co see off champions

CRISIS? What crisis?


By Tony Stenson at Stamford Bridge


If Antonio Conte was on the ropes then he truly bounced back off them today.

The Chelsea manager defied odds of being made favourite for the sack by slapping down the current champions – and former Blues boss Claudio Ranieri.

Bookies had slashed Conte’s odds from 44-1 to 3-1 in a dramatic few hours on Friday.

Conte’s reply was – ‘Stuff you!’

His fired-up team came out punching – although he could have done without them slackening off a little in the second half.

He said: “I am a very happy man. I changed the system because we had conceded a lot. Now we must continue our work.”

Conte also played down a rift with Diego Costa, who kept asking to come off holding a hamstring.

He added: “I make the decisions on our substitutions, not players. It has happened before but it is my decision.


“I was losing my voice in the end. I thought we were good, we were aggressive when we had the ball.”

Chelsea started like warriors and few answered the call better than striking heavyweight Costa.

The Blues’ one-man wrecking ball found the net yet again to light the touch-paper on a performance many thought was beyond Conte’s team.

Costa was ably supported by a team that attacked from all angles and had Eden Hazard, Victor Moses and leggy left-back Marcos Alonso to pick Leicester’s defensive locks.

Chelsea got off to a flying start with a seventh minute strike.

Costa, their warrior king, turned in his seventh goal of the season after Nemanja Matic cleverly flicked on a Victor Moses corner.

The striker currently has the best goals-per game ratio (1.60) of any Chelsea player in Premier League history.

He celebrated by holding his hands in a ‘W’ shape – in salute to team-mate Willian, missing because of the death of his mother back in Brazil.

Hazard, who repeated the gesture when he scored later in the game, said: “We all feel for Willie. Losing your mother is hard. We were all thinking of him, that is why we made the signs. So sad. Hopefully, he will come back stronger.”

Relieved Conte added: “The players dedicated their goals to Willian and I dedicate the game. Willian is a fantastic guy and we are thinking of him and his family.”

Leicester arrived having won only once in 25 attempts at Stamford Bridge since October 1965 and Chelsea almost inflicted more damage when David Luiz struck the crossbar with a fierce 30-yard free kick.

It was inevitable Chelsea would eventually make another breakthrough.

It came when Matic, imperious in midfield, surged forward and threaded a pass that bounced off Robert Huth.

The ball looped high in the air, only for Pedro to somehow flick it into the path of Hazard, who waltzed round Kasper Schmeichel for Chelsea’s second in the 35th minute.


Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante, playing against the club he helped win the title, was booed at the start – but by the end Leicester fans had given up.

Leicester, thinking ahead to Tuesday’s Champions League clash against FC Copenhagen, started without Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani.

It was a move that back-fired and inevitably both were finally forced to come on.

Leicester boss Ranieri said: “I would make the same decision again. We gave away two strange goals, one again from a set-piece and we are doing this too often. But I am not worried. I know my job.”

Jamie Vardy suffered from a lack of his usual supply of long passes and often looked a lonely figure in attack.

The visitors had a better second half but that was not saying much because it was more a case of Chelsea allowing their grip to slip, which had Conte fuming on the touchline.

At least he had Hazard always trying something different with his sublime skills.

Leicester skipper Wes Morgan blocked a certain goal from Kante in the 73rd minute after Costa had crossed from the byline and forced Schmeichel to push out with his legs.

Leicester’s best effort was supplied by Luiz, who turned a 63rd minute cross from Marc Albrighton on to his own post.

Ranieri added: “Chelsea played well, much better than us in the first half. We changed things and might have scored but the truth is they were the better side. For them it was very easy.

“We miss Kante but you cannot look back. We reacted after the first half, now we must react on Tuesday and concentrate on beating Copenhagen in the Champions League.”

Chelsea had started with gusto – and finished in style, too.

Sub Nathaniel Chalobah cleverly sent Moses clear to score Chelsea’s third.

Kit suppliers Nike are to invest £900million in Chelsea over the next few years. They must have enjoyed watching the first return.

Express:


Chelsea 3 - Leicester 0: Costa, Hazard and Moses seal convincing win for Conte

CHELSEA romped to an impressive victory that calmed the nerves which had settled around Stamford Bridge in recent weeks – the triumph gilded by a sublime piece of skill from Nathaniel Chalobah.

By JIM HOLDEN AT STAMFORD BRIDGE


His delicious back-heeled flick completely fooled the Leicester defence and set up Victor Moses for the final goal of a dominant performance.

Moses celebrated with an Olympic- quality somersault. The rest of us were entranced by a moment of magic from a young English talent who has taken so long to be allowed a breakthrough into the Chelsea first team.

Chalobah is 21 now. He has been out on loan to six different clubs and played an amazing 32 matches for the England U21s.

Finally, finally, he has found a Chelsea manager in Antonio Conte who will give him a chance. Chalobah’s assist was wondrous – let’s hopes there will be more.


The Conte revolution at Chelsea is just beginning. His trademark three-man defence worked well again here, and the Italian manager is an entertainment in himself on the touchline, looking like a conductor of an orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall.

Can Chelsea be title challengers this season? Of course they can with the quality in their ranks.

The same is not true of reigning holders Leicester, who have eyes mostly for the Champions League this season.

Manager Claudio Ranieri left star pair Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani out of the starting line-up because of the midweek match ahead in the Champions League, and said he did not regret the decision.


This was dangerous psychology, though, and his side certainly played with self-destructive complacency in first half. At the heart of Chelsea’s control was the energetic excellence of N’Golo Kante, the summer signing from Leicester who had been so nfluential in the title success of the Foxes. He never missed a tackle, interception or a pass to a team-mate.

In contrast, Leicester’s defence were mostly hopeless, not even a shadow of the team that conceded so few goals last season.

Chelsea were ahead after just seven minutes with a simple goal from a corner. Hazard’s low cross was flicked on by Nemanja Matic at the near post and Diego Costa was clear in oceans of space to score with ease.

Hazard grabbed the second just after the half hour when Leicester’s hapless defenders failed to cut out a routine through ball.

A kind ricochet allowed Hazard to scamper forward and round goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to slot home.David Luiz was twice close with spectacular dipping, swerving free- kicks. One struck the top of the post, the other was punched away by an acrobatic Schmeichel.


Leicester had to improve in the second half, and there was more urgency and desire in their play.Why, there was even a passing move that created an opening for Marc Albrighton in the 53rd minute but he fired over the bar.They didn’t have a shot on target during the entire game, although Ranieri’s team went close when Luiz stabbed against his own post when preventing a cross reaching Jamie Vardy.Chelsea still had the real chances. Kante saw a goal-bound shot blocked by Wes Morgan, while Leicester keeper Schmeichel saved superbly from Moses before the third goal.Mahrez and Slimani were introduced midway through the second half, but had minimal effect.
Reaction

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante on Sky Sports: “It was a special game. Last season, I enjoyed it with Leicester. Now I am a Chelsea player so I am happy to win.”

Chelsea midfielder Hazard on Sky Sports: "I play more inside the pitch. I don’t stay wide. I play this system with the Belgium side. We have more freedom. And we can win the ball back. It is good for us.

"My celebration was for Willy. He lost his mother and we are thinking about him. We hope he can come back stronger."


Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, speaking to Sky Sports: "It was a good game. From the start I asked them to play well with intensity and to try to do what we are doing in training.

"I am very happy because I had a good reply. This is the best game for us. I saw good commitment. When you work hard it is important to have a good performance.

"In the week we tried a lot to find a solution that gave us more compactness. For this team and squad this system is the right fit. The coach must understand and find the right suit. We are like a tailor.

"Willian is a fantastic guy and he deserves this on the part of the players. We are a team and we want to become a family. I want to dedicate this to Willian and his family as in this moment he is very sad. We are all sad."

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri, speaking with Sky Sports: "When you concede a goal from a corner again it is clear. You come to Chelsea and your attention must be at the maximum. We made mistakes. We tried to react and the second half was much better. Now we must react because we have the Champions League on Tuesday.

"If we scored the goal when we create a chance we can re-open the match. But our approach to the match was not good. Maybe we were a little nervous.

"It is better that this happens now and we can react than at the end of the season. We must concentrate more.

"We miss him [N'Golo Kante]. But we have to play better."



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Mirror:


Chelsea 3-0 Leicester: Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Victor Moses sink the champions - 5 things we learned


BY DAVE KIDD

Chelsea dominated the game from start to finish with Hazard, Costa and Moses all finding the back of the net at Stamford Bridge

Diego Costa's seventh goal of the season sent Chelsea into cruise-control – as fallen champions Leicester played like relegation candidates.

Goals from Costa, Eden Hazard and Victor Moses were scant reward for Chelsea's dominance as Claudio Ranieri's hapless troops were battered again – having now conceded 13 times in four Premier League away matches.

With Leicester lacking any of the defensive organisation, energy and self-belief which propelled them to the title, Chelsea dominated the vast majority of the match.

Costa was afforded acres of space to fire home as Leiceter's defence went AWOL at a seventh-minute corner. Then a blunder from Rob Huth allowed Pedro to play in Hazard, who rounded Kasper Schmeichel to score.

And a cute back-heel from Nat Chalobah, making his his home league debut for Chelsea as a sub, allowed Victor Moses to drill home the third ten minutes from time.

David Luiz also hit a post with a free-kick and Moses forced an excellent save from Schmeichel when the outstanding N'Golo Kante led a swift breakaway.


1. Leicester's title-winning season was simply a glorious flash-in-the-pan

The Foxes have now lost more League matches this term than in the whole of the last campaign and they are looking like relegation candidates. Their defending was atrocious for Chelsea's first two goals, their midfield was over-ran and their forwards were starved of service. Above all they lacked the energy and supreme self-belief which fired their miraculous 2015-16 season.

2. N'Golo Kante was booed by Leicester fans but this was much more like his Leicester form

The Foxes fans jeered Kante's every touch after he abandoned the champions in a £29million summer move to Stamford Bridge. The all-action French midfielder had experienced a slow start to life at Chelsea but he dominated the centre of the park with smart passing, tenacious ball-winning and boundless energy.

3. Antonio Conte's 3-4-3 formation is suiting Chelsea

The Blues were a shambles when thrashed at Arsenal last month but their Italian manager has switched to a back three he preferred at Juventus and with the Italian national side to great effect. Gary Cahill had been looking a liability in a flat back four but operated well alongside David Luiz and the excellent Cesar Azpilicueta, with Marcos Alonso in storming form at left wing-back.


4. Leicester really should have signed a centre-back in the summer

While Wes Morgan and Rob Huth were excellent last term, they are no spring chickens and are struggling badly this term. Huth, in particular, was all at sea here – blundering to gift Chelsea their second goal. Claudio Ranieri made three major signings in forward areas but has left himself painfully short at the back.


5. Conte is showing a little more willingness to blood the kids

Nathaniel Chalobah has been considered a future Chelsea star for around half a decade but the England Under-21 player finally got his first league run-out at Stamford Bridge as a 67th-minute replacement for Pedro and set up Victor Moses' goal with a cute back-heel. Chalobah was one of five Chelsea youth-team products on the bench – including a certain John Terry. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ola Aina also made it on to the pitch.



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Sun:


BLUES CRUISE Chelsea 3 Leicester 0: Costa, Hazard and Moses fire Blues to victory in the ‘battle of the champions’

Antonio Conte's side romp home to comfortable victory in a sad return to Stamford Bridge for Claudio Ranieri

BY CHARLIE WYETT AND DAVE FRASER

IN Saturday lunch-time’s battle of the past two Premier League champions, it was Chelsea who ran out convincing winners, thanks to goals from Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Victor Moses.

Costa got the Blues off to a flying start at Stamford Bridge, left completely unmarked from a seveth-minute corner to rifle home a left-foot shot.

Just after the half-hour mark, Hazard pounced on a defensive mix-up to round Kasper Schmeichel and fire the ball into the back of the net to double the lead.

With ten minutes left on the clock, Nathaniel Chalobah beautifully set up Moses with a backheel for the Nigerian to slot home a simple third.


STATS, FACTS, GOALS & LOLS

THERE was an old picture in the Chelsea programme of two former stars with wet hair. The caption read: “David Webb and Peter Osgood got spruced up at Vidal Sasoon’s salon ahead of the 1972 League Cup final after the Chelsea-supporting hairdresser promised every player and their wives a free hair-do if they reached Wembley.” It probably wouldn’t happen now as most Chelsea players could afford to buy their own salon.

CHELSEA'S players wore black armbands in tribute to Willian’s mother who died this week. Leicester’s player wore black armbands due to the death of the King of Thailand. Oscar has also flown home to Brazil due to a family illness.

CLAUDIO RANIERI applauded Leicester’s fans who sang his name. Fair play to Chelsea’s supporters who then responded by giving an ovation to their former manager.

N'GOLO KANTE, in contrast, was jeered by Leicester’s travelling support every time he touched the ball in the first half.

LEICESTER'S title win last season was thanks to some brilliant defending. But there was nothing brilliant about the way they dealt with Eden Hazard’s corner leaving Diego Costa unmarked to score. His seventh goal of the season came in the seventh minute and Leicester’s defending was just as bad for Hazard’s second.

LEICESTER should have been given a penalty at the start of the second half when Victor Moses fouled Jeffrey Schlupp.

DAVID LUIZ did his best to score the own goal of the season but his effort hit the post.

NATHANIEL CHALOBAH got a warm reception when he was introduced as a sub for his first Premier League appearance at Stamford Bridge. His brilliant backheel set up Moses for Chelsea's third.

JAMIE VARDY did not have much service but his lack of form is still a worry. He has now gone eight game without a goal for club and country.

RIYAD MAHREZ and Islam Slimani both came on for Leicester but you can be sure they will both start in the Champions League against FC Copenhagen on Tuesday. A win will virtually guarantee them a place in the last 16.


CHELSEA: Courtois 6, Azpilicueta 7, Luiz 8, Cahill 7, Moses 8 (Aina 82), Kante 8, Matic 8, Alonso 7, Pedro 7 (Chalobah 68, 7), Costa 7, Hazard 8 (Loftus-Cheek 82, 6).
Subs not used: Begovic, Terry, Batshuayi, Solanke.
Goals: Costa (7), Hazard (33), Moses (80).
Booked: Azpilicueta.


LEICESTER: Schmeichel 6, Hernandez 6, Huth 6, Morgan 6, Fuchs 6, Albrighton 5 (King 74, 6), Drinkwater 7, Amartey 5, Schlupp 6 (Mahrez 67, 6), Musa 5 (Slimani 67, 5), Vardy 5.
Subs not used: Zieler, Simpson, Gray, Ulloa.
Booked: Huth.

STAR MAN: NEMANJA MATIC (Chelsea)