Half-time reading

This is a cracking piece, with one unforgivable flaw: it should have been twice as long.

The BBC are showing footage of Sterling taking the ball off Palmer for the penalty. There wasn’t a row, though it was clearly instigated by Sterling. I guess Sterling wanted a confidence boost, but a) it was only 1-0 and b) if you do that, you’d better score.

“On strikers not fancying penalties,” says Tom Hopkins, “I’m put in mind of Nicholas Anelka waiting until well into sudden death to take a penalty in the Champions League final against Man Utd. Whether that was due to not fancying penalties or he sensed an opportunity to add to the sum of human happiness by letting Terry shank one I don’t know.”

It looks like he’d missed one for Bolton earlier in the season, and I suppose Terry was always going to pull rank anyway. But yes, ultimately Anelka went after three defenders.

Half time: Chelsea 2-0 Leicester

45+3 min Gallagher slips as he shoots from distance, with the ball going a few yards wide. The keeper had it covered.

45+2 min “Want the ball even when you don’t want the ball,” is one of Roy Keane’s favourite phrases. It takes rare courage to do it, and Raheem Sterling has it.

GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Leicester (Palmer 45+1)

44 min: Sterling misses a great chance! He’ll show you the life of the mind. Chelsea went straight down the middle of the pitch: Sanchez to Jackson to Caicedo, who slipped a first-time ball behind Faes to put Sterling through on goal. Stolarczyk came out and Sterling curled the ball wide from 18 yards. It looked like he missed by a fair way.

42 min Fatawu guides a careful pass into the underlapping Ntini, whose chipped cross on the run is too close to Sanchez. He’s erratic, like all young players, but Fatawu looks so talented.

38 min A relatively quiet few minutes. It’s been a good half – Chelsea have been the better team but, even though Robert Sanchez hasn’t had a save to make, they won’t feel comfortable at 1-0. Leicester have played some good stuff, Fatawu and Dewsbury-Hall in particular.

35 min “I’ve always been a big fan of Sterling but he’s never been the cleanest striker of a ball,” says Niall Mullen. “I’d never have him on penalties.”

Yes, same here. I think he’s missed five out of nine, something like that. I’m fascinated by brilliant attackers who either aren’t very good at penalties or just don’t fancy them. Andy Cole and Michael Owen were in that category (I think)

34 min Mudryk runs from the halfway line, all the way into the Leicester area with defenders backpedalling. Eventually he whacks a shot from a tight angle that is pushed away by the diving Stolarczyk.

33 min Sanchez hurt himself while coming for that corner and is receiving treatment. He’s okay to continue for now.

31 min: Chance for Leicester! Fatawau’s fast, deep corner tempts Sanchez from his line. He doesn’t get there and Faes’s downward header goes well wide. That’s a chance, even if he would have seen the ball very late.

30 min Cucurella heads another Dewsbury-Hall cross behind for a corner, with Fatawu cocking the hammer behind him.

29 min This is good fun, a very open game. Leicester should be out of it but that penalty save will give them a fresh hit of purpose.

27 min That was similar to Gareth Southgate’s penalty against Germany at Euro 96, though probably a bit worse. Very odd.

Stolarczyk saves Sterling's penalty!

25 min He didn’t get the ball. Sterling was about to shoot from 15 yards when Fatawau, getting back desperately, took a shortcut through his standing leg.

25 min: Penalty to Chelsea! Fatawu is penalised for a foul on Sterling, though he says he got the ball.

24 min: Chance for Daka! Leicester are coming into it again. Fatawu teases a delicious inswinging cross to the far post that is headed just wide by the backpedalling Daka. He had to jump backwards, and on reflection it would have been a better chance for the player behind him, Dewsbury-Hall I think.

23 min A terrific first-time cross from Dewsbury-Hall beats the flailing Sanchez and is headed behind by Cucurella. The corner hits somebody at the far post and rolls dangerous across the six-yard line before Chalobah boots it clear.

22 min The BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce has just generously said happy birthday to Lee Dixon, announcing that “he’s 65 today”. That’ll be news to Dixon, who was born in 1964.

21 min Chelsea are starting to take control of the game. They look especially dangerous in transition, with Jackson giving the Leicester centre-backs Vestergaard and Faes a good workout.

18 min Chelsea almost make it 2-0. Sterling flicks a long ball onto Jackson, who runs the inside-left channel and gives the ball back to Sterling in the area. His loose touch allows a defender to make a challenge, then Muydryk’s follow-up hits Sterling. It was on target and might have wrongfooted the keeper Stolarczyk.

17 min Sanchez receives a pass from Disasi, farts around as if he’s playing sweeper in a testimonial and is suddenly block tackled by Daka. Thankfully for Chelsea the ball ricochets behind for a goalkick.

15 min Mudryk nuitmegs Winks on the halfway line and sets off. He beats Choudhury as well but then slightly overhits his through pass to Jackson. It wasn’t an easy ball to play.

GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Leicester (Cucurella 13)

11 min So far it’s been a game of equals, with Leicester looking bright and purposeful in possession.

10 min Choudhury, wandering from full-back into midfield in the modern style, fizzes a pass between the lines to Fatawu. He controls it beautifully on the half turn, then tries to lift a pass out to Mavididi on the left. Gusto is well positioned and heads clear.

8 min It’s been a bright start, both teams literally trying to play football. Gusto makes an excellent run into space on the right but the pass from Disasi is too strong.

4 min: Palmer hits the post! Mudryk’s fast corner is flicked on jauntily by Palmer , facing away from goal at the near post. The ball loops over the head of a defender on the line before brushing the bottom of the post.

3 min Now Palmer runs at Vestergaard to win Chelsea’s first corner. It’s taken short, crossed deep and headed behind for another…

2 min Mavididi runs Gusto to win an early corner for Leicester. It’s taken short to Dewsbury-Hall, whose flat, deep cross is volleyed back across goal and wide by Winks. They’ve clearly worked on that, though it will always be a pretty difficult ball to strike on the volley.

1 min Chelsea have started with Mudryk, not Palmer, as their No10. Sterling is on the left with Palmer on the right.

1 min Leicester kick off from left to right as we watch. They’re wearing their change strip, which resurrects the iconic teal sash synonymous with the club’s Victorian roots on a familiar black design, with monochrome LCFC crest and adidas Badge of Sport adding a modern twist to a layout from the archives. Complete with matching shorts and socks.

Here come the players. There was some biblical weather about during last night’s tie at the Etihad but it looks dry and mild at Stamford Bridge. Little brisk.

Read Ben Fisher on Leicester’s post-2021 decline

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