Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca raised eyebrows with his team selection at the King Power Stadium, surprising Leicester City and fans alike.
Despite stating pre-match that captain Reece James was the only injury concern, Maresca omitted Malo Gusto, the usual right-back, from the starting lineup.
Gusto, who had impressed enough to keep his spot even when James returned from injury, was replaced by Benoît Badiashile, forcing Wesley Fofana to shift to the left side of defence.
Another unexpected absence was Pedro Neto, who had been in fine form, including scoring on international duty.
It was later revealed Neto’s omission was precautionary due to a knock sustained during his national team’s fixtures.
In their places, Maresca shuffled his tactics, deploying João Félix on the left and adopting a three-at-the-back formation.
Unlike his usual strategy of inverting a full-back to support the midfield, Maresca kept Marc Cucurella wide to exploit space and stretch Leicester’s defence.
The plan worked flawlessly in the first half, with Chelsea dominating possession at 80% and Leicester struggling to adapt to the visitors’ tactical approach.
Nicolas Jackson capitalised on Chelsea’s control, scoring the opener with a clinical finish.
Enzo Fernández doubled the lead, ensuring Chelsea maintained their unbeaten record in Premier League matches when leading at halftime.
Although Leicester improved in the second half, managing a late consolation from Jordan Ayew, the damage had already been done.
The win brings Chelsea within a point of Manchester City, who face Tottenham later in the day. Maresca’s bold tactical adjustments and depth of squad options underline Chelsea’s growing momentum in their pursuit of the Premier League summit.
