LEICESTER: Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante marked his latest return to former club Leicester City with a brilliant individual goal to help the Premier League leaders to a 3-0 win on Saturday.

There was also a second league goal of the season for Christian Pulisic after his entrance as a second-half substitute as Chelsea swept aside a team they battled against last season just to secure a top-four finish.

Chelsea are genuine title contenders this season, extending their advantage at the top of the table to six points ahead of the rest of the weekend’s matches.

It helps having players of the ilk of Kante, and his goal showed another side to his incredible all-round game that helped Leicester win the Premier League at preseason odds of 5,000-1 in the 2015-16 season.

Chelsea were already leading thanks to Antonio Rudiger’s back-header off a 14th-minute corner by Ben Chilwell when Kante collected a short pass from Reece James just inside Leicester’s half.

He drove toward the penalty area unchallenged as Wilfried Ndidi tried to get back to him, before shifting the ball to his left foot and sending in a shot that flew into the corner, giving goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel no chance in the 28th.

Pulisic made the points safe nine minutes after coming on as a substitute in the 62nd. The US forward was picked out in the middle of the penalty area by a pass from fellow substitute Hakim Ziyech and took a touch before producing a finish on the slide through Schmeichels legs.

It was Pulisic’s second league goal of the season, having also scored on the opening day against Crystal Palace.

The victory was the ideal preparation for Chelsea’s big week that features a crucial Champions League tie against Juventus on Tuesday before Manchester United visit Stamford Bridge on November 28.

Their fifth from six away league games this season moved the Blues onto 29 points, six clear of second-placed champions Manchester City, who play West Ham United on Sunday. Leicester are well off the pace in 12th after their fifth loss of the season.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2021