It was a successive first outing in the new away kit for Chelsea as they grabbed all 3 points after a win at Leicester. It was a dominant display at times from the champions before Leicester rallied late on but it wasn’t enough as goals from Alvaro Morata and N’Golo Kante, on his return to the King Power, were enough to secure a 2-1 win for the Blues. There were a couple of outstanding performances in midfield as well as one consistent Spaniard, so who was Man of the Match?
3. Cesar Azpilicueta
Another game, another assist for Cesar Azpilicueta. Almost as effective going forward as he is defending, and that’s saying something. Dave produced a pinpoint cross for Alvaro Morata in a carbon copy of the goal Morata scored against Everton before the international break. Azpilicueta whipped the ball in between the two Leicester centre-backs and Morata headed home from close range. He dealt well with the attacking threat of Jamie Vardy, not giving him any joy in those wide areas he so often runs into. The only real negative in his performance was the short back pass to Thibaut Courtois, which forced the keeper into giving away a penalty. But, given his form for Chelsea over the years, it’ll soon be forgotten.
2. Cesc Fabregas
Leicester’s defensive playing style meant that Chelsea, and specifically Cesc Fabregas, got a whole lot more of the ball than usual. With the added security of N’Golo Kante and Tiemoue Bakayoko, Fabregas was free to roam the pitch and use his vision to pick out teammates. He sent Alvaro Morata through on goal early on in the game but his fellow Spaniard couldn’t make contact after Fabregas’s excellent pass over the Leicester back four. He continued to create chances for Morata and Pedro and gradually sat further back in the midfield and made use of his long-range passing. Controlled the tempo for nearly all of the first half but was slightly vulnerable as Leicester began to pile the pressure on. Despite some criticism sent his way for his early performances in the season, his magic hat has definitely not gone away.
1. N’Golo Kante
The modest, little Frenchman just keeps on surprising us. His usual tireless performance was capped by a rare goal against his former club. He picked up the ball about 25 yards from goal and guided it into the far corner, beating Kasper Schmeicel, who will be disappointed that his former teammate’s strike found the back of the net. The fact that Kante got his goal, just his third for the club, makes him Man of the Match because, without goals, his Man of the Match performances are often overlooked because others grab the goals and the headlines. So this week, the Premier League Player of the Year is getting recognised for his goal scoring performance. As ever, Kante never tired, and when he did make the mistake he did in the first half (allowing Leicester to counter leaving Chelsea outnumbered at the back), he carried on without changing a thing. So N’Golo, we salute you.