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90+4min: Christensen stops a counter, then Kepa as well, but that’s that. FULL TIME.
90+2min: Leicester with a chance as both teams are stretched, but Vardy overruns the cross and Chelsea can clear.
90+1min: Kovacic recovers the ball deep and gets Chelsea going through Kanté, who finds Abraham. He turns and drives into the area, but gets his shot all wrong.
90min: Zouma tries one from 40 yards. It did not go in. 4 minutes to be added-on.
89min: With Chelsea pinching high, Leicester counter in behind. Albrighton pulls it back from the right flank, finding Tielemans, but his shot is blocked by Kepa.
86min: Abraham and Mount combine to create a shot fo the latter, which is blocked for a corner by Soyuncu. Willian takes the corner, cleared by the first man. Kovacic wins the ball back, but Willian’s offside.
82min: Kanté wins a free kick in a decent position, left-center. Mount goes for the ambitious direct effort, but it’s neither close nor pretty.
79min: Chelsea looking to mount a response, but Azpilicueta’s cross is blocked and Leicester counter. The defense holds. Maddison then runs into a cul-de-sac on the next counter. Albrighton replaces Perez for the visitors.
74min: Pedro drives forward and chips in a short cross, but it just misses the top of Abraham’s head.
73min: Leicester waltz through the Chelsea defense and midfield, but Maddison blazes it over when it looked easier to score.
70min: Double change from Chelsea as Kovačić replaces Jorginho, and Willian makes his season debut by replacing Pulisic. Leicester respond by putting on Praet for Choudhoury.
67min: GOAL, LEICESTER. Leicester counter, an a deflected cross from Fuchs almost loops over Kepa. Maddison takes the corner, and Ndidi beats Azpilicueta to the ball to finish with ease. 1-1.
64min: Half-chances traded, with Schmeichel turning a save into a counter with a tremendous long-ball for Perez to create a 3-v-3, but Chelsea defend well.
61min: Maddison wins the ball from Pedro, then wins the corner. He then takes the corner, which Tielemans wastes with a poor effort from the top of the box. Giroud then makes way for Abraham in the game’s first sub.
58min: Maddison twists and turns and eventually hammers a cross-shot past Christensen, which does not find a target.
57min: Leicester’s latest corner is kept simple, and Choudhoury has a shot from the second ball. Kepa catches it through a sea of players.
55min: Pedro has picked up a painful-looking injury on his right foot, and is receiving extended treatment. He hobbles off slowly, tries a slow jog, then returns.
53min: Chelsea finally settle and keep the ball, applying solid pressure in the final third. Emerson eventually finds Giroud’s head, but it’s an easy save for Schmeichel.
50min: Maddison with a great chance as Azpilicueta is beaten, but Kepa slows him down and Mount completes the clearance on the cutback. Leicester have started the second half much better than Chelsea.
48min: Giroud and Vardy trade offsides on otherwise good-looking chances in behind the defensive lines.
46min: Leicester get the second half underway, and look immediately for Vardy. Christensen clears for a throw.
HALF-TIME: Chelsea took the lead after an electrifying start, but it’s been a much more even (and lower quality) contest since. That’s okay, as long as Chelsea can add a second goal early in the second half.
45+1min: Mount takes the corner, but Leicester clear the area and Jorginho’s volley from the top is high and wide and not so handsome.
45min: Pulisic blocks a Pereira cross for a corner, but does so in an awkward manner and seems to sprain his ankle in the process. He stays down briefly but is able to carry on. Meanwhile, Chelsea clear the corner with ease through Kanté, and eventually win a corner of their own through thanks to the high press.
43min: Game’s gone a bit flat after some sloppy play from both teams.
38min: Jorginho collects the game’s first booking for a foul on Tielemans. Leicester have a free kick in a good crossing position. Maddison curls it in from the right, but it eludes everyone.
34min: A period of Leicester possession and pressure ends with Emerson, Mount, and Pulisic combining to play out and relieve pressure, with the latter winning a free kick in midfield.
30min: Zouma and Kepa playing with fire as Vardy lurks, but Kepa escapes disaster with a desperate effort.
29min: Kanté drives forward from midfield, finding Pedro in the final third, but he chooses his pass poorly and Leicester can counter. Pedro tracks back, but is eventually called for a foul. Giroud heads clear from the free kick.
27min: What a chance! Fantastic interplay on the left creates a crossing opportunity for Emerson. His low cross is backheeled by Giroud into the path of Kanté, who looks set to score, but Fuchs arrives out of nowhere to deflect it wide with his big toe. Schmeichel then punches clear the follow-up corner.
25min: Mount with the inswinger, but Leicester clear with relative ease.
24min: Kurt Zouma, who’s made a great start to the game, runs clear the danger and wins a free kick on halfway. Emerson then wins a free kick a few yards outside the area, in prime crossing territory.
23min: Leicester have a corner after Giroud heads clear a free kick. Maddison takes, but Chelsea are wise to the trickery and clear, but waste the counter opportunity.
21min: Pedro twists and turns in the final third, holds up the ball then finds Azpilicueta wide. He chips in a short cross, finding Mount, but his header is straight at Schmeichel. Decent chance.
20min: Leicester with a brief period of pressure as Chelsea struggle to string passes together, but eventually we settle.
17min: Chelsea lose the ball in midfield and Leicester try to counter on the short pitch, but the pass for Vardy is too hard and Kepa collects. Danger!
13min: Emerson and Tielemans clash knees, but both look okay to carry on. Chelsea looking fairly comfortable at the moment.
11min: Leicester break as Chelsea lose the ball in the final third, but Christensen covers on Vardy and clears for a throw.
7min: GOAL!!!! MASON MOUNT!!!!! Leicester try to play out from the back, but Mount presses Ndidi, wins the ball, and as he’s falling down, surprises Schmeichel with a great finish. 1-0, CHELSEA!!
3min: Schmeichel with two huge saves on Mount and Pulisic, after Giroud creates another opportunity with a knock-down from a Jorginho chip-cross. A near-post flick on from the follow-up corner is cleared off the line.
1min: Giroud chests down an Azpilicueta cross for Pedro, who volleys it with venom at goal, but ripples the side instead of the back of the net. Didn’t miss by much.
KICK-OFF: A change of referee (Scott to Langford). Two nice banners for Lampard. The Liquidator. And we’re ready. Chelsea, in all blue with white socks, get us underway. Leicester in pink shirts, black shorts, pink socks.
Welcome back to Stamford Bridge! Chelsea haven’t played here since May, twelve games in all competitions ago.
Facing us today are Leicester City, the 2015-16 champions and the former home of N’Golo Kanté.
Here we go!
Chelsea starting lineup (4-2-3-1):
Arrizabalaga | Emerson, Zouma, Christensen, Azpilicueta (c) | Jorginho, Kanté | Pulisic, Mount, Pedro | Giroud
Substitutes from: Caballero, Alonso, Tomori, Barkley, Kovačić, Abraham, Willian
Leicester City starting lineup (4-3-3):
Schmeichel | Fuchs, Evans, Soyuncu, Perreira | Choudry, Ndidi, Tielemans | Maddison, Vardy, Pérez
Substitutes from: Ward, Justin, Morgan, Praet, Albrighton, Barnes, Iheanacho
Date / Time: Sunday, August 18, 2019; 16:30 BST; 11:30am EDT; 9:00pm IST
Venue: Stamford Bridge, SW6
Referee: Graham Scott Oli Langford — Scott was late after getting stuck in traffic, or some such, so the rookie fourth referee has been drafted in.
On TV: Sky Sports Main Event (UK); Telemundo, NBCSN (USA); Star Sports Select HD1; elsewhere
Streaming: Sky GO (UK); Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports Live (USA); Hotstar (India)
Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes!