Overview

In what must go down as the most chastening evening of the season, Chelsea were shown up by a very well-coached Leicester team. This was not a freak defeat or one influenced by fatigue. Chelsea’s systemic flaws were ruthlessly exploited by a team filled with intent, poise and a clear set of tactical ideas.

Chelsea players came out with intent of their own too, and there was no shortage of running, but there was little direction or cohesion behind the flurry of movement. Despite the vast gulf in resources, Chelsea were dismantled like a lower mid-table team by Leicester’s surgical incision.

Anything is possible in a congested season like this but Chelsea face the possibility of being overtaken by not just the likes of Everton and Tottenham but also West Ham and Aston Villa. Something will have to change sooner than later if Chelsea have designs of getting any taste of European football next season, even if it is merely Europa League.

---

Match statistics

Match statistics from fbref and understat.

---

Individual ratings

Frank Lampard

Got schooled by a significantly better manager on every level. The midfield looked doomed on paper and somehow even worse in reality, which would have been excusable if Gilmour were not sitting on the bench. Gilmour has proven himself as the deepest midfielder, even if it is not his best position. As always, it is not to suggest Gilmour by himself would have won the game but picking your best available players sure does help.

It also helps to play players in their right roles, too. It shouldn’t take a football-Einstein to see that Hudson-Odoi was the best passer in the starting XI or to note Pulisic’s special ability around the box. To funnel the play through Pulisic while forcing Hudson-Odoi to poach is absurd. Pulisic is not Hazard in the way he plays, Hudson-Odoi is not Mané yet; expecting young players to be things they are not is detrimental.

Leicester exploited our lack of compactness and the borderline-hilarious gaps between players to no end in the first half. When Chelsea were then asked to break down an excellently drilled Leicester block, the team had no answers. Leicester do not have better players than Chelsea in most positions, but they are the better team by a wide margin. As is often the case at Chelsea, the manager has to bear responsibility for that.

RATING: 4

---

Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

Édouard Mendy

Made a few important saves and as the advanced metrics suggest, he came out of the game with some credit. However, his distribution seems to have gone for a toss and he can improve at collecting crosses.

RATING: 5.5

---

Reece James

Should have done a lot better for Leicester’s second goal and his attacking radar (especially the final pass) was not at its best. Was very active defensively but the bulk of his work was undone by one bad moment.

Stats of note
7 progressive passes - Joint 1st among Chelsea players
2 passes into penalty box - Joint 1st
2 shots - Joint 1st
2 key passes - 2nd
4 shot-creating actions - 2nd
3 interceptions - 2nd
5 passes into final third - Joint 2nd
9 progressive runs - Joint 2nd
15 pressures - 3rd
4 tackles - Joint 3rd

RATING: 5.5

---

Thiago Silva

The poor midfield setup significantly reduced passing options for Silva, thereby forcing the bulk of the play to go through Rüdiger. Could not have done much more on either goal.

Stats of note
6 clearances - 1st
5 passes into final third - Joint 2nd

RATING: 5.5

---

Photo by Rui Vieira/PA Images via Getty Images

Antonio Rüdiger

Made a massive misjudgment leading to Leicester’s second goal, the sort of “lapse in concentration” that has seen Tomori ostracized and only deemed good enough for Italy’s league leaders. His distribution was largely solid, however.

Stats of note
14 passes into final third - 1st
11 progressive runs - 1st
7 progressive passes - Joint 1st
2 passes into penalty box - Joint 1st
2 aerial duels won (3 contested) - 2nd
3 clearances - 3rd
8 loose-ball recoveries - 3rd

RATING: 5

---

Ben Chilwell

Had a nightmare homecoming, mainly because the space between him and Kovačić was ruthlessly exposed. The lack of confidence seeped into his game on the ball too.

Stats of note
4 clearances - 2nd
9 progressive runs - Joint 2nd
2 interceptions - 3rd
4 tackles - Joint 3rd

RATING: 4.5

---

Photo by Rui Vieira/PA Images via Getty Images

Mateo Kovačić

Was asked to play as the deepest midfielder and his lack of footballing intelligence was compounded by his unfamiliarity with the role. He made a few genuinely good runs on the ball but his defensive work was a total trainwreck. He consistently got on the wrong side of players, resorting to slide tackles in desperate attempts to win the ball back.

Stats of note
3 successful dribbles (3 attempted) - 1st
12 loose-ball recoveries - 1st
6 tackles - 2nd

RATING: 5

---

Mason Mount

In what is becoming a weekly occurrence, Mount was perhaps the only outfielder to emerge from the game with any credit. He was asked to start in a double pivot for the first time in his Chelsea career and while he was not perfect, he did a lot better than expected. He was the only player to take the game to Leicester in the second half, but got drowned out easily by sheer numbers.

If the rating seems a bit too high compared to the rest of the starting XI, it is because his efforts warrant it. In terms of willingness and attitude, Mount is effectively the captain of this Chelsea team.

Stats of note
4 key passes - 1st
5 shot-creating actions - 1st
7 tackles - 1st
4 interceptions - 1st
24 pressures - 1st
7 progressive passes - Joint 1st
2 passes into penalty box - Joint 1st
10 loose-ball recoveries - 2nd
5 passes into final third - Joint 2nd

RATING: 7

---

Kai Havertz

Showed flashes of his potential but his lack of physicality was exploited by Leicester off the ball. While he did take part in some nice interplays, his decision-making was too slow at times.

Stats of note
3 touches in penalty box - 2nd

RATING: 5

---

Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Callum Hudson-Odoi

Was starved of the ball by his own teammates and had a largely toothless display as a result. Making one of the world’s best young passers, who also happens to be in excellent form, receive the ball miles away from danger and making him poach in the box is not an optimal strategy.

Stats of note
2 passes into penalty box - Joint 1st

RATING: 5

---

Tammy Abraham

Made several runs to peel off Wesley Fofana but was never found on any of them. The team’s lack of creative impetus forced him to drop too deep to touch the ball and rendered him ineffective.

Stats of note
3 aerial duels won (4 contested) - 1st
2 shots - Joint 1st
4 touches in penalty box - Joint 1st

RATING: 5

---

Christian Pulisic

Tried to play himself out of his recent wretched form but could not influence things the way he wanted to. Lampard prioritized Pulisic over Hudson-Odoi as the go-to guy in possession despite their respective forms and it affected the team’s offense. He played hard and deserves praise for that but the fluency is just not there. A brief spell out of the team might do everyone good.

Stats of note
2 passes into penalty box - Joint 1st
4 touches in penalty box - Joint 1st
2 successful dribbles (3 attempted) - 2nd
20 pressures - 2nd

RATING: 5.5

---

Substitutes

Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

Hakim Ziyech (67th minute) — Had a total of zero key passes, passes into box, progressive passes and passes into final third. Considering his recurring injuries and inability to influence big games, he has been a major disappointment thus far. Chelsea needed him to be a version of Bruno Fernandes in terms of being the leader of a young attack, and he has massively underwhelmed in that regard.

Timo Werner (67th minute) — Could count himself unlucky to have seen a set-piece goal ruled out for a marginal offside, but did nothing of note otherwise.