After their performance away at Leeds United last weekend, Chelsea needed to find a response against Leicester City.
Their start to the Premier League season has by no means been the worst, especially considering how a couple of their rivals had performed prior to matchday four of the campaign, but it was clear to see that they needed to improve.
Thomas Tuchel’s squad came up against a Leicester side who sat in 19th in the table, having picked up just one point from a possible nine.
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Victory would by no means be easy considering the strength of the Premier League, but the Foxes were arguably one of the more favourable sides for Chelsea to play if they wanted to make amends for their previous result.
Come full time, the Blues had sealed an important victory, winning 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.
Raheem Sterling was on hand to net his first goal for the club shortly after the break, with the 27-year-old seeing his shot deflect over the Foxes’ goalkeeper Danny Ward.
His second came from an excellent move from the hosts, with Reece James soon proceeding to send a delightful cross towards the back post for Sterling to tap in a second.
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Harvey Barnes scored shortly after, but his side just could not find an equaliser.
Chelsea had to battle hard to hold onto the three points, with the backline demonstrating their experience and skill as the clock ticked down.
The Blues’ job was not made any easier though as Conor Gallagher’s sending off meant Tuchel’s side had to play with ten men for most of the match.
After the game, the German spoke on the midfielder’s dismissal: "Today he is responsible for what he did.
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"Of course, he knows it was a huge mistake. We spoke briefly after the game and things like this can happen.
"It's not purely his fault alone because it's a set-piece for us and it's sloppy how we take set-pieces at the moment."
Gallagher, who made his first competitive start at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea, received a second yellow card for his tackle on Barnes, who was on the break for Leicester.
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He was sent off in the 28th minute, with the Foxes therefore having an extra man for the majority of the game.
Chelsea, however, did not let this faze them and their efforts.
Some solid goalkeeping at the end of the first half from Edouard Mendy kept the scores level going into the break.
Once play resumed, the Blues finally took one of their chances and opened the scoring, before adding their second later on.
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They will be disappointed not to have kept a clean sheet, but securing the win was much more important.
Throughout the latter stages of the match, they had to fight against late Leicester pushes for an equaliser, and Tuchel can be pleased with what his side showed.
Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta proved their worth once again, with Trevoh Chalobah continuing the trend of Chelsea never losing in the league when he has started.
Such fight and desire to hold onto the three points having had a man sent off is something that top teams must possess, and it could be beneficial for the Blues further down the line.
This season is different compared to previous campaigns as a result of the hectic schedule that precedes the World Cup later this year, and results like this could prove to be the key difference at the end of the season
Even though it was far from perfect from Chelsea, Tuchel should be delighted with how his team responded to a setback.
Topics: Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel, Leicester City, Premier League
Robert Calcutt