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Kai Havertz is Chelsea's top scorer this season on eight goals in all competitionsChelsea's mini-revival continued with a third victory in a row as they consigned struggling Leicester City to a fifth consecutive defeat.
Buoyed by their Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea started brightly and Ben Chilwell volleyed in from a tight angle against his old club.
Chelsea's Joao Felix and Leicester's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall hit the woodwork in the space of two minutes, then Felix had a goal ruled out by the video assistant referee for offside.
Patson Daka rifled home an excellent equaliser after Ricardo Pereira won the ball off the dawdling Felix outside the box.
But Kai Havertz pounced six minutes into first-half injury time with an excellent dinked finish from Enzo Fernandez's clever aerial ball.
Mykhailo Mudryk thought he had his first goal for the Blues after the break but his effort was disallowed for offside.
Mateo Kovacic sealed the win as he volleyed in from Mudryk's header.
The sliding Foxes, who ended with 10 men following Wout Faes' late dismissal for a second booking, now just sit one point outside the relegation zone.
Are Chelsea saving their season?
Chelsea have now despatched Leeds, Dortmund and Leicester in the space of eight days - having failed to win in the previous six games spread over five weeks.
This ended their worst run without an away win since 2000-01, having failed to win in their last 10 games on the road since October.
Graham Potter will be hoping this is the turning point after a difficult start in his first role at one of Europe's biggest teams. They are still only 10th but now sit just two points off a potential European place.
They led from their first major chance when Chilwell met Kalidou Koulibaly's cross to smash home, a goal he celebrated against his former employers.
It could have been even better with Felix clipping a shot past Danny Ward which hit the post, then finding the net from Ruben Loftus-Cheek's cross. With everyone back at the centre circle ready to restart, it was ruled out by the VAR because Felix was offside.
Havertz did put them back into the lead with a clever finish from Fernandez's ball.
The £89m Ukraine forward Mudryk sped away from Leicester's defence to slot in but he was ruled outside. Not long after he had his first assist in English football as Havertz crossed from the right and Mudryk headed down for Kovacic to lash in.
The goal was checked by the VAR for a potential Havertz offside but the goal was given.
More to follow.
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Leicester City
Squad number1Player nameWard
Squad number18Player nameAmartey
Squad number15Player nameSouttar
Squad number3Player nameFaes
Squad number21Player nameRicardo Pereira
Squad number22Player nameDewsbury-Hall
Squad number24Player nameMendy
Squad number27Player nameCastagne
Squad number14Player nameIheanacho
Squad number20Player nameDaka
Squad number10Player nameMaddison
Squad number6Player nameEvans
Squad number7Player nameBarnes
Squad number9Player nameVardy
Squad number37Player nameTetê
Squad number42Player nameSoumaré
Chelsea
Squad number1Player nameArrizabalaga
Squad number33Player nameFofana
Squad number26Player nameKoulibaly
Squad number32Player nameCucurella
Squad number12Player nameLoftus-Cheek
Squad number5Player nameFernández
Squad number8Player nameKovacic
Squad number21Player nameChilwell
Squad number29Player nameHavertz
Squad number15Player nameMudryk
Squad number11Player nameJoão Félix
Squad number4Player nameBadiashile
Squad number10Player namePulisic
Squad number14Player nameChalobah
Squad number23Player nameGallagher
Squad number30Player nameChukwuemeka
Line-ups
Leicester
Formation 3-4-3
- 1Ward
- 18AmarteySubstituted forTetêat 66'minutes
- 15Souttar
- 3FaesBooked at 87mins
- 21Ricardo PereiraBooked at 51mins
- 22Dewsbury-Hall
- 24MendySubstituted forSoumaréat 66'minutes
- 27Castagne
- 14IheanachoSubstituted forVardyat 76'minutes
- 20DakaSubstituted forBarnesat 66'minutes
- 10MaddisonSubstituted forEvansat 90'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Evans
- 7Barnes
- 9Vardy
- 25Ndidi
- 26Praet
- 31Iversen
- 33Thomas
- 37Tetê
- 42Soumaré
Chelsea
Formation 3-4-3
- 1Arrizabalaga
- 33FofanaBooked at 13minsSubstituted forBadiashileat 86'minutes
- 26Koulibaly
- 32CucurellaBooked at 31mins
- 12Loftus-CheekSubstituted forChalobahat 73'minutes
- 5Fernández
- 8Kovacic
- 21ChilwellSubstituted forPulisicat 73'minutes
- 29Havertz
- 15MudrykSubstituted forChukwuemekaat 82'minutes
- 11João FélixSubstituted forGallagherat 45'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Badiashile
- 10Pulisic
- 13Bettinelli
- 14Chalobah
- 20Zakaria
- 22Ziyech
- 23Gallagher
- 30Chukwuemeka
- 31Madueke
Referee:Andre Marriner
Attendance:32,170
Live Text
Match ends, Leicester City 1, Chelsea 3.
Second Half ends, Leicester City 1, Chelsea 3.
Foul by Boubakary Soumaré (Leicester City).
Conor Gallagher (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Leicester City. Jonny Evans replaces James Maddison.
Offside, Chelsea. Kai Havertz tries a through ball, but Carney Chukwuemeka is caught offside.
Second yellow card to Wout Faes (Leicester City) for a bad foul.
Foul by Wout Faes (Leicester City).
Carney Chukwuemeka (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Chelsea. Benoît Badiashile replaces Wesley Fofana because of an injury.
Attempt missed. James Maddison (Leicester City) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Boubakary Soumaré.
Substitution, Chelsea. Carney Chukwuemeka replaces Mykhailo Mudryk.
Foul by Jamie Vardy (Leicester City).
Wesley Fofana (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
VAR Decision: Goal Chelsea - Leicester City 1-3 Chelsea (Mateo Kovacic).
Goal! Leicester City 1, Chelsea 3. Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Mykhailo Mudryk with a headed pass.Goal confirmed following VAR Review.
Foul by Jamie Vardy (Leicester City).
Enzo Fernández (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Ricardo Pereira with a cross.
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