Chelsea 1-0 Leicester: Marc Cucurella goal earns vital win after Cole Palmer penalty miss

In partnership with

Evening Standard

·9. März 2025

Chelsea 1-0 Leicester: Marc Cucurella goal earns vital win after Cole Palmer penalty miss

Blues earn vital win in push for Champions League qualification

Chelsea have reclaimed fourth spot from Man City in the Premier League table

OneFootball Videos

AFP via Getty Images

Your matchday briefing on Chelsea, featuring team news and expert analysis from Malik Ouzia

Sign up

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Chelsea are back into the top-four in the Premier League table following a 1-0 win over Leicester.

The Blues weren’t quite at their best at Stamford Bridge and needed a fine strike from Marc Cucurella to finally find a way past Mads Hermansen after the Foxes goalkeeper had saved a penalty from Cole Palmer.

With Manchester City losing to Nottingham Forest earlier in the weekend, coupled with Brighton’s last-gasp win over Fulham, the race for Champions League qualification is really heating up.

Chelsea arrived at Stamford Bridge knowing they would end the day in fourth provided they avoided defeat. However, Enzo Maresca urged his side to go all out for three points, with them being at home against a side battling for survival.

To their credit, the Blues made a fast start. Palmer had a early penalty claim waved away before firing an effort high and wide.

Palmer was then presented with an opportunity to break the deadlock and end his goal drought in the process when Chelsea were awarded a penalty for Victor Kristiansen’s trip on Jadon Sancho.

Usually so reliable from 12 yards, the Blues’ number 20 saw his spot-kick superbly saved by Hermansen, resulting in his first ever penalty miss in the Premier League.

Buoyed on by that save, Leicester inches away from breaking the deadlock after Robert Sanchez came flying out of his goal but completely missed James Justin’s cross which saw Tosin Adarabioyo inadvertently head the ball against the woodwork.

The first-half drifted to its conclusion relatively drama free with six minutes of stoppage time played due to the clash of heads between Pedro Neto and Wout Faes which left both players requiring medical treatment.

A rather subdued game was lit up on the hour mark when Cucurella was afforded far too much time and space and the full-back took on a shot, arrowing his effort into the bottom corner to break the deadlock.

That proved to be the only goal of a low-key affair. Not that Maresca will mind too much as his side are back up into fourth place, two points clear of Man City in the race for Champions League qualification.