Chelsea one game away from league title with win at Leicester City
For a while it seemed that Leicester City might delay Chelsea's title, but with the remorselessness that has characterized it over the past few months, Jose Mourinho's side came from behind to secure a 3-1 win that means it will be confirmed as champions if it beats Crystal Palace at home on Sunday. As in so many of its recent performances, Chelsea was functional rather than florid, but it got the job done, the captain John Terry eventually forcing in the goal that gave it the lead with 12 minutes remaining.
''Almost there,'' said Terry. ''We've been the best side all season ... the players and manager deserve a lot of respect, we've been great all year.''
The turnaround in Leicester's fortunes has been remarkable as it finally has begun to get the sort of results its performances have warranted. Seemingly certainties for relegation at the beginning of the month, it had won four games in a row before defeat to Chelsea. For the Foxes, perhaps, this will feel like an opportunity missed, having fought so hard for so long and matched the champions elect for most of the game, but they remain outside the relegation zone and still have the momentum to survive.
Arsenal forward Theo Walcott had claimed earlier in the day that Arsenal has been the best side in Europe in 2015, a bold statement made to look rather foolish by the memory of Arsenal's 3-1 capitulation at home to Monaco. But even if the basic point behind the vainglorious words, that Arsenal has played extremely well over the past four months, is accepted, therein lies the key to this season and why it is Chelsea who will win the league.
When Arsenal was out of form at the beginning if the season, it kept dropping points; it won only two of its first eight games. Chelsea has looked fatigued since Christmas and yet, since the 5-3 reverse against Tottenham Hotspur on New Year's Day, it has dropped just eight points. What Chelsea does better than the rest is win games when it is out of sorts, and that's what will win it the league. The criticism of Chelsea as "boring" is in its own way a compliment: nobody ever accuses a team that's bad at defending as being "boring"; as the former England full-back Gary Neville waspishly put it, winners win and losers talk about how you should win.
The early pressure was all Leicester's, but it rarely threatened to breach Chelsea's great yellow wall. Perhaps if Fernando Ulloa's touch had been better as he tried to take down forward pass from Esteban Cambiasso it would have been different, but it slithered away from him and the opportunity was lost. It's cause wasn't helped by two injuries in the first quarter of the game, both Andy King and the former Chelsea defender Robert Huth being forced off and for long periods the first half was one in which nothing much happened.
Not until the 41st minute was there the first real shot of note, Paul Konchesky stealing in at the back post to get a toe on a Marc Albrighton cross, only for Petr Cech, replacing Thibaut Courtois for his fifth start of the season, to make a fine low save at his right-hand post. Four minutes later, there came a second shot and this one was decisive. As Leicester broke, Jamie Vardy surged clear down the left. His cross seemed speculative rather than directed, but when Cesar Azpilicueta slipped, Albrighton had time to guide a measured sidefoot into the bottom corner, his first goal for the club.
Thoughts that Leicester might win a fifth game in a row and delay Chelsea's title procession didn't last long. Three minutes after half-time, Branislav Ivanovic, Eden Hazard and Willain combined following a throw in from the right and, Didier Drogba swept the Serbian full-back's cross past Kasper Schmeichel.
Forced to put caution to one side, Chelsea was far more threatening in the second half. Drogba, running on to a Fabregas through-ball, flashed a shot across the face of goal, then Ramires, drifting in from the right saw his drive deflected wide. Gary Cahill met the resulting corner with a firm header and, although Schmeichel got down to save, Terry was on hand to stab the ball over the line.
Five minutes later, Ramires set the seal on the win, gleefully lashing Fabregas's cut-back into the top corner, a fine goal to round off a thoroughly professional win. ''I think it is phenomenal what they are doing,'' said Mourinho, who has batted away suggestions in recent days that his team is boring. ''Top of the league since Day 1 -- it's not easy. I think we are what every team would like to be.''
It might not have been the most aesthetically stirring performance, but it was effective, and it's efficiency that wins titles.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
