Jose Mourinho had the old guard to thank, as Didier Drogba and John Terry helped Chelsea to come back from behind, before Ramires sealed a 3-1 win against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
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Perhaps surprisingly, given their respective positions, it was the home side that created the better openings in the first half. The evergreen Esteban Cambiasso dictated much of the play in the middle of the pitch. However, Nigel Pearson’s men were set back as they lost both Andy King and Robert Huth to injury within the first 25 minutes. Nevertheless, the Foxes used the tireless running of Jamie Vardy to put the lacklustre Blues under pressure.
The first real question posed in the match came not long before the break, and from an unlikely source. Paul Konchesky managed to get a first-time shot away from a cross, and the effort looked destined for the bottom corner. However, Petr Cech proved that time on the bench fails to blunt his sharpness, as he got across expertly well to keep the full-back’s attempt out. He was unable to do anything about Leicester’s next attack.
Nemanja Matic gave the ball away, which allowed Matty James to play an exquisitely-weighted pass into the path of Vardy. The striker managed to drill a pass across the six-yard box, which should have been comfortably dealt with by Cesar Azpilicueta. However, the Spaniard slipped as the ball went by, allowing Marc Albrighton to find the bottom corner. Suddenly, the home side were going into the imminent break ahead.
But the interval came at the perfect time for Mourinho, as his team emerged for the second half, and found a much higher gear. The passing became slicker, and the possession had intent. They were rewarded three minutes into the half, as Drogba managed to get to a cross ahead of his markers and slide the ball pass Kasper Schmeichel.
Their dominance failed to translate into another goal for over half an hour, but as a draw appeared to be on the cards, the captain Terry flicked the ball home from a couple of yards from a corner.
And the victory was completed three minutes later as Ramires hit a wonderful effort from the edge of the box, and like a bullet, it flew into the top corner.
The full-time whistle was greeted with celebrations much like those seen at the Emirates in their last game. Whilst they can still be caught, Chelsea’s name can surely now be engraved on the Premier League trophy for the fourth time.