‘A hard fought win’ – Graham Potter reflects on Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Leicester City

Chelsea hammered Leicester City 3-1 at the King Power Stadium to record successive league victories for the first time since October and hand the Foxes their fifth consecutive defeat in all competitions today.

Blues manager Graham Potter was not far from the truth when he labelled the victory a ‘hard-fought win’ as the scoreline did not reflect Leicester’s brevity and competitiveness.

A first half littered with goals saw Ben Chilwell’s opener cancelled out by Patson Daka’s stunner before Kai Havertz restored Chelsea’s lead, finishing off Enzo Fernandez’s lofted pass just before the interval.

An end-to-end second half stocked with several near-misses followed, but a late Mateo Kovacic volley sealed all three points for Chelsea.

Analysing his side’s impressive display away from home, Potter insisted he was delighted with the win but added there were still some improvements to be made.

“Hard fought win as away games in the Premier League always are,” Potter told ChelseaTV.

“Leicester were very spirited, we were good in our finishing – we could improve some things but overall delighted to win. To come away with the three points is fantastic for us to complete a positive week.”

It is now three wins from their last three games in all competitions, and the Blues look to have finally grasped Potter’s methods following a difficult last few months.

Belief and confidence have become the theme of the locker room, and Potter, who has spent most of his reign on the edge, can breathe a sigh of relief with the pressure on his shoulders not as heavy as previously.

However, the Chelsea gaffer refused to get ahead of himself, especially following Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth earlier today, despite putting seven past Manchester United last weekend.

“Well you only have to see with the Liverpool result,” Potter added. “They win 7-0, and then it’s tricky at Bournemouth – it’s the Premier League no matter who you play. 

“To forget about what you’ve done and to carry on it’s tough, so credit to the players for that – the mentality was good, and the quality shone through in the end.”

Victory over Leicester moves Chelsea to within five points of the top five – although it would be premature to claim they are back in contention for the top four as they are still 11 points of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

With no midweek action in store, the Blues will have a full week to prepare for next weekend’s tricky clash with relegation-threatened Everton at Stamford Bridge.