Chelsea strengthened their push for Champions League qualification with a 1-0 victory over Leicester, thanks to a stunning strike from Marc Cucurella, while Tottenham mounted a dramatic comeback to draw 2-2 with Bournemouth on Sunday.
Cucurella’s second-half thunderbolt at Stamford Bridge propelled Chelsea into fourth place in the Premier League, surpassing Manchester City. The win puts Chelsea two points ahead of City in the race for a top-four finish, which guarantees a spot in next season’s Champions League.
The victory marked just Chelsea’s fourth win in their last 12 league games, but it came in response to manager Enzo Maresca’s challenge to secure maximum points from their remaining home fixtures. Maresca believes that if Chelsea can continue this form, they will secure Champions League qualification, though they will need to improve after a shaky performance against relegation-threatened Leicester.
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer missed a penalty in the first half and was later substituted, extending his drought to seven league games without a goal or assist. His frustrated body language sparked criticism, as the England forward struggles to find his best form.
Maresca, who left Leicester after guiding them to promotion, watched his former side continue their dismal run. The Foxes have now lost five consecutive league matches and are six points adrift of safety, with relegation looming.
Before the match, Chelsea celebrated their 120th anniversary with club legends Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Dennis Wise, Kerry Dixon, and Ron Harris taking to the pitch. However, the game itself was far from a fitting tribute to the club’s storied history.
Chelsea were awarded a first-half penalty after a clumsy challenge from Leicester’s Victor Kristiansen on Jadon Sancho. Palmer, eager to end his scoring drought, stepped up to take the spot-kick, but Leicester keeper Mads Hermansen made an excellent save, denying him his first career penalty goal.
Leicester almost made Chelsea pay for their missed opportunity when goalkeeper Robert Sanchez fumbled a cross, and a mishit clearance from Tosin Adarabioyo struck the post. However, Chelsea broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion in the 60th minute when Cucurella unleashed a powerful shot from 25 yards into the bottom corner.
– Spurs escape –
At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Bournemouth missed a chance to climb into the top four, as Tottenham salvaged a 2-2 draw, sparing manager Ange Postecoglou from another defeat. Spurs had suffered a 1-0 loss to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Thursday, leaving the competition as their last hope of fulfilling Postecoglou’s claim that he always wins a trophy in his second season.
Tottenham, languishing in 13th place in the Premier League, were without a win in three matches across all competitions. Despite the return of striker Dominic Solanke from injury and Cristian Romero’s comeback in defense, Spurs fell behind in the 42nd minute. Marcus Tavernier capitalized on a careless giveaway by Pedro Porro, finishing Milos Kerkez’s precise cross with a clinical strike.
Postecoglou introduced Son Heung-min at halftime to spark a comeback, and the South Korean forward nearly equalized with a deflected shot that narrowly missed the target. Bournemouth extended their lead in the 65th minute when Evanilson slotted home a composed finish after racing onto Justin Kluivert’s pass.
However, Spurs responded swiftly, with Pape Sarr reducing the deficit just two minutes later. The Tottenham midfielder sent in a misjudged cross that dipped past a flailing Kepa Arrizabalaga to find the back of the net.
The match was finally leveled in the 84th minute, as Kepa was penalized for a reckless challenge on Son inside the box. Son confidently converted the spot-kick, ending a 10-game goal drought and bringing his tally to 11 goals for the season across all competitions.
Later on Sunday, second-place Arsenal faced Manchester United at Old Trafford, hoping to close the gap on runaway leaders Liverpool to 13 points.
AFP
