Leicester City duo Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez have arguably been the Premier League’s two best players so far this season.
Mahrez and Vardy’s form has been so dazzling that – IF they maintain it in the second half of the campaign – there is a real chance Leicester could be crowned champions of England for the first time in their 131-year history.
One thing almost certain in this season of surprises is that Chelsea will NOT retain the title.
Jose Mourinho’s Blues, who won the league by an eight-point margin last term, are 20 points behind Leicester after losing 2-1 to the unlikely leaders at the King Power Stadium on Monday night.
Vardy and Mahrez fired Claudio Ranieri’s men into a 2-0 lead against the Tinker Man’s former club, before Loic Remy netted what proved only to be a consolation strike for the away side.
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With his 15th goal of the season, Vardy hammered Leicester in front on 34 minutes when he ghosted in behind Chelsea skipper John Terry to meet Mahrez’s clever cross.
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Leicester’s second of the night came three minutes after half time.
Mahrez – nine days after scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 win at Swansea – curled past Thibaut Courtois to notch his 12th goal of the campaign in all competitions.
The Algeria winger plucked a high pass out of the sky, before bamboozling Cesar Azpilicueta with some neat footwork and then beating Courtois with an equally tidy finish.
From the moment Leicester went 2-0 up, Chelsea were by far the better side.
Chelsea dominated possession and created enough chances to win the game, but a combination of poor finishing and Kasper Schmeichel’s superb goalkeeping kept Leicester ahead.
Remy made Leicester very nervous when he headed Pedro’s cross beyond Schmeichel with 13 minutes of normal time remaining.
However, the Foxes weathered the Chelsea storm to record their 10th Premier League win of the season. Chelsea’s search for their fifth win continues.
Leicester return to the top of the table, moving two points clear of Arsenal, who are the only team to have beaten them in the league this term.
Full time: Leicester 2-1 Chelsea
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