03/02/2001  Leicester 2 Chelsea 1
 
Chelsea's away form in the Premiership continues to be dismal, as Leicester 
fashioned a victory full of vigour and invention.

The stars in Chelsea's side may be more glamorous, but Leicester were never 
second-best in terms of skill, and were far and away the victors when it came to 
dedication. 

Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri said before kick-off he believes his players are 
clever enough to handle his tactical changes. On this evidence, the jury remains 
out on that claim.

What should be of greater concern to the Italian coach is his team's 
shortcomings in defence, not least with their marking. On two crucial occasions
a Leicester player found himself unmarked at the back-post - and both times 
Chelsea were punished.

Muzzy Izzet and Gary Rowett were the goalscorers, Rowett scoring seconds after 
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink appeared to have secured Chelsea an undeserved point.

The visitors had started well but were too intricate - some of their work 
around the opposition's box was a joy to watch, but the time it took allowed 
Leicester to get back in numbers and pack the danger area.

Ranieri's side went into the game unbeaten in eight games, but are still 
without an away win in the Premiership since April last year.

The game exploded into life with two incidents in the 16th minute, as first 
Leicester and then Chelsea contrived to miss good chances.

Robbie Savage was the first culprit, bursting onto Andy Impey's long, lofted 
pass after Celestine Babayaro had missed the clearance. Savage was one-on-one 
with Carlo Cudicini, but the Chelsea keeper came out fast to block the 
midfielder's shot.

Chelsea immediately broke, Jesper Gronkjaer showing pace and expert skill to 
reach the byline on the left and cross. Gianfranco Zola dummied over the ball 
for Hasselbaink to shoot from eight yards, but his effort was charged down, and 
Wise cursed himself after putting the rebound into the side-netting.

Leicester were not so wasteful with their next opportunity. Izzet, the 
midfielder who started his career with Chelsea, headed the Foxes in front in the 
23rd minute.

Steve Guppy, very briefly hailed as the answer to England's left-sided 
problem, turned Albert Ferrer inside out before crossing. Frank Leboeuf managed 
only to head the ball backwards to the far post where Izzet, completely 
unmarked, headed home with no fuss.

Two minutes before half-time, Leicester keeper Simon Royce was involved in an 
incident of comic proportions which so nearly handed an equaliser to Chelsea.

Royce's attempted clearance from Izzet's backpass struck Zola, and when 
Elliott then tackled the Italian striker, he managed only to set up Hasselbaink 
with a seemingly open goal.

But the Dutchman's strike was blocked by Callum Davidson and Royce scrambled 
the loose ball away for a corner as Zola tried to pounce.

Two minutes after the break, Guppy showed once again why his left foot is so 
feared. The wing-back broke down the left and curled an exquisite cross to the 
back-post where the unmarked Dean Sturridge hammered in a shot which Cudicini 
did excellently to block at point-blank range.

Izzet may have been the hero of the first half, but his glaring miss after 50 
minutes was enough to make him the villain of the second.

Roberto Mancini floated a cross of such perfection that it would have been 
harder to miss the target, but somehow Izzet put his header wide from eight 
yards.

Junior Lewis, a long-legged, left-footed midfielder on loan from Gillingham, 
crowned a mature display for the Foxes with a pass to Sturridge that Mancini 
would have been proud of. The pace on the ball took out two Chelsea defenders 
but Sturridge blasted well over.

Mancini made way for Ade Akinbiyi after an hour, the Italian's fitness still 
not up to the rigours of a full Premiership match.

Wise almost capitalised when Royce dropped a cross, but the Foxes keeper 
managed to clasp the loose ball.

With 15 minutes remaining, Hasselbaink grabbed an equaliser from a direct 
route. Wise crossed in a hopeful ball and the Dutch striker planted a looping 
header beyond Royce for his first goal in 10 away games.

But the lead lasted less than a minute. Robbie Savage floated in a free-kick, 
Elliott won a flick-on and Gary Rowett showed up Chelsea's appalling marking 
once more as he fired home gleefully from six yards out for only his second goal 
for Leicester.