13/10/2001  Chelsea 2 Leicester 0
 
Leicester's new manager Dave Bassett was given a clear 
indication of the size of the task ahead of him as Chelsea 
swept to an utterly convincing victory at Stamford Bridge. 

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's eighth goal of the season, from 
the penalty spot, and a goal of real quality by Eidur 
Gudjohnsen, ended any hopes Bassett might have harboured about 
getting off to a good start. 

Chelsea remain the only unbeaten team in the Premiership, 
though strangely this was their first home win of the season, 
and there are signs that Claudio Ranieri could finally have 
forged an outfit to be reckoned with. 

Even a point would have made Leicester happy. This time 
last season, the Foxes were top of the Premiership and all 
seemed rosy under Peter Taylor. 

At Stamford Bridge, they kicked off against Chelsea as 
bottom of the pile and hoping that 'Harry' Bassett could once 
more live up to his Houdini nickname.

Bassett, on a £500,000 bonus to keep the Foxes in the top 
flight, resisted making sweeping changes to Leicester despite 
their 6-0 Worthington Cup drubbing by Leeds. 

There was a spectacular welcome for Chelsea old boy Dennis 
Wise, paraded onto the pitch before kick-off by chairman Ken 
Bates, who presented him with an award in front of the 
cheering fans before enfolding the diminutive midfielder in a 
bearhug. 

That was as good as it got for Wise, who was played off the 
park by Emmanuel Petit in midfield while Hasselbaink, 
Gudjohnsen and Gianfranco Zola plagued the Leicester defence 
unceasingly. 

Yet it took two weak efforts early on by Matthew Jones and 
Ade Akinbiyi to sting Chelsea into life, after which they 
proceeded to dominate the entire match. 

Boudewijn Zenden wasted the first Chelsea chance, scuffing 
wide when one-on-one with Ian Walker, and then Hasselbaink 
struck a low snap-shot which the Leicester keeper managed to 
parry. 

After 18 minutes, a sublime piece of skill from Gudjohnsen 
earned Chelsea a penalty. The Icelandic striker controlled 
Zola's long pass with his chest, looped the ball over Gary 
Rowett and charged past the Foxes defender, who tugged him 
down. 

Referee Jeff Winter pointed to the spot and Hasselbaink 
struck the spot-kick so powerfully that although Walker 
managed to get a good hand to the ball it ricocheted into the 
top of the net. 

It was the Dutchman's eighth goal in seven Premiership 
appearances this season. 

With Emmanuel Petit running midfield, Leicester were left 
chasing the ball, and often shadows. 

Hasselbaink forced Walker into a sprawling save from 20 
yards, and Zola, playing nominally on the right of midfield 
but ranging across the pitch, struck a half-volley that dipped 
over the cross-bar. 

Gudjohnsen, displaying some brilliant control, was a real 
handful for Matt Elliott and Lee Marshall. 

First an attempted backheel nearly paid dividends, then, 
with seven minutes of the opening half remaining his neat turn 
and shot was only thwarted by a classy reaction save from 
Walker. 

A minute before the break, however, Gudjohnsen finally got 
his reward. Jones' pass left Wise in trouble, Zenden 
intercepted, sped away and backheeled to Zola, who fed 
Gudjohnsen on the edge of the area. 

Some bewitching footwork created space for a shot and the 
Icelander fired low past Walker, who once more made a gallant 
but unsuccessful effort to save. 

The second half was little more than a procession for 
Chelsea, who paraded their skills to the full without 
increasing their lead.

Leicester were left to ponder their uncertain future, 
though Muzzy Izzet finally gave the small band of travelling 
fans something to cheer with a lovely jinking run that set up 
Jones, but his driven cross was hopeless. 

Hasselbaink then curled in a free-kick from 20 yards that 
was heading into the top corner but Walker, comfortably 
Leicester's best player, just managed to finger-tip the ball 
over the bar. 

With 20 minutes to go, some trickery by substitute Mikael 
Forssell, playing a back-heeled one-two with Babayaro, set up 
the Nigerian but he pulled his shot just wide. 

At least Bassett will have been pleased that Leicester did 
not give up, and late on Robbie Savage, unusually muted for 
much of the match, struck a deep cross from the right that 
found Akinbiyi unmarked. 

The striker headed down, but too far down, and Cudicini 
could afford to watch as the ball bounced over the bar.