Leicestershire

Chris Forryan
Fan writer

Image source, PA Media

To change horses midstream means to make changes to an activity that has already started.

Finally, after weeks of screaming for it, that is exactly what Leicester got at Chelsea on Sunday.

Going into the match, I felt we might get something from a Chelsea side that were not in the best of form and whose fans were voicing public apathy towards their manager's style of play. That is something we well remember from Enzo Maresca's time last year, albeit were 17 points clear at the top and that silences a lot of criticism.

However, the shock was almost audible when the team was announced and we no longer saw the 4-2-3-1 formation that had been failing us every week under Ruud van Nistelrooy.

He had changed to a 5-2-1-2, with the back five reverting to a back three going forward and deployed wing-backs. This change, it appeared, frustrated Maresca.

We saw Jordan Ayew and Bobby DeCordova-Reid dropped, neither of whom should be starters. Luke Thomas and Conor Coady were back in defence, with the latter offering experience and leadership. And yes, two up front.

We did not win but, if the team performance against West Ham was a -10 out of 10, this was a solid seven. With rumours Van Nistelrooy had been considering this formation since he arrived, the question is why wait until now when we face our hardest run of games of the season?

Up front, with two starting, the hope was we would break our goalless run, but it does not matter if we have five up front if we are not getting the ball to them. With only four touches in the first half for Jamie Vardy, this is a problem that needs attention.

Too little, too late? Time will tell, but let us enjoy the fact that this was probably our best performance against a top-half team.

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Image source, Getty Images

Ruud van Nistelrooy's switch to a back five saw his Leicester team perform "much better" defensively but they still "lacked cutting edge" in Sunday's defeat by Chelsea, says BBC Sport football news reporter Nizaar Kinsella.

"It was interesting, I was a bit surprised they went to a back five," he told BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast.

"I think they maybe caught Chelsea out a bit. They looked dangerous.

"I thought Chelsea were in a bit of trouble at one stage and you could sense it in the stadium. The fans were getting nervous. Then [Marc] Cucurella's long-range effort squeezes in. It wasn't exactly Chelsea carving Leicester open and creating a clear-cut chance and finding that moment, it was a pot shot and that can happen.

"Leicester did a lot right but I just think 'where are the goals coming from?' There was threat, I thought [Jamie] Vardy had his moments, but it still didn't seem like quite enough.

"It would have relied on an own goal from [Wesley] Fofana for them to score. Leicester lacked a bit of cutting edge but defensively it was much better having watched them this season.

"Clearly Ruud van Nistelrooy did his homework and sat deep with that back five which is working against Chelsea at the moment. My concern would be whether this will work at home for Leicester."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

The latest episode of the When You're Smiling podcast has landed.

Owynn Palmer-Atkin is joined my former Foxes winger Matt Piper and BBC Sport senior football reporter Nizaar Kinsella to reflect on Sunday's defeat to Chelsea, and what it may mean for the rest of the season.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Ricardo Pereira has vowed to give his "very best" in Leicester City's remaining 10 Premier League matches after making his comeback from a lengthy injury lay-off in the Foxes' 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, which saw them record their 12th defeat in 13 league games.

The right-back was substituted on in the 84th minute for fellow defender James Justin, as Ruud van Nistelrooy's side looked to get a result at Stamford Bridge, and he received a warm reception from the travelling fans.

After making his first Premier League appearance since November 2024, Ricardo posted on his Instagram account: "I really enjoyed being back today and I really missed this feeling.

"I will keep giving my very best to help and be helped.

"To turn this situation around, we need everyone in the last 10 games. I believe it's possible!

"Thank you Foxes for your warm welcome and your support."

Leicester City are currently six points adrift of Premier League safety, but they do have one final opportunity to get back to winning ways before the international break as 14th-placed Manchester United visit King Power Stadium.

Foxes fans, how are you feeling about Ricardo's return? Can he make the difference in Leicester's survival push? Let us know here

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Chelsea and Leicester City.

Here are some of your comments:

Chelsea fans

John: Someone should tell Enzo Maresca to have a plan B. He is wearing down the players with his play-from-the-back style. He plays a very boring game, with short passes and no counter attacks!

Stephen: Not really impressed by the quality of work. They didn't seem able to break Leicester down.

Richard: Once again we dominate a game and struggle to win by one goal! I'm not convinced Maresca is the right manager, but at the moment is there an alternative?

Nick: It doesn't say much for the Premier League if we are fourth. I can't remember when I last saw Chelsea play well. When Cole Palmer isn't playing well we are awful, which doesn't say much for the rest of them.

Steve: The media will paint this as a gutsy performance by Leicester, but the reality is that Chelsea don't have the character or the ability to put weaker teams away - which makes them look better than they really are. Doesn't bode well for the rest of the season when they will come up against far better teams. Arsenal will knock in four or five against this Chelsea side in the next game.

Leicester fans

Aiden: Now it is five games without a goal in the league. We cannot expect to win games let alone draw without scoring. It can't keep going like this. You'd think having one of the best strikers in Premier League history would lead to us working out how to score?

Nigel: Great penalty save, but we are still not quick enough on the ball. I can't see anyway out now. Tough games ahead. We should play some of the academy players because they can't do much worse.

Chris: What do I make of it? Exactly the same as the last three months - good in places but can't hold on to a clean sheet and can't score to save their lives. Relegation was likely in August, but sleep walking into it with this total inability to score will definitely see us down. The season is over. Lord knows where we go after this.

Lee: No passion or guile in the final third so another zero in the goal scored column. Ruud van Nistlerooy needs to make way and go now to give us a good start in the Championship next season.

Highlights and analysis from Sunday's three Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from the rest of the weekend.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

And you can watch Saturday's Match of the Day here.

Listen back to the weekend's full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Chelsea 1-0 Leicester City

• Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal

Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast about the battle to avoid relegation from the top flight:

"I did think Wolves might struggle without Matheus Cunha but they got a good draw against Everton.

"Ipswich are losing matches - I covered the game against Palace, they had chances and they were probably just not ruthless enough. They rely a lot on Liam Delap to score goals.

"It's not a good look on the Championship because it's the three teams that have come up that are going down. That's the gap between the Championship and the Premier League now.

"I still give Ipswich a fighting chance but it looks like it might stay like that."

Listen on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Former Leicester City winger Matt Piper says the Foxes "will be disappointed" to lose to Chelsea but "they can be proud of their efforts" at Stamford Bridge.

Ruud van Nistelrooy's side were defensively resolute, afforded Chelsea few chances and looked bright on the counter-attack during the first half.

But their final ball let them down and they left with nothing.

"They should have got something from the game," said Piper on the BBC Radio Leicester When You're Smiling podcast. "But when they get into threatening areas they fall down again. It feels like a broken record.

"The counter attacks were good but the final decision making by whoever was stood over the ball at the time did lack. We could have really taken something from this game because Chelsea were poor.

"They will be disappointed but they can be proud of their efforts.

"Although Chelsea weren't brilliant, they're still competing for Champions League football so what we came and did was impressive. It is just a shame that we couldn't get the goal.

"I have said it all season but I look at this team and they just lack that bit of quality. They can play well, and I tip my hat to them when they do, but they lack the ability at this level to claw back defeats to draws."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds