Chelsea humble Leicester 3-0

Chelsea humble Leicester 3-0

Chelsea's David Luiz heads the ball, pursued by Leicester City's Jamie Vardy, during the clubs' Premier League match at Stamford Bridge in London on Saturday. (Reuters Photo)
Chelsea's David Luiz heads the ball, pursued by Leicester City's Jamie Vardy, during the clubs' Premier League match at Stamford Bridge in London on Saturday. (Reuters Photo)

LONDON: Struggling Leicester City slumped to another big defeat before a Champions League match, losing 3-0 to Chelsea in their English Premier League contest at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Diego Costa scored his league-leading seventh goal to send the hosts on their way in the seventh minute, before further goals by Eden Hazard and Victor Moses.

The victory lifts Chelsea into fourth place, pending the outcome of later games, with 16 points from eight matches. Leicester lie 12th with 8 points.

Players on both sides wore black armbands on Saturday. Leicester, owned by King Power duty-free billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, were paying tribute to His Majesty King Bhumibol who passed away on Thursday. Chelsea players wore armbands in solidarity with Willian, their young Brazilian midfielder, whose mother died this week.

Leicester has sustained three-goal defeats before each of its matches in the Champions League group stage this season, having already lost 4-1 to both Liverpool and Manchester United.

It was a fourth loss in eight league games in a poor start to a title defence by Leicester, who lost only three times in the whole of last season in its astonishing run to the championship.

Chelsea has won back-to-back games since manager Antonio Conte switched to a three-man defence.

Leicester's susceptibility at set-pieces struck again, with Costa driving in a finish at the back post after a low right-wing corner was flicked on by Nemanja Matic.

Chelsea made it 2-0 in the 33rd when Pedro Rodriguez somehow managed to flick the ball forward after falling on the ground. Hazard ran onto the loose ball, rounded Kasper Schmeichel, and tucked it home.

Chelsea defender David Luiz struck a free kick against the post -- and then directed a sliding clearance against his own goal frame -- before Moses exchanged a one-two with substitute Nathaniel Chalobah and finished under Schmeichel in the 80th.

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