Chelsea survived a late Leicester rally to win 2-1 on Enzo Maresca’s return to the King Power Stadium on Saturday, moving just a point behind second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League.

The visitors, finding their groove after the international break, hogged the ball from the kick-off and Nicolas Jackson gave them a deserved early lead.

But they failed to make the most of their superiority until 15 minutes from time, when Enzo Fernandez scored to make it 2-0, before surviving a nervy few minutes after Jordan Ayew pulled a goal back for the home side.

Chelsea’s win, which came after two draws, lifts them to 22 points — one behind City and three clear of fourth-placed Arsenal ahead of the later kick-offs on Saturday.

It was Maresca’s first game at the King Power since he took Leicester back to the Premier League last season in his only campaign at the club.

Chelsea zipped the ball around with confidence in the opening stages on a soggy afternoon in the English Midlands.

Joao Felix, making his first Premier League start of the season, fired wide in the 13th minute and then a minute later volleyed over from just outside the box.

But moments later Chelsea got the goal they deserved when Jackson won his tussle with Leicester defender Wout Faes, who missed a number of chances to clear.

It was Maresca’s first game at the King Power since he took Leicester back to the Premier League last season in his only campaign at the club.

Chelsea zipped the ball around with confidence in the opening stages on a soggy afternoon in the English Midlands.

Joao Felix, making his first Premier League start of the season, fired wide in the 13th minute and then a minute later volleyed over from just outside the box.

But moments later Chelsea got the goal they deserved when Jackson won his tussle with Leicester defender Wout Faes, who missed a number of chances to clear.

The ball fell to Fernandez, who found Jackson and the Senegal forward poked home with the outside of his right foot for his seventh league goal of the season.

Chelsea’s Argentinian midfielder #08 Enzo Fernandez (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring their second goal during the English Premier League football match between Leicester City and Chelsea at King Power Stadium in Leicester, central England on November 23, 2024. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen kept out Noni Madueke’s sharp effort and Madueke had a goal disallowed for a tight offside against Marc Cucurella just after the half hour.

Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen kept out Noni Madueke’s sharp effort and Madueke had a goal disallowed for a tight offside against Marc Cucurella just after the half hour.

But as the first period wore on there was a momentum shift and Leicester suddenly started looking more dangerous.

Steve Cooper’s men broke at pace and Oliver Skipp found Kasey McAteer on the right.

McAteer, making his full Premier League debut, cut inside but steered his shot just beyond the far post.

Wilfred Ndidi then screwed wide as half-time approached.

Chelsea looked certain to double their lead 10 minutes after the restart but somehow contrived to squander the chance, when Madueke got in the way of a Cole Palmer shot on the goalline.

It came after Hermansen saved Jackson’s shot.

England international Madueke did his best to try and jump out of the way of Palmer’s effort but it hit him and rolled out for a goalkick, with Palmer seeing the funny side.

But Chelsea did find the net in the 75th minute when Fernandez headed home after Hermansen kept out Jackson’s header.

Leicester substitute Ayew pulled a goal back from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time after Bobby De Cordova-Reid was brought down but it was too little, too late.

Leicester, the 2016 Premier League champions, remain just three points above the relegation zone.

A woman who accused Conor McGregor of raping her has won her claim against him for damages in a civil case.

A jury found that the Irish mixed martial arts fighter assaulted Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.

He has been ordered to pay her more than €248,000 (£206,000) in damages.

Speaking outside the court on Friday, Ms Hand said her story was “a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be to speak up, you have a voice”.

In a post on X on Friday evening, McGregor said he would appeal against the verdict and he thanked “all my support worldwide”.

“I am with my family now, focused on my future” he added.

Nikita Hand said she was “overwhelmed” by support after taking the case against McGregor

The jury at the High Court in Dublin had been deliberating for a day before returning its verdict that McGregor did assault Ms Hand.

She had also taken a case against another man, James Lawrence, 35, of Rafter’s Road, Drimnagh in Dublin.

She alleged that he assaulted her by having sex with her without her consent in the Beacon Hotel.

The jury found that he did not assault her.

‘Justice will be served’

Ms Hand told reporters said she was “overwhelmed and touched” by the support she had received.

She added: “I want to show [my daughter] Freya and every other young girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and that justice will be served.”

Both men had denied the claims by the 35-year-old hair colourist and said they separately had consensual sex with Ms Hand at the hotel almost six years ago.

After eight days of evidence and three days listening to closing speeches and the judge’s comments, the jury of eight women and four men spent six hours and 10 minutes deliberating before returning with its verdict.

McGregor shook his head after the jury read out that Ms Hand had won her case against him.

He was accompanied by his partner Dee Devlin, his parents, his sister and his brother-in-law.

He sat in the back row of the court, between his partner and mother Margaret.

Ms Hand cried and was hugged by her partner and supporters.

The jury had previously heard that on the day of the attack Ms Hand and her colleague Danielle Kealy went to the hotel’s penthouse suite with McGregor and Mr Lawrence after their work Christmas party.

They gave evidence of how they had been partying all night from 8 December into the morning of 9 December and had been heavily drinking and taking cocaine.

‘Placed in a chokehold’

Ms Hand, a mother-of-one, told the court how McGregor had pinned her to a bed before assaulting her.

She was left with extensive bruises and abrasions over her body, including on her hands and wrists.

There was a bloodied scratch on her breast and tenderness on her neck after she said she was placed in a “chokehold” by McGregor.

He denied causing the bruising, saying it could have happened after she “swan dived” into the bath in the hotel room.

Ms Hand was taken in an ambulance to the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin the next day where she was assessed in the sexual assault treatment unit.

A paramedic who examined Ms Hand told the court that she had not seen “someone so bruised” in a long time.

The jury had been told how Ms Hand had to leave her job as a hairdresser and has not been able to work since due to her mental health, that her relationship with her partner ended months after the incident, that she had to move out of her home in Drimnagh and that her mortgage was now in arrears.

She also said she had to stop seeing a counsellor because she could no longer afford to pay for the sessions.

The court heard that she had spent more than €4,000 (£3,326) on GP, pharmacy and psychotherapy costs.

Credit: BBC

The Premier League have approved changes to Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules after a crunch summit.

On Friday morning, top-flight sides gathered in London before voting in a ballot over the Premier League rules.

The competition had been forced to act after an independent panel found sections of the existing rules on associated party transactions (APTs) – deals between clubs and parties linked to their owners – to be unlawful after a legal challenge from City.

However, the champions called on clubs to vote against the amendments, accused the Premier League of rushing its consultation and raised the prospect of further legal action should they be enforced.

Yet the Premier League champions were dealt a blow after the English top-flight voted to approve the changes to ATP rules.

More shortly…