Sports
Chelsea narrowly escape at King Power Stadium, trounce Leicester 2-1
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.
Chelsea on Saturday maintained its top four position in the Premier league after thrashing Everton 1-0 at home.
A lone goal was put behind Everton’s goal keeper at the 27th minute of the second half by M.Jackson of Chelsea, his first goal in the Premiership.
Details….
Team Nigeria has wrapped up its participation at the 2025 African Senior Weightlifting Championship in Moka, Mauritius, with a stunning haul of 18 medals—13 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze—cementing its status as a continental powerhouse in the sport.
Nigeria’s final day of competition saw Sarah Ovayioza deliver a show-stopping performance in the women’s 76kg weight class, lifting a combined total of 237kg in the snatch, clean, and jerk. Her flawless execution earned the nation three more gold medals and drew roaring applause from the crowd as she closed out Nigeria’s campaign in style.
Earlier in the tournament, Ruth Imoleayo Ayodele dazzled in the women’s 64kg category, completing a clean sweep of the three gold medals in her weight class.
Following suit, Onome Omolola Didih was the star of the 55kg division with another triple-gold performance, dominating her weight class from start to finish (three gold medals).
Two-time African Games gold medallist and reigning Commonwealth Games champion, Rafiatu Folashade Lawal , continued her golden streak in the 59kg category. Her lifts of 95kg (snatch) and 118kg (clean and jerk) for a total of 213kg secured yet another hat-trick of gold medals for Team Nigeria.
In the men’s events, Umoafia Joseph Edidiong powered through the 73kg category with a 147kg snatch to win gold, while narrowly missing out on a gold rush with two silvers in the clean and jerk.
Without minding what day of the week it was, Tuesday Emmanuel contributed to the medal count in the 67kg category, bagging two silver medals and a bronze after a combined lift of 276kg (130kg snatch, 146kg clean & jerk).
Although the championship continues until April 28, Nigeria’s contingent has concluded its events, proudly leaving the stage with one of the most impressive medal tallies recorded in recent history. The team’s performance yet again showcases Nigeria’s continued dominance and rising momentum in international weightlifting.
Today we dive into some of the clubs that have already qualified for the 2025-26 Champions League group stage based on the current standings in some of the top European leagues and teams that have mathematically secured a top finish as of today, April 22, 2025:
Liverpool: They have mathematically secured a top-five finish in the Premier League, guaranteeing their Champions League spot due to England’s strong UEFA coefficient ranking.
Arsenal: They are highly likely to qualify, holding a significant point advantage over sixth place.
Bayer Leverkusen: They have secured a top-four finish in the Bundesliga.
Bayern Munich: They have also secured a top-four finish in the Bundesliga.
Barcelona: They are currently in a position to qualify through their league standing.
Real Madrid: They are also in a strong position to qualify through their league standing.
Paris Saint-Germain: They are in a qualifying position in Ligue 1.
Now, those are the usual suspects. There are several other teams that have qualified as league champions in their respective countries, though their entry point, i.e., group stage or qualifying rounds, depends on their league’s UEFA coefficient ranking. Some are familiar; others, not so familiar. They are:
Qarabag (Azerbaijan)
Differdange 03 (Luxembourg)
Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)
Malmö FF (Sweden)
Kairat (Kazakhstan)
KuPS (Finland)
Shelbourne (Ireland)
RFS (Latvia)
Víkingur (Faroe Islands)
Breiðablik (Iceland)
Linfield (Northern Ireland)
The New Saints (Wales)
Virtus (San Marino)
Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)
Galatasaray (Türkiye)
Ajax (Netherlands)
Sporting CP (Portugal)
Genk (Belgium)
As the current season winds down, the number of qualified teams will increase. Follow the league standings in the major European leagues and the results of the current Champions League and Europa League to stay updated.
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