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szdaily -> Sports -> 
Chelsea beats Leicester to go 3rd
    2021-05-20  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

CHELSEA dislodged Leicester from third place heading into the Premier League finale with a 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge Tuesday to leave Champions League qualification in its own hands.

Beat Aston Villa on the road Sunday and Chelsea will seal Champions League qualification for next season. There is always the backup route into the competition — by beating Manchester City in the May 29 final.

Roared on by 8,000 fans, Thomas Tuchel’s men dominated and were rewarded after the break with Antonio Rudiger bundling in their opener before Jorginho rolled home a penalty.

Timo Werner twice had goals ruled out before the break while Leicester players, who looked flat after Saturday’s celebrations, offered little threat until Kelechi Iheanacho gave the visitors a lifeline with a cool finish in the 74th minute.

It was a nervy climax and Ayoze Perez wasted a glorious late chance to equalize but Chelsea clung on for a priceless win that moved the side into third place on 67 points with one game remaining, meaning a win at Aston Villa on Sunday will guarantee them a Champions League berth next season.

For Leicester players there is now the looming possibility that they will let a Champions League berth slip through their fingers for the second season in succession.

A win would have ensured a top-four finish but they will drop to fifth if Liverpool wins at Burnley.

Leicester, which has 66 points, finishes with a home game against Tottenham Hotspur while Liverpool’s final game of the season is at home to Crystal Palace.

Chelsea’s win guaranteed Manchester United runner-up spot behind Manchester City.

“Fantastic. It was an outstanding performance but the job is not done,” Tuchel said. “We have two more to go. The fans made a huge difference. The speed in our game, the hunger, the ambition. It was a very strong performance and I’m delighted the team can present itself like this in front of our fans.”

While Saturday’s historic first FA Cup final triumph sparked huge celebration in the East Midlands, Tuesday’s trip to Stamford Bridge was, in financial terms, an even bigger game.

Leicester has been in the top-four since January but could now miss the Champions League jackpot, as the side did last season.

(SD-Agencies)

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