Moments before the second half got underway between Chelsea and Leicester City, Thomas Tuchel strode through the Stamford Bridge press room en route to his seat in East Stand. The German had dispensed his words of wisdom, had delivered tactical instructions, and opted to make a substitution. It was then down to his players with Tuchel banned from the touchline.
The game was goalless but Chelsea were down to ten men after Conor Gallagher had been dismissed in the opening 45 minutes. So the second period would be a true test of the Blues' character as well as their quality. Could they defy the odds? Could they recover from a setback, something they had failed to do at Elland Road a week ago?
An emphatic answer was provided: Yes. Two minutes after the restart, Raheem Sterling put Chelsea ahead coach. The summer signing, recruited from Man City for £47.5million, whipped a shot toward the top corner from 20 yards and via a deflection, it beat Danny Ward.
