LONDON: Chelsea boosted their bid to qualify for the Champions League as Marc Cucurella’s rocket sealed a 1-0 win over Leicester, while Tottenham fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Bournemouth on Sunday.
Cucurella struck in the second half at Stamford Bridge to lift Chelsea above Manchester City into fourth in the Premier League.
The Blues are two points ahead of City in the race for the top four finish that guarantees a Champions League berth.
It was only Chelsea’s fourth victory in their last 12 league games as they responded to boss Enzo Maresca’s challenge to win all their remaining home matches.
Maresca believes that should be enough to ensure Champions League action, but Chelsea will have to improve on a spluttering performance against second-bottom Leicester.
Cole Palmer missed a penalty for Chelsea and was later substituted, making it seven league games without a goal or assist amid criticism of the England forward’s frustrated body language.
Maresca left Leicester at the end of last season after leading them to promotion and the Foxes look destined to return to the Championship without him.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side have lost five successive league games and sit six points from safety.
Chelsea legends Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Dennis Wise, Kerry Dixon and Ron Harris were on the pitch before kick-off to celebrate the club’s 120th anniversary.
This was far from a highlight moment in Chelsea’s illustrious history however.
Victor Kristiansen’s clumsy challenge pole-axed Jadon Sancho, earning Chelsea a first half spot-kick.
Usually such a ruthless penalty taker, Palmer seized the ball as he looked to end his drought, only for Mads Hermansen to deny him with a superb save.
It was the first penalty miss of Palmer’s career and Leicester almost made him pay immediately.
Error-prone Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez completely missed James Justin’s cross and Tosin Adarabioyo’s miscued headed clearance thudded off the woodwork.
Chelsea finally took the lead in spectacular fashion on the hour when Spanish defender Cucurella drilled into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Bournemouth missed a chance to climb into the top four race as the hosts saved boss Ange Postecoglou from another embarrassing defeat.
Tottenham lost 1-0 at AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League last 16 first leg on Thursday.
That competition represents Tottenham’s last chance of fulfilling Postecoglou’s boast that he always win a trophy in his second season.
Languishing in 13th in the Premier League, Postecoglou’s side have gone three games without a win in all competitions.
Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke shook off a back injury for his first league appearance since January, while Cristian Romero returned to the Tottenham defence for the first time since December after a thigh injury.
Despite those reinforcements, Tottenham conceded in the 42nd minute, when Marcus Tavernier applied the finishing touch to Milos Kerkez’s pin-point cross after Pedro Porro carelessly conceded possession.
Postecoglou sent on Son Heung-min at half-time in a bid to spark Tottenham and the South Korean was inches away from equalising as his deflected strike whistled wide.
Bournemouth struck again in the 65th minute as Evanilson raced onto Justin Kluivert’s pass and lifted a composed finish over Guglielmo Vicario.
But Pape Sarr reduced the deficit two minutes later, the Tottenham midfielder catching out Bournemouth keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga with a misjudged cross that somehow dipped in at the far post.
Tottenham completed their escape in the 84th minute as Kepa conceded a penalty with a desperate lunge on Son.
Son calmly slotted home from the spot for his first goal in 10 games, taking him to 11 in all competitions this season.
Late on Saturday, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins returned to haunt his old club Brentford, scoring the only goal of the game to boost his side’s push to qualify for Europe next season.
Watkins, booed by the Bees fans throughout after celebrating a late winner in this fixture last season, broke the deadlock in the 49th minute with a deflected effort that went straight through goalkeeper Mark Flekken.
The England striker thought he had helped to double the lead almost immediately afterwards when he teed up Morgan Rogers but the goal was disallowed as Watkins was marginally offside.
Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2025
