Chelsea needed Marc Cucurella's long-range strike to secure a shaky 1-0 win over second-bottom Premier League side Leicester City at Stamford Bridge.
Cucurella struck a fine strike in the 60th minute, cutting down the left side of the defence to break Leicester's resistance, but that achievement was more significant for Enzo Maresca than the game itself, which was ponderous and sluggish, with a worrying lack of creativity.
That allowed Chelsea to leapfrog Manchester City and return to the top four, but the rest of the Champions League race will present them with tougher tests than those presented by Ruud van Nistelrooy's side, who look destined for relegation.
Despite the result, there were positives for Maresca. Wesley Fofana returned from injury on December 1 and added a defensive confidence that was lacking in his absence, while the lively Enzo Fernandes continued to run and chase opponents.
However, few other players in blue have managed to improve on his reputation and questions remain over Maresca's preferred style of play.
Chelsea were awarded a penalty in the 19th minute when Jadon Sancho tripped over Victor Christiansen while trying to create space for a cross from the byline.
Cole Palmer looked set to end his eight-game goalless streak with a penalty, but goalkeeper Mads Hermansen dove left and jammed the ball into the net, extending his streak.
Tosin Adarabioyo then made a poor clearance as a ball rebounded off his shoulder and hit the crossbar from James Justin, although the defender was likely distracted by his goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who was spinning helplessly in front of his eyes and completely missed the ball.
It was an irritating and nerve-wracking first half, with the usual jeers from the home fans directed at their team,
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
