Enzo Maresca’s first return to the King Power Stadium since getting Leicester into the PL started comfortably, as the hosts dropped deep in the hope of nullifying the Blues’ threat.
That approach surrendered complete control of possession to the visitors, though, and the blow of Harry Winks going off injured was compounded by Nicolas Jackson opening the scoring on the quarter-hour mark.
The striker got the better of Wout Faes before collecting the ball from Fernández and finishing clinically.
The Foxes’ struggle to keep up continued and frustration set in, with Wilfred Ndidi, Boubakary Soumare, and Oliver Skipp getting booked for a tough tackle on Cole Palmer, Joao Felix, and Fernández respectively within nine minutes of each other.
Even so, their deficit remained at one goal with Noni Madueke seeing Mads Hermansen palm one of his attempts wide before having a goal disallowed due to Marc Cucurella being offside in the build-up.
There were then signs of a Foxes fightback, with Kasey McAteer coming agonisingly close to picking out the bottom corner on his first PL start before Ndidi fired wide from Victor Kristiansen’s cutback.
Madueke missed the target from another opportunity before the break and he had a moment to forget after the restart, as Jackson’s shot was parried towards Palmer for what looked like a certain goal until his shot hit the winger on the goalline.
Fernandez then sent his own strike wide but Leicester remained competitive despite struggling to get in positions to work Robert Sanchez.
Steve Cooper turned to Stephy Mavididi and Jordan Ayew in an effort to change that but his side conceded a second just four minutes later, as Hermansen’s save to deny Jackson’s header merely saw the ball bounce kindly for Fernandez to nod it in.
The hosts won a late penalty when Bobby De Cordova-Reid was brought down by Romeo Lavia, allowing Ayew to convert from the spot despite Sanchez getting a hand to the ball.
That may have cost Chelsea their clean sheet but there wasn’t time to deny the Blues a win following their previous back-to-back draws in the Premier League.
The defeat was also the third from Leicester’s last four league fixtures.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea)
