Frank Lampard did not get the Chelsea homecoming he craved as his wait for a first win as manager went on following a 1-1 draw with Leicester.
Chelsea - 1
Mount 7'
Leicester - 1
Ndidi 67'
The former midfielder, who played close to 650 games for the Blues, was in charge at Stamford Bridge for the first time since his summer appointment but had to settle for a point as Mason Mount's early goal was cancelled out by Wilfred Ndidi's second-half header.
After a 4-0 loss at Manchester United last week and a penalty shootout defeat to Liverpool in the Super Cup in midweek, Lampard is still to taste victory and, as good as their first-half display was against the Foxes, their second-half struggle highlights the size of the task he faces.
It had seemed like a win was written in the stars as, after the pageantry of his arrival into the dugout, with chants of 'Super Frank Lampard' ringing around the stadium and banners held aloft, Mount gave Chelsea a deserved early lead.
But Leicester, orchestrated by the impressive James Maddison, showed why they are tipped to make a challenge for the top six this season as Ndidi made up for an error in the build-up to Chelsea's goal with the equaliser.
And had they been more clinical they could have easily left with three points on Brendan Rodgers' return to the club where he used to coach.
It was Lampard whom the focus was on, though, and he could scarcely have dreamed of a better start.
He could have been celebrating a goal after just 51 seconds but Pedro slashed a volley into the side-netting and then Mount shot straight at Kasper Schmeichel as the home side were straight on the attack.
And he was soon celebrating as Mount, on his home debut, made some early happy memories at Stamford Bridge.
The 20-year-old is a player Lampard has put so much faith in, having also taken him on loan at Derby last season. And the midfielder is proving his manager's trust is not misplaced.
After the Foxes tried to play out from the back, Mount pressed Ndidi, stole possession off him on the edge of the area and fired into the bottom corner.
It was a result of the energy and desire Lampard wants to instil into his team and was the perfect response to criticism Mount received from Jose Mourinho, who singled him out after the Old Trafford defeat.
Chelsea were rampant, pressing their visitors at every opportunity, and they could have gone further ahead in the 25th minute had it not been for a fine block by Christian Fuchs, who slid in to deny N'Golo Kante a certain goal against his own club following a clever backheel by Olivier Giroud.
It would have been impossible for Leicester to be as ineffective as they were in the first half after the break and they began to ask questions of Chelsea's defence, with Maddison coming to the fore.
He could not pick out a team-mate after rounding goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and then flashed a ball across goal that was begging to be knocked in.
There was little surprise that Maddison was involved in Leicester's equaliser midway through the second half.
The England Under-21 international sent in an inviting corner which Ndidi climbed highest for and emphatically sent a thumping header into the top corner.
Madison should have been celebrating a goal of his own soon after as he took possession in the area and ran across the face of goal, but somehow managed to sky his effort from eight yards.
The former Norwich playmaker then set up another golden chance, this time for Jamie Vardy as he slipped the striker through on goal, but the former England striker drilled an effort across goal.
Chelsea were struggling to cope with the Foxes and were fortunate to take a point as Youri Tielemans shot straight at Kepa and Vardy could not get a shot away at the near post.
Highlights
Referee problems
Referee Graham Scott was unable to take charge of Chelsea's game against Leicester after getting caught up in traffic on his way to Stamford Bridge.
Oliver Langford, who was supposed to be the fourth official for the Sunday afternoon clash, was instead handed his Premier League debut at short notice.
Langford is not in the Select Group of match officials but is on the Group Two list and trained in VAR, which means he is qualified to take charge of an elite league match.
Scott, from Oxfordshire, was caught up in the aftermath of a crash on the M40 and only arrived at the ground at around 4pm, too late to take part in the pre-match warm-up.
He did take on fourth official duties, though.
It was Langford's first ever run out at Premier League level, having refereed two Championship games this season, most recently the 1-1 draw between Birmingham and Bristol City eight days ago where he dished out five yellow cards.
Opta stats
- After winning their first Premier League home game in 12 consecutive seasons between 2003-04 and 2014-15, Chelsea have failed to win three of their last five opening home games in the competition (W2 D2 L1).
- Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers has faced Chelsea on 13 occasions as a manager; against no other opponent has he managed as many games. However, he’s yet to register a single victory against the Blues (D7 L6).
- Frank Lampard is the first Chelsea manager to fail to win any of his first three games in charge of the club since Rafael Benitez in the 2012-13 campaign.
- Having managed just one shot in the opening 45 minutes, Leicester had 11 attempts in the second half of the match. It’s the most by a visiting team after half-time at Stamford Bridge since Leicester themselves in May 2016 (11).
- Mason Mount became the first English player to score on his first home appearance for Chelsea in the Premier League since Paul Hughes did so against Derby County in January 1997.
- Mason Mount became the first English player to score for Chelsea under an English manager since Dennis Wise against Blackburn Rovers in May 1996 (Glenn Hoddle as manager).
- Leicester midfielder Wilfried Ndidi’s goal was just his fifth in 90 Premier League appearances, and his first away from home.
- Since the start of last season, Leicester’s James Maddison has created 50 chances from set pieces in the Premier League (including his assist for the Foxes’ leveller today), at least six more than any other player.
