Leicester 2-2 Chelsea: Unlikely hero Antonio Rudiger heads sublime brace

They led, they trailed, they pulled even and they ended a peculiar game precisely as they started it — eight points behind Leicester and pondering the mysteries of goalkeeping. Weird times at Chelsea, indeed.

But it was also a day of favourable fortune, because this was an important fixture they might have lost, and probably should have done.

Even at 2-2, with all four scored in the second half, Jonny Evans and Harvey Barnes fluffed the clearest of chances for Leicester, who for good measure were also denied a penalty for an Antonio Rudiger handball in stoppage time.

Following up on his earlier effort, Antonio Rudiger arrived on cue to out-jump the Foxes defence and power in another header

Brendan Rodgers was particularly miffed about that after the midweek VAR debacle against Aston Villa and following a couple of viewings, he had a right to be.

So a let-off of sorts, both for Chelsea and Frank Lampard, who took the boldest of calls in dropping his £71million goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and then watched as his veteran replacement, Willy Caballero, made one fine save to deny Jamie Vardy in the first half before going walkabout in the second when Ben Chilwell made it 2-1 to Leicester.

It would have been costly but for the flying wonder of Rudiger. His leap and header from a corner had made it 1-0 at the start of the second half, and after goals for Barnes and Chilwell, his second header from a set-piece saved the game.

Kasper Schmeichel was at full stretch but left completely stranded in mid-air as Rudiger found the top corner for 2-2

When it was done, Lampard pointed to Chelsea’s dominance of the first half and Rodgers cited Leicester’s control of the second. Both were right, but a sensible boxing judge would have scored the whole marginally for Leicester, which will be no consolation to a team who, like Chelsea, are struggling for momentum.

They stand at three wins in nine and Vardy is five games without a goal; for Chelsea’s part, they have four wins in 13 and Tammy Abraham looks in need of a rest that may not be easily granted in light of no signings in the January window.

Abraham’s fatigue and Vardy’s fight to regain sharpness after calf and hamstring issues, was the theme of the first half. For sure, it is hard to imagine the autumn versions of these forwards falling short in the way they both did in the opening 45 minutes here.

Ben Chilwell had turned Leicester’s fortunes on their head with a neat, slotted finish to give his side a 2-1 lead in the contest

With Abraham, the heavy legs were most glaring in the 17th and 18th minute, when he failed by half a stride to reach good balls from Cesar Azpilicueta and Reece James.

Ditto a moment later when he chased down a Pedro through ball and then, having been unable to run clear from Caglar Soyuncu, went to ground on his cut back and made a laboured appeal for a penalty. The VAR rightly dismissed it. Factoring in some nice play from Pedro and Mason Mount, they were Chelsea’s best moments.

As for Vardy, it boiled down to two untaken chances that we have so often seen him bury. The first saw him shoot straight at Caballero’s feet. The second came when Vardy was given a small headstart in a race against James. Two quick men, granted, but maybe Vardy sensed the burst wasn’t in his legs and instead of backing himself to go on, he squared for Youri Tielemans. Chelsea’s defence recovered.

The full-back made the most of Willy Caballero’s poor position by fizzing in a side-footed effort at the near post

Leicester finished the half at greater speed but Chelsea punched through at the start of the second. Mount’s corner went deep, Kasper Schmeichel hesitated and Hamza Choudhury was late in jumping with Rudiger. The last factor was possibly most decisive.

Barnes levelled soon after, his shot deflecting off Andreas Christensen and spinning over Cabellero — three goals in three for Barnes — before the second that owed more to questionable keeping.

The problem started with the wind that dragged a cross beyond Caballero and away from goal, but the Argentine complicated matters by setting off in pursuit and then being beaten to the loose ball by Ricardo Pereira. While the keeper was retreating, Pereira played back to Tielemans, who bobbled a cross back to Chilwell. With Caballero off balance and off-centre, Chilwell beat him at his near post.

Frank Lampard was seen toiling on the touchline after watching his side surrender their lead and go behind in the match

Earlier, Harvey Barnes cut inside the Chelsea area from the left wing and curled the ball into the far corner to make it 1-1

Lampard didn’t blame him and was right to question the defensive response to the cross but the whole package didn’t look great. Having held the No 1 spot in the FA Cup against Hull and this game, it would be a stretch to think Caballero will start against Manchester United after the team’s winter break.

Leicester looked good for a win — and then didn’t. Again it was Mount’s set-piece that did the damage, this time Chilwell was beaten in flight. Could Schmeichel have done more in stopping Rudiger’s header from some distance? Probably.

A rush of Leicester chances followed, then the penalty incident when Rudiger’s trailing arm blocked a Barnes cross behind his back. At first it seemed impossible to claim intent against Rudiger, then the replays muddied the waters. That the VAR chose not to review it was yet another mystery for the genre.

Goalkeeper Caballero was left scrambling across goal as Barnes’ effort took a slight deflection and bounced up

The youngster peeled away in celebration with arms outstretched after finding an immediate equaliser for the host

Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger had broken the deadlock early in the second half after heading past Kasper Schmeichel

The Germany international was mobbed by team-mates after powering home the header and giving Chelsea the lead

Rodgers thought his side should have won the game given the clear-cut chances created in the second half

Lampard could side his side’s lead in fourth cut down by the chasing pack as the pressure ramps up