Chelsea's away form in the Premiership continues to be dismal, as Leicester fashioned a victory full of vigour and invention.

The stars in Chelsea's side may be more glamorous, but Leicester were never second-best in terms of skill, and were far and away the victors when it came to dedication.

Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri said before kick-off he believes his players are clever enough to handle his tactical changes. On this evidence, the jury remains out on that claim.

What should be of greater concern to the Italian coach is his team's shortcomings in defence, not least with their marking. On two crucial occasions a Leicester player found himself unmarked at the back-post - and both times Chelsea were punished.

Muzzy Izzet and Gary Rowett were the goalscorers, Rowett scoring seconds after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink appeared to have secured Chelsea an undeserved point.

The visitors had started well but were too intricate - some of their work around the opposition's box was a joy to watch, but the time it took allowed Leicester to get back in numbers and pack the danger area.

Ranieri's side went into the game unbeaten in eight games, but are still without an away win in the Premiership since April last year.

The game exploded into life with two incidents in the 16th minute, as first Leicester and then Chelsea contrived to miss good chances.

Robbie Savage was the first culprit, bursting onto Andy Impey's long, lofted pass after Celestine Babayaro had missed the clearance. Savage was one-on-one with Carlo Cudicini, but the Chelsea keeper came out fast to block the midfielder's shot.

Chelsea immediately broke, Jesper Gronkjaer showing pace and expert skill to reach the byline on the left and cross. Gianfranco Zola dummied over the ball for Hasselbaink to shoot from eight yards, but his effort was charged down, and Wise cursed himself after putting the rebound into the side-netting.

Leicester were not so wasteful with their next opportunity. Izzet, the midfielder who started his career with Chelsea, headed the Foxes in front in the 23rd minute.

Steve Guppy, very briefly hailed as the answer to England's left-sided problem, turned Albert Ferrer inside out before crossing. Frank Leboeuf managed only to head the ball backwards to the far post where Izzet, completely unmarked, headed home with no fuss.

Two minutes before half-time, Leicester keeper Simon Royce was involved in an incident of comic proportions which so nearly handed an equaliser to Chelsea.

Royce's attempted clearance from Izzet's backpass struck Zola, and when Elliott then tackled the Italian striker, he managed only to set up Hasselbaink with a seemingly open goal.

But the Dutchman's strike was blocked by Callum Davidson and Royce scrambled the loose ball away for a corner as Zola tried to pounce.

Two minutes after the break, Guppy showed once again why his left foot is so feared. The wing-back broke down the left and curled an exquisite cross to the back-post where the unmarked Dean Sturridge hammered in a shot which Cudicini did excellently to block at point-blank range.

Izzet may have been the hero of the first half, but his glaring miss after 50 minutes was enough to make him the villain of the second.

Roberto Mancini floated a cross of such perfection that it would have been harder to miss the target, but somehow Izzet put his header wide from eight yards.

Junior Lewis, a long-legged, left-footed midfielder on loan from Gillingham, crowned a mature display for the Foxes with a pass to Sturridge that Mancini would have been proud of. The pace on the ball took out two Chelsea defenders but Sturridge blasted well over.

Mancini made way for Ade Akinbiyi after an hour, the Italian's fitness still not up to the rigours of a full Premiership match.

Wise almost capitalised when Royce dropped a cross, but the Foxes keeper managed to clasp the loose ball.

With 15 minutes remaining, Hasselbaink grabbed an equaliser from a direct route. Wise crossed in a hopeful ball and the Dutch striker planted a looping header beyond Royce for his first goal in 10 away games.

But the lead lasted less than a minute. Robbie Savage floated in a free-kick, Elliott won a flick-on and Gary Rowett showed up Chelsea's appalling marking once more as he fired home gleefully from six yards out for only his second goal for Leicester.

Teams:

Leicester Royce, Rowett, Davidson, Elliott, Impey, Robbie Savage, Izzet, Guppy, Lewis, Mancini (Akinbiyi 60), Sturridge (Eadie 78).

Subs Not Used: Price, Sinclair, Gunnlaugsson.

Goals: Izzet 24, Rowett 76.

Chelsea Cudicini, Babayaro, Leboeuf, Melchiot, Ferrer, Gronkjaer (Stanic 64), Poyet (Jokanovic 41), Wise, Dalla Bona, Zola (Gudjohnsen 45), Hasselbaink.

Subs Not Used: de Goey, Lambourde.

Booked: Dalla Bona.

Goals: Hasselbaink 75.

Att: 21,502

Ref: S Dunn (Bristol).