Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink eased the pressure on manager Claudio Ranieri with a two-goal blast to rekindle Chelsea's Barclaycard Premiership title hopes and add to Leicester's relegation worries.

The visitors had been in danger of being cast completely adrift of Manchester United and Arsenal at the top after collecting only seven points from the previous six games.

Anything less than a win at the Walkers Stadium would have led to more question marks being raised about Ranieri's future.

But Hasselbaink took advantage of being restored to the starting line-up to earn Chelsea their seventh away win of the campaign before substitute Adrian Mutu and Celestine Babayaro struck in the final three minutes.

It was almost embarrassingly easy in the first half for the Blues who constantly troubled Leicester with their pace, one-touch football and movement.

Leicester to their credit did not throw in the towel and may have shaded the second-half proceedings before Mutu and Babayaro rubbed salt in their wounds.

But Micky Adams' side have now gone seven games without a win stretching back to November and are three points adrift of safety with little money to spend.

Chelsea were into their stride from the first whistle and the opening chance fell to Hasselbaink after three minutes when he was put clear of the City defence by Eidur Gudjohnsen.

He was driven out wide by Ian Walker but maintained his composure only for the City keeper to stand up and block his resulting shot.

Hasselbaink was then given another run at goal by Gudjohnsen's first-time pass but Leicester defender Steve Howey stuck to his task and snuffed out the opportunity.

Chelsea were finding plenty of gaps in the early stages with their first-time passing and it came as no surprise when they went ahead after 11 minutes through Hasselbaink.

Mario Melchiot played the telling ball into the path of Joe Cole and his low cross took a deflection off Howey and was turned in deftly at the near post by Hasselbaink who got in front of newcomer Nikos Dabizas.

It was all Chelsea and Walker did well to parry away a low drive from Claude Makelele after Gudjohnsen had lined the chance up. Then Howey had to block a goalbound header from Marcel Desailly from a Hasselbaink corner.

Leicester, clearly missing injured playmaker Muzzy Izzet, threatened for the first time when Marcus Bent got on the end of an inswinging corner from the recalled Lilian Nalis and was only just too high with his header after climbing above Melchiot.

Then two minutes before the interval Chelsea took a stranglehold on the game as they doubled their lead in fortuitous fashion.

Hasselbaink's free-kick from 30 yards out struck Dabizas and flew into the opposite corner of the net to leave Walker stranded.

Dickov needed treatment after taking a knock to his face in an off-the-ball incident with Desailly early in the second half.

Frank Lampard made a decisive break down the right flank and his low cross was cut out at full stretch by Walker with Gudjohnsen waiting behind him to pounce.

A flick from Gudjohnsen almost played in Joe Cole and it needed a last-ditch tackle from Callum Davidson to prevent him from having a clear run at goal.

Howey produced a similar saving challenge to halt Hasselbaink in his tracks after Cole had delivered the telling pass.

Gronkjaer had clutched the back of his leg after slipping over and he was replaced in the 64th minute by Geremi.

Foxes boss Micky Adams responded by bringing off Bent and the ineffective Nalis and replacing them with Les Ferdinand and Paul Brooker.

It needed a superb fingertip save from Cudicini to tip a swerving effort from Davidson over the bar and Leicester were certainly not going down without a fight.

Terry cleared a Scowcroft header off the line and Dickov stabbed the ball wide of the post but with three minutes left Mutu wrapped up the game for Chelsea.

He collected the ball from Celestine Babayaro and curled a shot past the dive of Walker into the corner of the net.

Then in injury-time it was the turn of Babayaro to get on the score-sheet after a mistake by Brooker.

Teams

Leicester: Walker, Impey, Howey, Dabizas, Davidson, Scowcroft, Nalis (Brooker 68), McKinlay (Hignett 82), Stewart, Dickov, Bent (Ferdinand 68).

Subs Not Used: Coyne, Heath.

Chelsea: Cudicini, Melchiot, Desailly, Terry, Babayaro, Gronkjaer (Geremi 64), Lampard, Makelele, Cole (Gallas 79), Hasselbaink, Gudjohnsen (Mutu 74).

Subs Not Used: Sullivan, Huth.

Booked: Hasselbaink.

Goals: Hasselbaink 12, 44, Mutu 88, Babayaro 90.

Att: 31,547

Ref: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).