The form lately has been positive, looking at the way Leicester City have played in recent games, but the final package has not been delivered, looking at points picked up. Against Crystal Palace we all hoped for both, and the start was really promising.
Demarai Gray was “surprisingly” missing from the starting line-up, as he was given “full confidence” by Claude Puel in the last game, picked even in front of Jamie Vardy, who then was back to lead the line.
Rachid Ghezzal took the place everyone thought Gray would be filling, but again we just had to trust the judgement of a manager that really is looking for answers and not going with the basic instinct.
Yourie Tielemans was starting his first home game, and together with Wilfred Ndidi he looked fresh and the two taking command from the very start. Leicester pushed forward and with Harvey Barnes and Jamie Vardy also contributing, it looked promising.
City were the better team and dominated the game, but as we have seen so many times before, not clinical enough and attempts not really tough enough to be considered real goal chances and lots of attempts missed.
Then after 40 minutes Crystal Palace scored out of nothing really. A deflection from newly signed Batshuayi changed direction and Kasper Schmeichel was totally outplayed and couldn’t do anything, and in real the only chance Palace had in the first half
Claude Puel did one error in his team selection and that was corrected at half time, bringing on Demarai Gray for Rachid Ghezzal, but in real bad management. Firstly disappointing for Gray who must have believed he would play, and Ghezzal not really fresh enough to start in favor of Gray.
Leicester City had everything and Palace looked like a team in a different division, and it was a relief to see Jonny Evans scoring his first goal for Leicester City with a great finish inside the penalty box, and Leicester players, management and fans thought we will win this one.
But as so many times before at home at King Power Stadium, it is really difficult and when hunting that winning goal, counterattacks ruined the day with some great finishing from a player that knows how to finish of games, Wilfred Zaha.
Zaha’s first came after 70 minutes scoring with a great finish, and when Palace just a few minutes later is rewarded with a penalty and Milivojevic is a clinicial finisher and scores with no doubt. A new counter attack appear in stoppage time as Zaha just makes the day complete for Roy Hodgson and his Eagles, winning 4-1 away, just looked like a horror show for “foxes fans”.
- Positives:
- Dominating the game, playing some good football, 59 % possession
- Barnes and Tielemans showing some promise offensively
- Evans scoring his first goal for Leicester City
- Negatives:
- Not clinical enough, no real punch, junior display
- Maguire not really showing great form, bad performance
- Puel’s judgement on Ghezzal and Gray, really bad man management
- Vardy in limbo, what is the plan with Vardy, not good to see this
- Missing players in the age group between 25 to 29, your best years in football
- Letting in four goals at home, playing with a naive approach
- Player Ratings: Schmeichel 5. Pereira 5, Fuchs 5, Maguire 5, Evans 6, Ndidi 6, Tielemans 6, Ghezzal 4, Barnes 6, Vardy 5, Maddison 5, Subs: Gray 5, Okazaki, Iheanacho
Match Stats: H/A
- Possession: 59 / 41
- Corners: 8 / 3
- Shots on target: 4 / 1
- Shots wide: 7 / 1
- Fouls: 6 / 13
- Offsides: 0 / 1
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