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Both teams had done many changes to their side, but still quality was clear to see, Leicester had Maguire, Ndidi and Gray on the field as the only full first teamers, Man City fielded Stones, De Bruyne, Aguero and Mahrez, so there were no b-teams out there.

Hamza Choudhury was given a rear start in this game, playing with five in midfield and Kelechi Iheanacho on top. Leicester struggled a lot in the start of the game, and De Bryune came clear with a clinical shot after 14 minutes.

Leicester silently managed to get into the game and had a bit of pressure around 20 to 30 minutes of the game, but the attempts from Gray and Ndidi didn’t really turn out in any concrete shots on goal.

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Puel had to do something and early in the 2nd half he decided to give Maddison and Albrigthon a fear chance to shine, and was heavily rewarded after 73 minutes with a fantastic pass from Ndidi to Albrighton, who had a wonderful touch on the ball and his volley shot hit the net so hard that Man City’s good goalkeeper Arijanet Muric had no chance.

Leicester were level after 73 minutes and from there on and out the game it was just still water and not really any big chances to neither sides, so it all ebbed out in a penalty shoot out, but great credit to Leicester for their second half performance.

Hamza Choudhury had some great tackles and showed quality and for Tcf the best Leicester City player on the field. Credit also to Demarai Gray and Harry Maguire who also stood out, and of course Albrighton and a hard battling Ndidi in midfield.

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The penalties started well with a Harry Maguire goal, but the attempts from Maddison, Fuchs and Souyuncu were like candy for Muric, who saved two and one went into the sthands.

Man City are through to the semi’s, so are sensationally Burton Albion, who took on Middlesbrough away at The Riverside and came home with a 1-0 win.

Sorry for Puel this time, trying to give a number of players time on the pitch, and also getting that great goal, but in the end it was another quarter final exit against Man City, so as we say “same procedure at last year”.

• Positives:
  • Getting back against Man City and showing quality in 2nd half
  • A good performance by Hamza Choudhury
  • 1-1 against Man City is not a bad result after 90 minutes
  • No injures and players more players getting 90 minutes
• Negatives:
  • The penalty shoot out

• Player Ratings: Ward 6. Simpson 6, Fuchs 6, Suyuncu 6, Maguire 7, Ndidi 7, Choudhury 8, Gray 7, Iheanacho 4, Ghezzal 4, Iborra 4, Subs: Maddison, Albrighton, Pereira

Match Stats: H/A

• Possession: 39 / 61
• Corners: 4 / 7
• Shots on target: 2 / 3
• Shots wide: 2 / 4
• Fouls: 9 / 10
• Offsides: 6 / 3

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The line-up was as we predicted, but to see Gray and Vardy as a partnership up front and moving Maddison out to the flank, gave me an idea of something that would not work well. You get two forwards moving as twins up front, both with the same runs.

First half was dull, but Leicester City had a good period in the middle, controlling the game and looked close to getting something. A goal was scored by Vardy, but surely it was a free kick when he attacked debuting Palace goalkeeper Guaita.

Then again, close to the end of first half, watching sloppy defending which gave Palace captain Milivojevic a free path and not really making enough effort to try to stop his clinical shot from reaching the goal, as Schmeichel was a bid hidden and had no chance to save from a distance that with proper defending would have easily been stopped.

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Leicester City came out in the 2nd half without Maddison, surely some injury made that move happen, and we just have to wait and see what Puel will say about one of his best players being substituted with Rachid Ghezzal.

Ghezzal is at Leicester City not really a finished article and his display is a bit up and down, and he makes too many errors to be able to play at this level at this time. If Puel have a plan for Ghezzal, we have not yet seen it.

Demarai Gray is another matter, he is a vital player in the team but over the last games he is far from delivering what is needed from a player that should score goals and pass players, he is doing nothing of it at the moment.

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Selhurst Park is not the easiest grounds to play at, and despite a difficult start for Roy Hodgson’s men, they are a handful at home. But the fact that both Tomkins and Zaha were absent, should have boosted Leicester City chances a lot.

Jamie Vardy came close after a good combination with Kelechi Iheanacho, hitting the post and really unlucky not to see his chance resulting in nothing. In all Leicester City deserved a point in this game, and they had most of the play and feel sorry for the players.

With only one point in the last three games, there will be fans asking for Puel’s head, but the same people just want to see somehting done, as they also were in favor of sacking Claudio Ranieri.

Would like to see this through January and hopefully points are picked up to be safe among the top 10 teams in the division, to ask for Puel’s head now is not something we would favor at all, since Leicester City in this game came very close to a good result.

If you like to read more from the game, look here, and to sum it all up, just continue for the positives and negatives, player ratings and match stats

• Positives:
  • Keeping possession and pushing for a result
  • Vardy hitting the post, and working hard over 90 minutes
  • Christian Fuchs getting a game and doing ok
  • Better than last season, being hammered 5-0
  • Maguire played 90 minutes, looked fresh and good
• Negatives:
  • To many sloppy passes and overall inaccurate play
  • Gray is no longer performing as he should, disappointing to see him
  • Not able to defend at crucial times in the game
  • Maddison possibly injured
  • Struggling to create chances and everything looks a bit random

• Player Ratings: Schmeichel 6. Pereira 6, Fuchs 6, Morgan 6, Maguire 6, Ndidi 5, Mendy 5, Gray 4, Vardy 7, Maddison 6, Albrighton 6, Subs: Iheanacho, Okazaki, Ghezzal 6

Match Stats: H/A

• Possession: 45 / 55
• Corners: 4 / 4
• Shots on target: 1 / 1
• Shots wide: 5 / 10
• Fouls: 10 / 8
• Offsides: 6 / 3