fosse posse 
20-04-2024 14:56
20-04-2024 14:56
Match Report: Leicester City 2 - 1 West Bromwich Albion
Recap
Leicester City overcame an inspired West Bromwich Albion by a score of 2-1 at the King Power in Saturday’s early affair. Wilfred Ndidi put the Foxes on top at the half with a close-range effort. Jamie Vardy gave City a two-goal margin with a header in the second period. Jed Wallace got one back for the Baggies, but City held on for a much-needed win.
I’m not going to say we were outplayed but...wait, yes. Yes, I am. We were played off the pitch today. If West Brom had scored six, it would not have been unfair or flattering to them. Man of the match Hamza Choudhury made two spectacular goal-line clearances and the visitors missed chance after chance. For those of you who remember, this could have been Bournemouth all over again. I am not alone in thinking Hamza was The Man today.
But, we’ve been losing matches despite good performances for two months now. It’s past time one went the other way. Points are all that matter at this time of the season, and we got the points. Job done. Big performances from Vardy, Fatawu, Ndidi, and Faes. I made a bid deal of the fact we weren’t playing any natural fullbacks, but Wout and Hamza did the job.
The victory gives City 91 points from 43 matches. We’re two points ahead of Ipswich and four up on Leeds with all three sides level on matches played. Southampton at fourth with 84 points and a match in hand, so it would be unwise to count them out. We host those same Saints on Tuesday before travelling to Preston the following Monday. We wrap up the campaign on Saturday, 4 May at home to Blackburn Rovers. We could be promoted on Tuesday. We could miss automatic promotion. Supporting the Foxes is never boring, is it?
Lineups
Leicester City: Mads Hermansen, Hamza Choudhury, Conor Coady, Jannik Vestergaard, Wout Faes, Wilfred Ndidi, Harry Winks, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Abdul Fatawu, Stephy Mavididi, Jamie Vardy (C)
West Bromwich Albion: Alex Palmer, Kyle Bartley, Cedric Kipre, Conor Townsend, Darnell Furlong, Alex Mowatt, Okay Yokuşlu, Yann M’vila, Grady Diangana, Michael Johnston, Jed Wallace Key Moments and Notes
1’- Bold of manager Enzo Maresca to eschew the very idea of “fullback” as midfielder Choudhury and central defender Faes line up on the right and left respectively. It’s not unprecedented, but it’s still an interesting move.
2’- Close! KDH gives the ball away in the City box. He feeds it straight to Yokuslu, who blazes over 14 yards. This was all the result of a very effective West Brom press. The new back four aren’t quite on the same page yet.
11’- It’s all very wide open and very sloppy. Both sides are pressing very high and look very vulnerable to the break.
13’- Close! Take a bow, Hamza Choudhury. Wallace does Vestergaard on the halfway line and he’s off to the races. Coady does well to force him to give up the ball, but he cuts it back to Johnston and he’s all alone in the centre of the area. His shot beats Hermansen, but Choudhury is in the right place to make a classic Patrick Roy skate save on the line.
15’- Close! Johnston just dribbles past Choudhury and Coady and fires a low shot on target. It’s directly at Hermansen, who makes the save comfortably.
18’- Close! It’s all Albion right now. From a throw, the Foxes get far too many players chasing the ball, leaving the entire Brom right vacant. It’s Johnston again, who shoots just over when he really should have hit the target.
21’- GOAL! Faes’ cross finds Vardy with a lovely cross. He just gets the faintest touch, but he forces the keeper to parry and Ndidi is on hand to blast home from a close range. I hardly need to tell you that’s about as “against the run of play” as it gets. 35’- Things have calmed down since the goal as City have had much more control, albeit without creating any chances. The wingers have been unusually quiet today.
39’- Choudhury fouls the impressive Johnston just outside the area. Wallace’s free-kick is straight into the wall. He pounces on the rebound and blasts it well wide.
44’- Penalty Miss! Vardy gets between Yokuslu and a long Hermansen clearance and the defender shoves him over. Mind you, it’s not difficult to bring Vardy down in the penalty area. The referee points to the spot and Leicester’s talisman takes the kick himself. He tries to place it just inside the left post but hits the woodwork.
45’- That’s it for the half. It should be 2-0 to the Foxes, but it kind of also should be 4-1 to West Brom. As Jack noted, we’re due for one of these results. Overdue, if you ask me.
HALF TIME: Leicester City 1 - 0 West Bromwich Albion 46’- No changes at the half for either side. The Foxes win an early corner as Yokuslu puts Vardy’s header behind. Nothing comes of it, the surprise of no one. Any guesses as to what he has in each arm?
50’- Close! How have the Baggies not scored? Furlong gets behind the Leicester defence and pulls it back for M’Vila. Hermansen saves, but it falls to Diangana. The keeper gets a hand to it, but it’s going to loop into the back of the net before Choudhury arrives to head it over.
52’- Close! The corner falls to Kipre, whose header comes off the bar and falls to Diangana. He can’t get the ball out of his feet and it rolls out for a goal kick.
54’- Close! Oh my. How has Vardy not scored? Mavididi goes outside Furlong and puts it on a plate for the GOAT at the far post. He somehow can’t get either boot to it and the chance is lost.
58’- Close! Furlong receives the ball in a wide (and offside) position and curls a cross through traffic to Diangana. He just has to tap it in, but he puts it wide.
60’- Close! Mowatt feeds Furlong in space on the West Brom right. His shot is deflected inches wide by Faes. City clear the corner properly for a change.
65’- GOAL! Fatawu skips past his defender and stands up a beautiful cross with is right boot. Vardy leaps over Furlong and plants it past Palmer. 2-0 to the Foxes. 73’- City are slowing things down now. It’s not much to watch, but I doubt Maresca minds.
76’- GOAL! Kipre lays a slide-rule pass in the path of Wallace, who races past Coady and scores with the finish that the pass deserved.
81’-Dennis Praet is on for KDH. Ndidi moves to the left side so Praet can station himself on the right.
85’- Vardy’s race is run. Patson Daka comes on in his stead.
88’- Daka picks up a yellow for a robust challenge on Furlong. James Justin comes on for Mavididi.
90’- SIX minutes will be added on. I have no clue why.
90’+5- Hermansen gets down well to save a long-range effort from substitute John Swift. It was going wide, but now is not the time to be taking chances.
90’+8- Winks goes down after having been kicked in the face. The West Brom players protest, but...he was kicked in the face. That’s the last action of the match.
FULL TIME: Leicester City 2 - 1 West Bromwich Albion
Leicester City overcame an inspired West Bromwich Albion by a score of 2-1 at the King Power in Saturday’s early affair. Wilfred Ndidi put the Foxes on top at the half with a close-range effort. Jamie Vardy gave City a two-goal margin with a header in the second period. Jed Wallace got one back for the Baggies, but City held on for a much-needed win.
I’m not going to say we were outplayed but...wait, yes. Yes, I am. We were played off the pitch today. If West Brom had scored six, it would not have been unfair or flattering to them. Man of the match Hamza Choudhury made two spectacular goal-line clearances and the visitors missed chance after chance. For those of you who remember, this could have been Bournemouth all over again. I am not alone in thinking Hamza was The Man today.
But, we’ve been losing matches despite good performances for two months now. It’s past time one went the other way. Points are all that matter at this time of the season, and we got the points. Job done. Big performances from Vardy, Fatawu, Ndidi, and Faes. I made a bid deal of the fact we weren’t playing any natural fullbacks, but Wout and Hamza did the job.
The victory gives City 91 points from 43 matches. We’re two points ahead of Ipswich and four up on Leeds with all three sides level on matches played. Southampton at fourth with 84 points and a match in hand, so it would be unwise to count them out. We host those same Saints on Tuesday before travelling to Preston the following Monday. We wrap up the campaign on Saturday, 4 May at home to Blackburn Rovers. We could be promoted on Tuesday. We could miss automatic promotion. Supporting the Foxes is never boring, is it?
Lineups
Leicester City: Mads Hermansen, Hamza Choudhury, Conor Coady, Jannik Vestergaard, Wout Faes, Wilfred Ndidi, Harry Winks, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Abdul Fatawu, Stephy Mavididi, Jamie Vardy (C)
West Bromwich Albion: Alex Palmer, Kyle Bartley, Cedric Kipre, Conor Townsend, Darnell Furlong, Alex Mowatt, Okay Yokuşlu, Yann M’vila, Grady Diangana, Michael Johnston, Jed Wallace Key Moments and Notes
1’- Bold of manager Enzo Maresca to eschew the very idea of “fullback” as midfielder Choudhury and central defender Faes line up on the right and left respectively. It’s not unprecedented, but it’s still an interesting move.
2’- Close! KDH gives the ball away in the City box. He feeds it straight to Yokuslu, who blazes over 14 yards. This was all the result of a very effective West Brom press. The new back four aren’t quite on the same page yet.
11’- It’s all very wide open and very sloppy. Both sides are pressing very high and look very vulnerable to the break.
13’- Close! Take a bow, Hamza Choudhury. Wallace does Vestergaard on the halfway line and he’s off to the races. Coady does well to force him to give up the ball, but he cuts it back to Johnston and he’s all alone in the centre of the area. His shot beats Hermansen, but Choudhury is in the right place to make a classic Patrick Roy skate save on the line.
15’- Close! Johnston just dribbles past Choudhury and Coady and fires a low shot on target. It’s directly at Hermansen, who makes the save comfortably.
18’- Close! It’s all Albion right now. From a throw, the Foxes get far too many players chasing the ball, leaving the entire Brom right vacant. It’s Johnston again, who shoots just over when he really should have hit the target.
21’- GOAL! Faes’ cross finds Vardy with a lovely cross. He just gets the faintest touch, but he forces the keeper to parry and Ndidi is on hand to blast home from a close range. I hardly need to tell you that’s about as “against the run of play” as it gets. 35’- Things have calmed down since the goal as City have had much more control, albeit without creating any chances. The wingers have been unusually quiet today.
39’- Choudhury fouls the impressive Johnston just outside the area. Wallace’s free-kick is straight into the wall. He pounces on the rebound and blasts it well wide.
44’- Penalty Miss! Vardy gets between Yokuslu and a long Hermansen clearance and the defender shoves him over. Mind you, it’s not difficult to bring Vardy down in the penalty area. The referee points to the spot and Leicester’s talisman takes the kick himself. He tries to place it just inside the left post but hits the woodwork.
45’- That’s it for the half. It should be 2-0 to the Foxes, but it kind of also should be 4-1 to West Brom. As Jack noted, we’re due for one of these results. Overdue, if you ask me.
HALF TIME: Leicester City 1 - 0 West Bromwich Albion 46’- No changes at the half for either side. The Foxes win an early corner as Yokuslu puts Vardy’s header behind. Nothing comes of it, the surprise of no one. Any guesses as to what he has in each arm?
50’- Close! How have the Baggies not scored? Furlong gets behind the Leicester defence and pulls it back for M’Vila. Hermansen saves, but it falls to Diangana. The keeper gets a hand to it, but it’s going to loop into the back of the net before Choudhury arrives to head it over.
52’- Close! The corner falls to Kipre, whose header comes off the bar and falls to Diangana. He can’t get the ball out of his feet and it rolls out for a goal kick.
54’- Close! Oh my. How has Vardy not scored? Mavididi goes outside Furlong and puts it on a plate for the GOAT at the far post. He somehow can’t get either boot to it and the chance is lost.
58’- Close! Furlong receives the ball in a wide (and offside) position and curls a cross through traffic to Diangana. He just has to tap it in, but he puts it wide.
60’- Close! Mowatt feeds Furlong in space on the West Brom right. His shot is deflected inches wide by Faes. City clear the corner properly for a change.
65’- GOAL! Fatawu skips past his defender and stands up a beautiful cross with is right boot. Vardy leaps over Furlong and plants it past Palmer. 2-0 to the Foxes. 73’- City are slowing things down now. It’s not much to watch, but I doubt Maresca minds.
76’- GOAL! Kipre lays a slide-rule pass in the path of Wallace, who races past Coady and scores with the finish that the pass deserved.
81’-Dennis Praet is on for KDH. Ndidi moves to the left side so Praet can station himself on the right.
85’- Vardy’s race is run. Patson Daka comes on in his stead.
88’- Daka picks up a yellow for a robust challenge on Furlong. James Justin comes on for Mavididi.
90’- SIX minutes will be added on. I have no clue why.
90’+5- Hermansen gets down well to save a long-range effort from substitute John Swift. It was going wide, but now is not the time to be taking chances.
90’+8- Winks goes down after having been kicked in the face. The West Brom players protest, but...he was kicked in the face. That’s the last action of the match.
FULL TIME: Leicester City 2 - 1 West Bromwich Albion