Season Review: Back-To-Back League Wins & Shootout Drama In September
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During August, City lost out against Manchester United, but recovered well to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton in the Premier League and Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup Second Round.
While the following month began with a slender loss to Liverpool and an away defeat at AFC Bournemouth, wins over Huddersfield Town and Newcastle United propelled them up the top-flight standings.
A dramatic penalty shootout victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers, meanwhile, included a trio of saves from new goalkeeper Danny Ward and set up a fifth round tie against Southampton.
Leicester City 1 Liverpool 2
Saturday 1 September, 2018
Premier League
King Power Stadium
Goals: Ghezzal 63'; Mané 10', Firmino 45'
Leicester City’s three-game winning run came to an end in an early September lunchtime kick-off as Liverpool recorded a 2-1 Premier League victory at King Power Stadium.
The Foxes were tasked with taking on the league leaders, who headed into the game had won all three of their opening Premier League fixtures.
Claude Puel made eight changes to his side, with Algerian winger Rachid Ghezzal making his first Premier League start having scored his maiden City goal last time out in the Carabao Cup.
Jürgen Klopp’s men flowed forward early on as Andrew Robertson burst through the Foxes defence and cut the ball back to Sadio Mané, who stabbed home to give his side a 1-0 lead.
Midway through the first half, Liverpool stopper Alisson pulled off an excellent save to deny Demarai Gray, who operated upfront for Puel’s men.
It was Gray’s England Under-21s team-mate James Maddison who would next go close, as his powerful shot flew just over Alisson’s bar on 33 minutes.
Goals: Leicester City 1 Liverpool 2
Watch the goals from the Foxes' 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Premier League...
However, despite City pushing for an equaliser, the Reds made it 2-0 on the stroke of half-time as Brazilian frontman Firmino nodded in James Milner’s corner.
The Foxes came out fighting after the break and only a superb last-ditch block from Joe Gomez prevented Maddison from halving the deficit on 52 minutes.
Chances for skipper Wes Morgan and Maddison followed, but it was the introduction of Nigeria international Kelechi Iheanacho on the hour mark that changed the game.
Moments after coming on, he won the ball off Alisson before squaring to Ghezzal, who took a touch before firing in to become the first player to score against Liverpool in the Premier League this term.
With a sold out King Power Stadium rocking after Ghezzal’s goal, the Foxes went in search of an all-important equaliser in an attempt to extent their unbeaten run to four games.
However, despite piling on the pressure, the hosts could not find the back of the net for the second time in the game and Liverpool returned to Merseyside with all three points.
AFC Bournemouth 4 Leicester City 2
Saturday 15 September, 2018
Premier League
Vitality Stadium
Goals: Fraser 19', 37', King pen 41', Smith 81'; Maddison pen 88', Albrighton 89'
AFC Bournemouth registered a 4-2 victory over 10-man Leicester City at Vitality Stadium in the Club's second fixture of the month.
After an even start on the south coast, Ryan Fraser rounded off a ruthless counter-attack by cutting inside and curling into the bottom corner with 19 minutes gone.
Two opportunities for James Maddison followed. First, his free-kick was blocked by the Cherries wall before Asmir Begović made a double save, first denying Jamie Vardy prior to flicking Maddison’s shot onto the crossbar.
Just as the Foxes appeared to be gaining a foothold in the game, the hosts made it 2-0. From another swift move, Callum Wilson found Fraser, who got enough on the ball to slip it past Kasper Schmeichel.
Then, shortly before the break, the Cherries were awarded a penalty after the ball flicked up and hit Ricardo Pereira’s hand. Joshua King converted to put Eddie Howe’s men into a commanding 3-0 lead.
Goals: AFC Bournemouth 4 Leicester City 2
Watch all the goals from the Foxes 4-2 defeat against Bournemouth in the Premier League...
Opportunities followed for Leicester after the interval. Maddison’s low strike was held by Begović, Wilfred Ndidiheaded over and Harry Maguire was also denied in a short space of time.
City couldn’t find a breakthrough and they were further frustrated when skipper Wes Morgan was dismissed on 69 minutes after receiving two yellow cards for fouls on King and Adam Smith.
Schmeichel did brilliantly to deny King from a one-on-one situation with 12 minutes to play, but he could do nothing about Bournemouth’s next effort, which was converted by substitute Smith.
After the returning Vardy made way – the striker appearing to pick up a knock – Maddison pulled one back from the spot on 88 minutes following Diego Rico’s foul on Ricardo.
A minute later, substitute Marc Albrighton scored a second by heading in Kelechi Iheanacho’s pin-point cross, and while Ben Chilwell went close in injury time, the Foxes couldn’t complete a remarkable comeback.
Leicester City 3 Huddersfield Town 1
Saturday 22 September, 2018
Premier League
King Power Stadium
Goals: Iheanacho 19', Maddison 66', Vardy 75'; Zanka 5'
Leicester City recovered from an early setback to defeat Huddersfield Town 3-1 at King Power Stadium in the Premier League.
Claude Puel made three changes to the side that faced Bournemouth the week beforehand, as Kelechi Iheanacho, Daniel Amartey and Jonny Evans all started for the Foxes.
City were behind inside five minutes on Filbert Way, as Mathias Jorgensen stabbed home a long throw from six yards out.
After a sustained spell of pressure, Puel’s men hauled themselves level. From a lethal counter attack, James Maddison released Jamie Vardy, who slipped in Iheanacho for the leveller.
A chipped free-kick from Maddison then set up Vardy, who fired his volley wide of the mark after an intelligent move midway through the first half.
Goals: Leicester City 3 Huddersfield Town 1
Watch all the goals from the Foxes' 3-1 victory over Huddersfield Town in the Premier League...
Before the break, Laurent Depoitre sent a header off target, while Harry Maguire headed straight at Jonas Lossl after another neat set-play.
On 58 minutes, Iheanacho came just inches away from netting his second of the game, as he side-footed Ben Chilwell’s cutback the wrong side of Lossl’s post.
But City didn’t have to wait much longer to take the lead. Nampalys Mendy was fouled on the edge of the box and Maddison stepped up to curl a brilliant free-kick over the Huddersfield wall and into the back of the net.
Substitute Demarai Gray went close twice shortly after, first hammering a powerful drive over the bar before Lossl produced a good stop four minutes later.
However, it was Vardy who would seal the win for the Foxes with 15 minutes to play. Iheanacho played a well-weighted pass into the path of the Leicester No.9, who lifted the ball over the onrushing Lossl for 3-1.
Finally, Shinji Okazaki, who replaced Maddison on 85 minutes, forced Lossl into a smart stop in injury time.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Leicester City 0
Tuesday 25 September, 2018
Carabao Cup, Third Round
Molineux Stadium
A dramatic 3-1 penalty shootout victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers – following a 0-0 draw – secured safe passage into the Carabao Cup Fourth Round for Leicester City.
Danny Ward was City’s hero with three outstanding spot kick saves, while Rachid Ghezzal, Vicente Iborra and Kelechi Iheanacho succeeded from 12 yards for the Foxes.
Manager Claude Puel made eight changes from the 3-1 home win over Huddersfield Town in the Premier League, with Ward, Ricardo Pereira, Wes Morgan, Christian Fuchs, Adrien Silva, Iborra, Shinji Okazaki and Marc Albrighton all coming in at Molineux.
Leicester exhibited an attacking brand of football in the opening stages in front of a raucous West Midlands crowd as Iborra twice went close inside the opening 10 minutes.
First, the Spaniard drilled an audacious effort narrowly wide of John Ruddy’s far post before heading over from inside the 18-yard box, following industrious wing play from Ghezzal.
Penalty Shootout Drama At Molineux
Look back on Leicester City's penalty shootout success at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
The Algerian went close himself just after the half-hour, latching onto a superb cross from Albrighton to angle it towards goal, but home captain Conor Coady scrambled off the line at the last.
After the interval, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side carried a considerable threat in forward positions, especially following Diogo Joto’s introduction in the 57th minute.
However, City continued to carve out opportunities of their own and Albrighton was unlucky not to break the deadlock when he latched onto Ghezzal’s pass, but Ruddy saved well at his near post.
In the latter moments, the hosts looked the more likely to score but rarely tested Ward in the Foxes net with Ricardo, Morgan, Jonny Evans and Fuchs all impressing at the back.
In the shootout, meanwhile, Fuchs and Hamza Choudhury were the only Foxes players to be denied, while Ward stepped up to stop Romain Saiss, Jota and Adama Traore.
Benny Ashley-Seal was in fact the only Wolves man to convert from 12 yards, while Ghezzal, Iborra and finally Iheanacho beat Ruddy from the spot to book City a place in the fourth round.
Newcastle United 0 Leicester City 2
Saturday 29 September, 2018
Premier League
St James' Park
Goals: Vardy pen 30', Maguire 73'
Leicester City struck in both halves to seal a hard-fought 2-0 Premier League victory over Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
Manager Claude Puel made eight changes to the side that defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers on penalties in the Carabao Cup, with Jamie Vardy, Wes Morgan and Ricardo Pereira all retaining their spot in the starting XI.
Opportunities fell to both sides early on in Newcastle. Ayoze Perez had a strike blocked by midfield enforcer Wilfred Ndidi, who at the other end headed over shortly after.
Magpies stopper Martin Dubravka then had to be alert to Ricardo’s low effort on 10 minutes, while Harry Maguire, whose name was chanted from the away end by the Blue Army all afternoon, put in a superb last-ditch challenge to deny Joselu.
Headers from Mohamed Diame and Maguire followed in the first period and it was the latter who played a role in the eventual opener.
Goals: Newcastle United 0 Leicester City 2
A Jamie Vardy penalty and a Harry Maguire header secured a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United at St James' Park.
The England international’s strike from a corner hit DeAndre Yedlin's arm and City were awarded a penalty – Vardy slotted in from 12 yards for his third Premier League goal of the 2018/19 campaign.
Newcastle came out fighting after the interval as City had to weather the storm at St James’ Park. However, the hosts failed to create any clear-cut chances and it was Leicester who would add to their advantage.
Having volleyed wide of the mark with 59 minutes gone, Maguire continued to threaten the Newcastle goal and with under 20 minutes to play made it 2-0 with a towering header from James Maddison’s pin-point corner.
Comfortable for the closing stages, City were happy to defend their two-goal advantage to register their fourth Premier League win of the campaign.
September in numbers:
LCFC goals: 8
Top scorer: Maddison, Vardy (2 goals)
Premier League standing: 7th
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