Season Review: City Conclude 2018/19 With Chelsea Draw
The Foxes headed into their penultimate fixture of the campaign at Etihad Stadium having defeated Arsenal 3-0 at King Power Stadium at the end of April.
Pep Guardiola’s men were in the midst of a fierce battle for the title with Liverpool, while Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea were bidding for a top-three finish.
Manchester City 1 Leicester City 0
Monday 6 May, 2019
Premier League
Etihad Stadium
Goal: Kompany 70
Leicester City’s pulsating encounter with Manchester City ended in a narrow 1-0 loss to the current Premier League champions at Etihad Stadium.
The Foxes, who were unchanged from their 3-0 victory over Arsenal, stood strong for 70 minutes until Man City captain Vincent Kompany unleashed an unstoppable strike that found the top corner of the net.
While the hosts had the lion’s share of possession throughout the fixture in Manchester, it was City who had the most notable chance early on as Ricardo Pereira saw a shot blocked by Kompany.
Both sides continued to trade blows inside 15 minutes as Kasper Schmeichel was on hand to deny Phil Foden, while Ederson collected a long-range effort from Youri Tielemans at the other end of the pitch.
Wayward attempts from Foden and Kyle Walker followed, and some fine defending from Jonny Evans thwarted the advances of Raheem Sterling down the left flank.
Manchester City 1 Leicester City 0
Highlights from Leicester City's 1-0 defeat by Manchester City at Etihad Stadium. Commentators: John Dunn and Gerry Taggart.
Man City’s best opportunity of the first half fell to Sergio Agüero, who flicked a header onto the underside of the bar before Schmeichel clawed the loose ball off the line and away to safety.
After the interval, a brace of efforts from Sterling and Bernardo Silva failed to trouble Schmeichel, while James Maddison sent a curling strike just inches wide of Ederson’s left-hand post.
Schmeichel was called into action on 69 minutes as he spread his legs to deny Agüero from close range, but the Denmark international could do nothing about Manchester City’s next shot on goal.
Kompany drove forward from defence and initially hesitated before hammering a thunderous strike into the top corner – an effort that would eventually settle the match.
Academy graduate Harvey Barnes, former Man City striker Kelechi Iheanacho and wideman Demarai Gray were all introduced after Kompany’s goal as the Foxes attempted level matters.
It was Iheanacho who went closest to grabbing an equaliser with three minutes to play, but the Nigeria international couldn’t direct Hamza Choudhury’s pass on target after some excellent work from the City midfielder.
Leicester City 0 Chelsea 0
Saturday 12 May, 2019
Premier League
King Power Stadium
Leicester City’s 2018/19 Premier League campaign came to a close with a goalless draw with six-time champions of England Chelsea at King Power Stadium.
Donning their new 2019/20 home kit, the Foxes delivered an assured display to finish ninth in the Premier League standings during their fifth-consecutive season in England’s top flight.
Denmark international Kasper Schmeichel was forced into making an early save with his chest after Ross Barkley drifted into the box before unleashing a powerful volley.
Willy Caballero was tested by Ben Chilwell with 17 minutes on the clock as the Academy graduate played a one-two with Jamie Vardy before curling an effort on goal.
The Blues stopper was called into action again just after the half-hour mark as Chilwell combined with Vardy for a second time, as the left-back’s free-kick was glanced into the arms of Caballero by the City No.9.
Opportunities for both sides to open the scoring ahead of the the interval followed, but Youri Tielemans was forced wide and denied by Caballero, before Gonzalo Higuaín missed a big chance from six yards out.
Leicester City 0 Chelsea 0
Watch extended action of Leicester City's goalless draw with Chelsea on the final day of the 2018/19 season.
Tielemans had another attempt after the break as his sweetly-struck volley sailed inches wide of the target, while wayward strikes from Marcos Alonso and Barkley failed to trouble Schmeichel.
Standing ovations for Danny Simpson and Shinji Okazaki followed, as they were introduced for their final appearances at Leicester City having played pivotal roles in the Club’s 2015/16 Premier League glory.
With 10 minutes to play, Okazaki nearly got on the end of a Chilwell cross, but he couldn’t make a connection and Chelsea were able to clear the danger.
A final opportunity for City followed with a minute to play, as Tielemans collected a pass from Harvey Barnes and hammered a strike just over from range – the Foxes’ final effort of 2018/19.
The day concluded with a lap of appreciation during which the Blue Army passionately chanted ‘Vichai’ as Khun Top, the Srivaddhanaprabha family and the Club’s players and staff all thanked Leicester City’s fans for their support during 2018/19.