Leicester City’s Season Review: April

Champions-elect Manchester City were the visitors to King Power Stadium for the month’s opener and, although Leicester had convincingly triumphed in the reverse fixture in September, it was a different story this time around.

Second-half finishes from Benjamin Mendy and Gabriel Jesus wrapped up three points for Pep Guardiola’s side, inflicting a first loss in five games, and the Foxes would also leave London Stadium empty handed eight days later.

Three goals down within 48 minutes of their clash with West Ham United, the damage was done by Jesse Lingard, who scored a first-half brace before Jarrod Bowen increased the Hammers’ advantage.

Kelechi Iheanacho continued his fine goalscoring exploits in the capital, though, as Ricardo Pereira pinched possession and allowed the Nigerian forward to do the rest, taking one touch to swivel and face goal before arrowing a sumptuous strike into the net.

Marc Albrighton’s low cross then found its way to Iheanacho to make it 3-2 and March’s Premier League Player of the Month had his ninth goal in six outings for the Foxes and 14 in all competitions across the campaign.

Better was to come at the national stadium as the Foxes tackled Southampton for a place in the Emirates FA Cup Final. It was settled by a solitary second-half goal from the influential Iheanacho 10 minutes after the interval.  

Jamie Vardy used trickery and pace to get to the byline, picking out his strike partner in the middle, with the second of his two first-time efforts converted past Fraser Forster to reach the showpiece for the first time since 1969. 

Buoyed by their semi-final triumph, Leicester also got back on track in the Premier League, seeing off relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion.

The Foxes made a lightning start on home soil and all three goals would come within a whirlwind 10-minute spell ahead of half-time. City's talismanic No.9 Vardy got the ball rolling, applying a confident first-time finish to Timothy Castagne’s centre.

The defender found himself free down the middle thanks to Belgium team-mate Youri Tielemans’ threaded through ball and unselfishly opted to square the ball across for Vardy, who gratefully accepted.

A more unlikely scorer was next to find a way through the Baggies’ defence and it was former Albion defender Jonny Evans who anticipated the flick on from Tielemans’ corner and guided a header beyond Sam Johnstone against his former club.

It became even more comfortable for Brendan Rodgers’ men when the Vardy-Iheanacho combination returned. Vardy cleverly shifted the ball past Jay O’Shea, setting up his strike partner, who after taking a couple of touches to get it under his spell, flicked it in via a deflection.

Four days later, Crystal Palace dealt the first blow at King Power Stadium, as Ebrechi Eze fed Wilfried Zaha to bend the ball past Kasper Schmeichel.

A neat Leicester move restored parity early in the second period. Tielemans and Castagne were both involved, as was Iheanacho, controlling the ball in the box before setting up Castagne to fire in an emphatic, first-time leveller.

Leicester’s frontman was far from done there though and wanted a goal of his own to add to a burgeoning collection. Before he could, however, Evans made a crucial, last-ditch tackle to stop the Eagles from restoring their lead at King Power Stadium.

Jaïro Riedewald opted to find Christian Benteke when bearing down on goal, allowing the Northern Ireland centre-back to swoop in and clear, while at the other end, Iheanacho did the business once again.

Evans took the assist as his long ball was expertly controlled and moved inside by the Nigerian marksman, before a simply stunning rocket that won the game late on for the Foxes. It was later voted Goal of the Season at the Club’s End of Season Awards.

The final fixture of the month would prove to be a frustrating one. Facing Southampton for the second time in April, this one coming in the Premier League, Leicester failed to take advantage of an early red card for Jannik Vestergaard inside 10 minutes at St. Mary’s Stadium.

It was, in fact, the home side who would go in front when the net finally bulged for the first time on the hour-mark. Saints captain James Ward-Prowse converted a spot-kick, but Evans brought City back level seven minutes later, which is how things stayed to make it four games unbeaten for the Foxes.

Into May, four top flight matches remained, as well as the small matter of Leicester City’s first FA Cup Final in 52 years.