Silverware, Europe & Memorable PL Wins - Foxes’ Season Review: Part One

Competitive football resumed in early August as Emirates FA Cup holders Leicester took on league champions Manchester City in the traditional curtain raiser on a sunny afternoon in the capital.

Kelechi Iheanacho’s late penalty sealed a FA Community Shield victory for Brendan Rodgers’ side and the Foxes toasted another Wembley success, this time in front of swathes of the Blue Army, just three months on from one of the greatest days in the Club’s history.

The Premier League season began in positive fashion too, with another 1-0 triumph, this time on home soil against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Jamie Vardy kickstarted his 21/22 tally in typical fashion.

The Foxes made it two wins from three across August by defeating Norwich City later in the month. Vardy was again on the scoresheet, alongside Marc Albrighton, as the first away victory of the season was recorded at Carrow Road.

Two more competitions commenced in September, with the UEFA Europa League group stage, a reward for finishing fifth for the second successive season, pitting City against Italian giants Napoli.

Although leading by two goals on Filbert Way, the visitors drew level to earn a point. A narrow defeat at Legia Warsaw on matchday two meant the Foxes were up against it to qualify for the knockout stages.

City’s Carabao Cup campaign also got up and running, negotiating a tricky looking third round tie away at Sky Bet Championship side Millwall, a game which included Ademola Lookman’s first goal since joining the club on loan from Red Bull Leipzig.

Following consecutive 2-2 draws against Burnley and Crystal Palace, and three more goals for Vardy, one of the results of the season arrived in early October. Manchester United were the visitors to King Power Stadium, a match-up which immediately evokes memories of the 5-3 victory in Leicester’s Great Escape season of 2014/15.

Another story was written this time around, with Youri Tielemans scoring a sublime chip to level the scores – a sensational strike which would later win Goal of the Season at the Club’s End of Season Awards.

Still level with 12 minutes to play, a crazy end to the game followed, as Çağlar Söyüncü edged Leicester ahead for the first time, only for Marcus Rashford to equalise. Vardy then put the hosts back in front straight from kick-off, before summer signing Patson Daka’s first Premier League goal secured three points at the end of a Premier League classic.

Just four days on, ex-Red Bull Salzburg frontman Daka was among the goals again, this time in Europe, as Leicester travelled to Russia and picked up their first victory of the group stage against Spartak Moscow.

Trailing 2-0 shortly before half-time, the away side had it all to do but the Zambian striker stepped forward and produced an incredible performance, scoring four times to clinch a scarcely believable 4-3 win.

Returning to domestic matters, City made it four unbeaten in the league and achieved back-to-back Premier League victories by defeating Brentford 2-1. Another Tielemans corker set the visitors on their way and James Maddison later scored the winner.  

Further progression was made in the League Cup at the end of October, meanwhile, defeating Brighton & Hove Albion on penalties to progress into the fifth round. And in the Europa League, a stalemate with Spartak was followed by a convincing home victory over Legia Warsaw, setting up an intriguing final matchday in Naples.

A legendary figure returned three days later, as Claudio Ranieri brought his Watford team to King Power Stadium, pitting the Italian against the Club for the first time since the Premier League triumph he masterminded.

Another influential figure from that most memorable of seasons, Vardy, did the damage against the Hornets, netting twice during a 4-2 triumph played out in snowy conditions, while another Maddison goal showed signs that the playmaker was getting back to his best form.

Although City could not get over the line against Napoli, losing 3-2 and exiting the competition despite Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s first senior and European goal, they responded to that disappointment emphatically, beating Newcastle United 4-0 on Filbert Way.

Rodgers’ men soon came close to a second League Cup semi-final in three seasons, but were beaten on penalties by Liverpool at Anfield, following a 3-3 draw in normal time.

The Foxes got their revenge over the title-chasing Reds in the Premier League six days later, however, with Kasper Schmeichel saving Mo Salah’s first-half penalty before Lookman scored the only goal of the game to mark the perfect conclusion to the calendar year.

The Emirates FA Cup kicked off the new year but it would be another European competition taking centre stage in the second half of 2021/22…