This Week In History: Vardy's Eleven Heaven, Izzet's Bicycle-Kick & Mahrez Stuns Spurs

Heritage
28 Nov 2019
3 Minutes
History was made and outstanding goals were scored during the passage of time between 25 November and 1 December across the Club's history.

Throughout a week which included the first radio broadcast from Filbert Street (26 November, 1927), the birthday of record goalscorer Arthur Chandler (27 November, 1895) and a 2-0 win over Manchester United in the League Cup (27 November, 1996), the following iconic moments also took place...

Muzzy Izzet scored a goal which is still regarded as one of the best strikes in the Club's entire 135-year history in a 2-1 victory over Grimsby Town at Blundell Park on 30 November, 2002.

Micky Adams' City took the lead inside two minutes when James Scowcroft netted his sixth goal of the 2002/03 First Division season as the visitors made an assured start in Cleethorpes. 

However, when defender Frank Sinclair was dismissed just after half-time, Grimsby rallied and they were able to level the scores in the 54th minute through John Oster. 

With the home side pushing the Foxes back and making them endure waves of pressure, Adams' men needed something special to inspire them to victory in their bid to win promotion. 

Up stepped Izzet with 16 minutes to go.

After a run down the right flank by full-back Andy Impey, his cross found Izzet, who subsequently unleashed a fearsome over-head kick into the top corner.

Even more remarkably, the Turkey international's effort originated from the edge of the 18-yard box, sparking jubilant celebrations in the away end as the rain fell in North East Lincolnshire. 

City recorded their first home Premier League victory over Tottenham Hotspur since the final game at Filbert Street in 2002 with a 2-1 success at King Power Stadium on 28 November, 2017.

Under the early management of Claude Puel, the Foxes' win against Spurs began a run of four consecutive Premier League victories, which included beating Burnley, Newcastle United and Southampton.

An exquisite lob from Jamie Vardy, over Hugo Lloris, following a smart pass from Marc Albrighton gave the Foxes the lead before a thunderbolt from Riyad Mahrez doubled it before the interval.

While Harry Kane was able to pull one back for Mauricio Pochettino's men on Filbert Way, the former City loanee's strike wasn't enough to galvanise his team-mates into mounting a comeback in Leicester.

It was a victory which propelled the Foxes up to ninth in the Premier League standings and made it eight points from five matches for Puel since taking the job as manager.

Leicester eventually ended the 2017/18 campaign in ninth place, seven points adrift of Burnley, who sealed the final qualifying berth for the UEFA Europa League. 

While the Foxes did not secure a victory on 28 November, 2015, it is nonetheless a date which is etched into the Football Club's history books forever.

Following an extraordinary start to the 2015/16 campaign under Claudio Ranieri, Leicester were among the early pacesetters in the Premier League when Manchester United visited King Power Stadium.

It was the achievements of one player in particular, however, which dominated the agenda as Jamie Vardy, the man who City signed from Fleetwood Town in 2012, chased a record set in 2003.

Vardy went into the clash having found the net in each of his previous 10 top-flight fixtures and knowing one more would see him overtake Ruud van Nistelrooy's record for 11 in a row.

With 24 minutes on the clock, goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel rolled it out to Christian Fuchs who, in turn, laid up Vardy with a no-look pass to smash it past David de Gea in the United net.

While Bastian Schweinsteiger equalised, Vardy's record remains intact to this day. It also is one of the moments which defines City's best-ever season, which ended in Premier League glory.