This Week In History: Elliott Signs, Arphexad's Heroics & Huth's Spurs Winner

Heritage
17 Jan 2020
2 Minutes
The week between 13 and 19 January includes several memorable results and notable landmarks in the history of Leicester City Football Club.

A week in history which included a Gary Lineker hat-trick against Notts County in 1984 and a then-record gate receipt of £17,000 at Filbert Street in 1972 also paid witness to these moments in time...

On Thursday 16 January, 1997, Oxford United defender Matt Elliott made the jump up to the Premier League to join Leicester City, rejecting a similar proposal from Southampton.

Elliott himself said at the time that a conversation with manager Martin O'Neill was all it took to persuade him to pick Filbert Street over The Dell.

A commanding centre-back, who would go on to lift the League Cup at the Club, Elliott made his Foxes debut in a 1-0 victory over Wimbledon two days later, thanks to Emile Heskey's strike.

The Wandsworth-born defender made over 200 appearances for City, and scored a brace in the 2000 League Cup Final to seal Leicester's third such success at Wembley.

He also captained the Foxes under O'Neill, Peter Taylor, Dave Bassett and Micky Adams and is heavily involved in daily life at King Power Stadium today with LCFC TV and Leicester City in the Community.

Three years later, on Wednesday 19 January, 2000, the Foxes sealed a second dramatic penalty shootout success inside a week with a 6-5 win over Arsenal in the FA Cup Fourth Round.

Following a 0-0 draw at Highbury, the two sides fought out another stalemate at Filbert Street, setting the scene for Pegguy Arphexad to become Leicester's penalty hero.

The shootout lasted an incredible 14 kicks until a winner was decided, after a heroic display from goalkeeper Tim Flowers in normal time. Arphexad, though, was called upon by O'Neill for the shootout.

In the end, it was the Frenchman's save to deny Gilles Grimandi which sealed the victory, just seven days after Arphexad also played a starring role in a League Cup penalty success over Fulham.

While City went on to lift the League Cup later that season, their campaign in the FA Cup - a trophy which has always eluded them - ended with a 2-1 defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the next round.

In a highlight occasion during the Club's greatest-ever season, German centre-back Robert Huth scored the only goal of the game in a memorable 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in London.

A tense Premier League clash between two prominent title contenders was goalless until the 83rd minute - when Huth met a deep Christian Fuchs cross to loop a header over everyone and into the net.

That winner, on Wednesday 13 January, 2016 was one which left Leicester second in the Premier League, level on points with leaders Arsenal, under the management of Claudio Ranieri.

Ranieri's Foxes, following that win at White Hart Lane, were held to a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa before successive victories over Stoke City, Liverpool and Manchester City outlined their title credentials.

In the end, Leicester were crowned champions with two matches to spare and, by the end of the season, had a 10-point cushion over Arsenal as they lifted the Club's first-ever top-flight title.