Matchday Live Talking Points: Brave Rodgers, Ridiculous Maddison & Audacious Vardy

First Team
28 Sep 2020
4 Minutes
Matt Elliott, Iwan Roberts and Gerry Taggart were full of praise for Leicester City following the magnificent 5-2 triumph over Manchester City at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

- LCFC TV and LCFC Radio provided over four hours of coverage from Leicester City's stunning 5-2 win at Manchester City on Sunday
- Matt Elliott, Iwan Roberts and Gerry Taggart provided their analysis at full-time
- The three Foxes legends picked out several players for individual praise 
- The Club's official online channels will be there for every first team game this season

Speaking during the post-match analysis on Matchday Live - which provides over four hours of free coverage on LCFC TV and LCFC Radio - the Foxes legends reflected on an incredible result.

Jamie Vardy struck a hat-trick - including a wonderful flicked finish and two penalties - while James Maddison's late curler and a Youri Tielemans spot-kick registered a memorable victory in Manchester.

At full-time, Elliott, Roberts and Taggart tried to explain the result and heaped praise on several individuals who played such a prominent role in Leicester's third win in a row to start the 2020/21 season.

A momentous result

The scoreboard demonstrates the magnitude of Leicester's victory at full-time at Etihad Stadium.

Matt Elliott said: “If you’ve got any connection with Leicester City, what a momentous result that is! Going 3-1 up and 4-1 up, you’re pinching yourself a little bit, thinking: ‘How is this happening?’ It’s a crazy result, really. That doesn’t happen to Man City. It’s just a shame that Leicester City supporters weren’t able to witness that at Etihad Stadium and travel in their thousands and experience the occasion. Having said that, the city is going to be jubilant!”

Tielemans and Mendy find space

Belgium star Youri Tielemans was one of several players to attract individual praise from the panel.

Iwan Roberts said: “It was breath-taking. I look at one substitution… when [Pep] Guardiola changed something on 51 minutes, when he took off Fernandinho and brought on Liam Delap, I think that changed the game. I think that change meant that [Papy] Mendy – who was magnificent – and Tielemans had more space. The second goal came from the right-hand side, a one-two between Tielemans and [Timothy] Castagne, and I don’t think Tielemans plays that ball if Fernandinho’s on the pitch.”

Maddison's 'ridiculous' finish 

Brendan Rodgers' men had beaten West Bromwich Albion, Burnley and Manchester City already in 2020/21.

Gerry Taggart said: “Quite astonishing. If you were just switching it on the radio, you’d have been amazed. We were seeing goal after goal going in and then Maddison with that ridiculous, unbelievable strike into the top corner, just to compound the problems for Manchester City. You can throw all the stats out that you want, but nobody was expecting Leicester City to come here and win 5-2, that I can tell you for sure.”

Leicester expose Man City

Jamie Vardy has scored two hat-tricks against a side managed by Pep Guardiola - a feat only achieved elsewhere by Lionel Messi.

Matt Elliott said: “It was an incredible performance. You didn’t really see it coming after the way they started the game, but we spoke at half-time about them growing into it and taking confidence from that – and boy did they. The players broke up Man City’s play, had the confidence to look for that early pass, and Man City couldn’t handle it. Not just defensively, but in midfield too. When teams get at Man City, they’re not quite sure what to do. They’re not used to it, they don’t like it, and Leicester City did it in fine style.”

'Brave and bold' Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers deployed a new tactical stratagem in order to defy Manchester City's attacking threats.

Iwan Roberts said: “Brendan [Rodgers] was brave and bold, he got his tactics absolutely spot on. On Jamie's finish... to have the audacity and the confidence to even try it, first and foremost, you’ve got to make that run. As you see that move developing down that right-hand side, he knows the quality that Castagne’s got. He knows he can pick him out. He’s made a great run, he’s got across his defender, but then it’s such a cheeky finish. It’s exactly what he wanted to do and he did it superbly. To have that confidence, it’s ridiculous.”

Good play wins penalties

The Foxes won three penalties on Sunday - two dispatched by Jamie Vardy and the other by Youri Tielemans in the final moments.

Gerry Taggart said: “It’s good play from Leicester (before the penalties were awarded). They isolated the defenders and got them caught on the wrong side. Man City’s defenders were trying to rectify a mistake they’d already made and you can’t do that as a defender. They literally just bundled the Leicester players to the ground and there’s no way the referee wasn’t going to give those penalties, but it comes from good Leicester City play.”