City Beaten By Clinical Palace

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City Beaten By Clinical Palace

A ruthless Crystal Palace side took their chances at King Power Stadium to head back to the capital with a 2-0 victory over Leicester City on Wednesday evening.

2025-01-15T21:35+00:00

by Sam Stevens

Published

15 Jan, 2025

from King Power Stadium

City Beaten By Clinical Palace

A ruthless Crystal Palace side took their chances at King Power Stadium to head back to the capital with a 2-0 victory over Leicester City on Wednesday evening.

Sam Stevens

2025-01-15T21:35+00:00

City Beaten By Clinical Palace

A ruthless Crystal Palace side took their chances at King Power Stadium to head back to the capital with a 2-0 victory over Leicester City on Wednesday evening.

Sam Stevens

2025-01-15T21:35+00:00

City Beaten By Clinical Palace

A ruthless Crystal Palace side took their chances at King Power Stadium to head back to the capital with a 2-0 victory over Leicester City on Wednesday evening.

Sam Stevens

2025-01-15T21:35+00:00

City Beaten By Clinical Palace

A ruthless Crystal Palace side took their chances at King Power Stadium to head back to the capital with a 2-0 victory over Leicester City on Wednesday evening.

Sam Stevens

2025-01-15T21:35+00:00

Second-half goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta and Marc Guéhi were the difference on Filbert Way, despite City enjoying several phases of dominance throughout the 90 minutes. This result leaves us 19th in the Premier League, just two points adrift of Ipswich above the dotted line, but in need of a speedy upturn in fortunes. Before this encounter with the Eagles, handing a return to fit-again Jannik Vestergaard was Ruud van Nistelrooy’s one tweak to the XI from Saturday’s 6-2 rout of QPR. That Emirates FA Cup victory was a welcome tonic for the Foxes, who otherwise had suffered five successive Premier League defeats. With optimism in the air, as French full-back Woyo Coulibaly’s signing was confirmed just 45 minutes before kick-off, there was also a realisation that positive results must follow soon if Leicester are to climb away from danger. Performances have provided enthusiasm over the festive period, but with no points to show for them, the Blue Army will be wary of the gap to safety widening. Fulham’s visit to LE2 at the weekend, a third home outing in a seven days, is even more significant now.

Barely 40 seconds into this contest, Facundo Buonanotte – the Argentina international on loan from Brighton – stole the ball away from under Chris Richards. He slipped it across for Jamie Vardy, prowling at the near post. Although he’s recently turned 38, there’s little stopping Leicester’s iconic No.9 this season, already having added seven goals to his gargantuan total tally. On this occasion, Dean Henderson was up to the task, mind you, at close range. Vardy also thrashed one wide a minute or so later, after scampering onto Wout Faes’ direct forward ball from deep. Bilal El Khannouss was a creative spark and also tested Henderson from range, after low drives from Stephy Mavididi and Harry Winks were both blocked. Leicester had started with their foot down and the Palace stopper was being kept busy. Another Mavididi dart through the middle gave him the room to thread a ball through for Vardy later on. Although the flag would eventually go up, he was away, smashing the ball straight at Henderson. Our defensive lines were stable for the most part too, but luck hasn’t been on City’s side of late. When Daniel Muñoz closed down Victor Kristiansen’s clearance on the left, the ricochet became a perfect lay-up for Mateta. The Frenchman, though, skied his half-volley over the crossbar. He'd get another sighter later on.

Mavididi was proving to be a key outlet for City at the other end. On one occasion, a sumptuous shimmy took him past both Muñoz and Will Hughes, on the penalty area’s fringes, but Vardy couldn’t apply the finish to his bouncing cross. Palace’s chances to advance had, for the most part, been fleeting although the first half ended with Hughes flashing a 20-yard arrow narrowly over Jakub Stolarczyk’s crossbar. Leicester will have headed in at the break rueful at not being in front. Seven minutes into the second half, they had more pressing matters to consider, as Mateta made it 1-0 to the Eagles. It was Ismaïla Sarr's delivery which cut City open, but Mateta still had to muscle his way past Vestergaard before skipping beyond Stolarczyk and tapping into an empty net. Sarr’s passing was becoming a concern. The former Watford man’s next contribution was to rake the ball across the box and only a brave stop from Stolarczyk prevented Tyrick Mitchell from converting a stretched finish at the far post. Leicester had to rally quickly. Vardy was unlucky to divert Kristiansen’s low cross wide. Substitiute Patson Daka, on the other hand, also snatched at Kasey McAteer’s through ball to send it past the base of Henderson’s post. They were getting close, but it wasn't going in. Boubakary Soumaré’s looping hit then bobbled off the bar.

City were on top, but not breaking through, and they’d be punished again before long. Eberechi Eze’s dinked free-kick was a welcoming one for Guéhi, side-footing a measured finish into the roof of Leicester’s net. Mavididi's glancing header, skidding just wide, was our brightest moment of the latter moments, while Stolarczyk was also required to parry Sarr's powerful hit from a tight angle. It was, nevertheless, a night to forget for the Foxes, who must try to isolate the positives from their performance and eradicate the errors before Fulham come to town on Saturday.

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