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Tag: Leicester

  • Maguire late strike gives Leicester win over Southampton

    Harry Maguire scored a stoppage-time winner at Southampton as Leicester City came from behind to earn consecutive victories in the Premier League.

    After an uninspiring first half at St Mary’s, defender Ryan Bertrand gave Saints the lead with a fierce left-footed strike from outside the area.

    The lead stood only briefly as Demarai Gray equalised for the visitors, pouncing on a loose ball to fire home from close range.

    But in the second minute of time added on, England defender Maguire wrapped his right foot around the ball from 25 yards out to beat goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

    Southampton, who have won only once at home in the Premier League this year, lost midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg for a second yellow card in the second half.

    Manager Mark Hughes will be concerned about Southampton’s lack of cutting edge in attack, but Leicester boss Claude Puel will leave the south coast satisfied having beaten his former club at St Mary’s for the second time in a row.

    Maguire’s winner earned a second Leicester victory in three games to start the season, but this was far from a vintage away performance.

    Southampton enjoyed 62% of the possession in the first half, although Leicester responded well after the interval.

    The creative James Maddison and Demarai Gray were stifled in attack by Saints’ experienced and impressive midfielders Hojbjerg and Mario Lemina.

    The service to Kelechi Iheanacho, who won only three of his 10 individual battles, was limited and Leicester struggled to find a way through against towering central defender Jannik Vestergaard.

  • Wilfred Ndidi signs new six-year deal with Leicester

    Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi signed a six-year contract extension with Premier League club Leicester on Sunday.

    The 21-year-old’s new deal will keep him at the King Power Stadium until 2024.

    Ndidi has been one of the Foxes’ most consistent performances since his arrival from Genk in January 2017, and has penned a new deal keeping him at the King Power Stadium until 2024.

    The Nigeria international was the Premier League’s most successful tackler last season and played every minute of the Super Eagles’ World Cup campaign in Russia.

    The 21-year-old’s performances reportedly earned him interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United.

    But Ndidi, who has already made over 60 appearances for Leicester and been named the club’s Young Player of the Year for 2016-17 and 2017-18, is delighted to have pledged his future to the club.

    “I’m very happy to sign this contract with Leicester City,” the 21-year-old told the club’s official website.

    “I have enjoyed every moment of my time with the football club, so I’m thrilled to be here for six more years.

    “Together with my team-mates and our wonderful supporters, I hope we can look forward to many more fantastic moments.”

  • Leicester City didn’t deserve defeat to Man United – Puel

    Leicester City manager, Claude Puel, has heaped plaudits on his team despite their 2-1 defeat against Manchester United at the Old Trafford on Friday even as he expressed disappointment with the outcome of the game.

    Paul Pogba and Luke Shaw were on target for United, while substitute Jamie Vardy netted the visitors only goal of the game.

    “It’s disappointing for the players because they gave their best,” Puel stated after the game.

    “Of course, to concede a goal just a couple of seconds after the beginning of the game is a shame and we have to correct this.

    “Our kick-off was not good enough. Our first-half was a good performance with good quality, good pressing, good play forward and a lot of chances. We needed to score in this moment, a strong period of domination in the first-half.

    “We pushed and we played against a team who were deep on the pitch. Without space, it was difficult.

    “We found success with good moves and good quality and perhaps in the second-half we had good energy to finish this performance for another result but I think at the end it is a disappointment. It is not, for me, a fair result.”

  • Man Utd defeat Leicester in Premier League opener

    Man Utd defeat Leicester in Premier League opener

    Manchester United captain Paul Pogba scored the opening goal as the Red Devils beat Leicester in the first game of the Premier League season.

    United had a frustrating summer, unable to sign any centre-backs and with Jose Mourinho looking increasingly irritated, but that did not hinder them too much at Old Trafford as they made a flying start on Friday night.

    They won a penalty in the second minute when Daniel Amartey handled Alexis Sanchez’s deflected shot.

    France midfielder Pogba stepped up and after a slow run-up placed the ball in the top-right corner above Kasper Schmeichel. The World Cup winner had not even expected to start, having only returned to training on Monday.

    Left-back Luke Shaw then scored the first senior goal of his career after controlling Juan Mata’s aerial pass to seal the victory.

    Substitute Jamie Vardy scored a late consolation after Ricardo Perreira’s cross had hit a post, and Foxes goalkeeper Schmeichel came forward for an injury time corner but his header went wide.

    The Foxes had edged the first half following their early setback with debutants James Maddison and Ricardo both forcing saves from David de Gea.

    The second period was a slightly tamer affair before the late goals, although substitute Romelu Lukaku was denied a goal by a good Schmeichel save.

    It was the third season in a row Leicester have conceded the opening goal of the season – having lost to Hull and Arsenal in the first games of the previous two campaigns.

  • Iheanacho scores another pre-season goal for Leicester

    Iheanacho scores another pre-season goal for Leicester

    Kelechi Iheanacho was on target as Leicester City’s played ou a 1-1 draw with Valencia at the King Power Stadium in Wednesday’s pre-season encounter.

    The 21-year-old striker got on the scoresheet in their loss to Serie A side Udinese on Saturday and continued with the form against Marcelino Toral’s men with his 11th-minute effort.

    However, seven minutes later, Daniel Parejo levelled for the Spaniards after firing a low shot past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

    Iheanacho along with his compatriot Wilfred Ndidi were replaced at the restart of the second-half by Callum Elder and Darnell Johnson respectively.

    The forward will be hoping to keep on with the form when Leicester take on Lille in their last warm-up game at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Saturday.

  • Nigeria’s Ahmed Musa faces uncertain future at Leicester City

    Nigeria’s Ahmed Musa faces uncertain future at Leicester City

    Nigeria forward Ahmed Musa’s future at Leicester City will be discussed in January, says manager Claude Puel.

    Musa, 25, joined Leicester in July 2016 for a then club record fee of £16m, but has played just once this season.

    Puel says he is one of several players whose futures will be reviewed when the transfer window opens in January.

    “It’s not the time to speak about if he can bring something to the squad or if he can leave the squad in January,” Puel told BBC Sport.

    “We’ll look at all the players. At the moment the status quo remains.”

    Puel said Musa’s lack of game time was down to strong competition in the squad.

    “He’s a good player with quality. For me he’s not a striker, he’s a winger who can play on the left or right,” Puel explained.

    “He can attack space, has good penetration but there’s imbalance in competition with (Marc) Albrighton, (Demarai) Gray and (Riyad) Mahrez.

    “Sometimes it’s tough, it’s difficult for the staff to make a choice and give him more game time but in training sessions he always has a positive attitude and this is very important for him and the squad.”

    The Super Eagles forward scored in his only appearance for the club this season in a 4-1 EFL Cup win over Sheffield United in August.

    Musa himself will be considering his future as he will be hoping to force his way into the Nigeria squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

  • ‘Childish’ errors & ‘joke chances’ annoy Mourinho after draw at Leicester

    Jose Mourinho criticised Manchester United’s “childish” errors as his team fell further behind leaders Manchester City after conceding a 94th-minute equaliser from Harry Maguire at 10-man Leicester.

    The Portuguese felt his side missed “joke chances” as they fell 13 points behind City – the biggest points gap between first and second place at Christmas in English top-flight history.

    It was the second time in a week that United have conceded a goal in injury time, losing 2-1 to Championship side Bristol City in the EFL Cup quarter-finals.

    United had looked set to take all three points after Juan Mata’s double had seen them recover from Jamie Vardy’s opener, while Foxes substitute Daniel Amartey was sent off for the home side 16 minutes and nine seconds after coming for two bookings in four minutes.

    Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard were particularly guilty of missing golden opportunities in the second half to put the game beyond Leicester.

    Maguire caught the United defence out as they failed to deal with Marc Albrighton’s deep cross into the box, the England defender running past the injured Chris Smaling to side-foot the ball past David de Gea from close range.

    “We were punished by our mistakes, “Mourinho told Sky Sports. “Childish loss of possession, so easy. Childish in their box and childish in our box.

    “Half an hour after our second it is a game to finish four, five, six-one. We didn’t win because we missed incredible chances, joke chances,”

    BBC Sports

  • Palace out of relegation zone with impressive win at Leicester

    Crystal Palace climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone for the first time this season as they outplayed Claude Puel’s resurgent Leicester to seal a rare away win.

    Christian Benteke cost Palace victory when he missed an injury-time penalty he was not supposed to take last weekend, but the striker redeemed himself with a first-half header from Andros Townsend’s cross – his first goal of the campaign.

    Palace had failed to score in their past 10 league away games, but Roy Hodgson’s organised and adventurous team added a second before the break when Benteke’s strong run and pass set up Wilfried Zaha for a brilliant individual finish.

    Leicester only tested goalkeeper Julian Speroni when they rallied in the second half – the Italian reacting superbly to reach Riyad Mahrez’s angled low drive with a strong palm.

    And any potential comeback was hamstrung when Wilfred Ndidi was sent off on his birthday less than a minute after Vicente Iborra’s header was correctly disallowed for a foul.

    Ndidi – who turns 21 today – was shown a second yellow card for simulation in the penalty box with just under half an hour to play.

    Palace had a much more legitimate penalty shout when Benteke was crumpled in the area by Marc Albrighton’s sliding tackle from behind, but the referee waved away appeals for a chance to add extra gloss on an impressive away performance.

    Bakary Sako eventually provided it – tucking away Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s pass across goal to round off a 94th-minute counter-attack.

    The Foxes, who so impressively dismantled Puel’s former club Southampton in midweek, remain eighth in the table, while Palace rise four places to 14th – though the teams below them are yet to play this weekend.

    BBC Sports