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Tag: Leicester

  • Chelsea closer to Chilwell deal as Leicester drop price

    Chelsea closer to Chilwell deal as Leicester drop price

    Chelsea are edging closer to landing Leicester City defender Ben Chilwell.

    The London Evening Standard says Chelsea are close to striking a £50million deal with Leicester City for the signing of England international Chilwell.

    Manager Frank Lampard has long considered the 23-year-old his first-choice target at left-back, a position identified as a problem since the early days of his reign.

    The Blues have been tracking Chilwell since before January, but held reservations over the fee, with Leicester having initially hoped to bank around £80m – similar to that Manchester United paid for Harry Maguire last year.

    However, given Chilwell’s desire to join Lampard’s project at Chelsea and the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic on clubs, the Foxes dropped their asking price.

  • Leicester keeper Schmeichel defends under-fire De Gea

    Leicester keeper Schmeichel defends under-fire De Gea

    Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel says the criticism being levelled at his Manchester United counterpart David de Gea was building a “dangerous narrative”.

    Calls for De Gea to be dropped have grown after the 29-year-old’s mistakes in United’s FA Cup semi-final defeat by Chelsea last weekend, with Dean Henderson backed to take over after an impressive loan spell at Sheffield United.

    With Leicester set to meet United on Sunday, Schmeichel said media coverage of De Gea’s performances could give viewers the impression the Spaniard was constantly making mistakes.

    “That’s sometimes quite a dangerous narrative because all of a sudden it starts building momentum and for someone like David.

    “I really feel for him because he’s been unbelievable for so many years and every goalkeeper goes through periods (of poor form),” he added.

    “There’s a lot of pressure also in the sense that you now have an England goalkeeper (Henderson) coming through and, like it or not, in this country when you have an English goalkeeper, that means so much and they do tend to build them up.

    “I genuinely hope for someone like Henderson, who’s had an amazing season, that he can be allowed to develop.

    ” I hope… he gets another season, maybe two at Sheffield United and play the way he’s done and then he will be ready.

    “But for now De Gea is still a world-class goalkeeper. It’s a lonely position and those are the margins you play in … you simply can’t make mistakes because you will be punished,” he said.

  • Iheanacho scores as Everton beat Leicester

    Iheanacho scores as Everton beat Leicester

    Kelechi Iheanacho was on target but his efforts were not enough as Everton continued their rich form under Carlo Ancelotti beating Leicester City 2-1 at Goodison Park on Wednesday. Two early first half goals from Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson were enough to condemn Brendan Rodgers-side to their first defeat in the league since the restart.

    Iheanacho got the Foxes get back into the game in the 51st minute after the ball broke to the 24 year-old in the box, Everton’s Mason Holgate tried to hook clear but it hit Iheanacho and rebounded into the net. The Super Eagles striker was on for just six minutes after replacing Harvey Barnes to score his third league goal of the season.

    Iheanacho’s fellow Nigerian International teammate Ndidi Wilfred was on for the entire match, getting a yellow card in the 54th after a late tackle on Richarlison while Everton’s Alex Iwobi started the game before being replaced by Yerry Mina in the 68th minute.

    Other matches played on Wednesday night saw Arsenal beat bottom side Norwich City 4-0 while Newcastle secured a 4-1 away win at free-falling Bournemouth.

  • FA Cup: Ferdinand slams Ndidi for Chelsea’s goal

    Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has criticized Wilfred Ndidi for his poor defending which led to the goal conceded in Leicester City’s 1-0 FA Cup loss to Chelsea on Sunday.

    Ferdinand feels the Nigeria international could have done better in the encounter and probably prevented Barkley’s goal.

    “The gap between the centre-backs start to develop. When that happens, when that big gap comes, the big job is for Ndidi, who has had great reviews for how he’s played over the years, and rightly so,” Ferdinand told BT Sport.

    “Once you see the gap between the centre-backs when the ball’s wide, his job is to drop in, drop in here and be that guard in there. If you keep your eye on Ndidi here and look how many times he looks over his shoulder to see where Barkley is.

    “One look, two looks – when he looks there – he has to drop in there and cover the run from Barkley. He knows he can get in behind Ndidi because he’s not looking.

    “Jonny Evans, one of my old team-mates, sees this but he’s marking his man – Tammy Abraham – once he sees it he’ll come over to try and cover. But once this happens at this level, it’s too quick, the quality is too good, it’s a great cross and the timing eliminates defenders out of it.

    “Barkley sees the space, darts into it, great ball, great finish. Bad defending from Ndidi and the midfield.”

  • I didn’t get enough play time at Leicester because of Mahrez – Musa

    I didn’t get enough play time at Leicester because of Mahrez – Musa

    Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, has disclosed that he did not get enough playing time during his time at Leicester City because of his former Foxes teammate, Riyad Mahrez.

    Musa joined Leicester City from Russia side, CSKA Moscow, for a club-record fee of £16.6million in July 2016.

    The 27-year-old forward only managed two goals in 21 Premier League games for Leicester as he was behind Mahrez in the pecking order at the King Power Stadium.

    “Before they signed me at Leicester City, they told me Riyad Mahrez was leaving,” Musa said on Instagram Live with South African sports broadcaster, Carol Tshabalala.

    “If I knew that Mahrez is going to stay, I would not join Leicester, and I would have remained at CSKA Moscow.

    “When I came, we had a lot of wingers at Leicester City, yet, I still got the chance to play.”

    Musa finally left Leicester in 2018 to join the Saudi Arabia club, Al Nassr.

  • EPL: Arsenal agreed Vardy deal with Leicester

    EPL: Arsenal agreed Vardy deal with Leicester

    Former Arsenal chief Dick Law has lifted the lid on Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy’s famous rejection in 2016.

    Vardy looked set to leave the King Power to join Arsenal only to change his mind late on, and he still remains at the Foxes today.

    Law told the Athletic: “The deal with Leicester was done, the deal with the player was done.

    “He came down to visit with his wife Rebekah, he sat on the couch in front of Arsene…and then he backed off.

    “On his way back to Leicester I get a call from the player saying he wants to think about it overnight. At that point, you know it’s bad news.”

  • EPL: Vardy scores twice as Leicester thrash Villa

    EPL: Vardy scores twice as Leicester thrash Villa

    Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers thought his side looked back to their best as Jamie Vardy ended his goal drought in their convincing 4-0 win over Aston Villa.

    The Foxes had only picked up two wins in their past eight Premier League games – and two points in their past four matches.

    They led through Harvey Barnes’ goal after the winger took advantage of visiting keeper Pepe Reina’s baffling decision to run out of his box.

    Vardy’s first touch after coming on was to score a penalty after Tyrone Mings’ handball, before he smashed in at the near post – his first goal in 10 games.

    Barnes scored his second from a Marc Albrighton cross.

    “It was a very, very good win. An important win,” said Rodgers. “The past few games we haven’t been at our level. In terms of attacking, we were much better this evening. After the first goal we went on and played very well.

    “We want to win and early on you could see our confidence wasn’t where it has been. The only way you regain that confidence is hard work and these players have been brilliant. Tonight the intensity was there and we didn’t give away too much.”

    Dean Smith’s Villa remain in the relegation zone after a fourth consecutive league defeat, and a fifth in all competitions.

    “Individual mistakes are costing us. We need to get better at it. Teams capitalise on our errors,” said Smith.

  • Rudiger scores twice as Chelsea draw Leicester

    Rudiger scores twice as Chelsea draw Leicester

    Leicester and Chelsea played out an entertaining Premier League draw in a see-saw encounter at King Power Stadium.

    The result means the Foxes stay third in the table, eight points above Chelsea in fourth.

    After a largely uneventful first half, the game came to life just after the break when Antonio Rudiger headed Chelsea in front from Mason Mount’s corner.

    Brendan Rodgers’ team levelled eight minutes later, Harvey Barnes’ effort deflecting off Blues defender Reece James into the top-right corner.

    And Rodgers looked to be heading towards a first win over Chelsea at the 14th attempt as a manager when Ben Chilwell swept a Youri Tielemans cross into the bottom left corner.

    But Rudiger’s second headed goal of the day – from another Mount delivery – ensured Frank Lampard’s side claimed a point.

  • Iheanacho scores again as Villa beat Leicester, qualify for League Cup final

    Kelechi Iheanacho was on target again but this time it was not enough as a late goal from Egypt’s Trezeguet saw Aston Villa beat Leicester City 2-1 in the second-leg semi-final of the Carabao Cup at Villa Park on Tuesday night.

    Villa progressed into the final 3-2 on aggregate after holding Leicester to a 1-1 draw in the first-leg at the King Power.

    Iheanacho scored in the 72nd minute to make it 1-1 after stabbing home Harvey Barnes’ low cross from the left.

    But in the 93rd minute, Trezeguet scored the winner as he slotted home a long cross from Ahmed El Mohamady.

    He was also on target in the first-leg, canceling out Federic Guilbert’s opener for Villa.

    On Saturday he scored the only goal in Leicester’s 1-0 win against Brentford in the Emirates FA Cup fourth-round.

    It was Iheanacho’s eight goal in 13 appearances in all competitions for Leicester this season.

    Also in action for Leicester was Iheanacho’s Super Eagles teammate Wilfred Ndidi.

    Villa had opened the scoring against the run of play through Matt Targett whose left-foot strike, from Jack Grealish assist flew past Jasper Schmeichel.

    The last time Villa played in the League Cup final was in 1996 when they beat Leeds 3-0.

  • Iheanacho seals Leicester FA Cup victory

    Iheanacho seals Leicester FA Cup victory

    Leicester held off a spirited second-half effort from Championship promotion chasers Brentford to reach the FA Cup fourth round in the final tie to be held at Griffin Park.

    Kelechi Iheanacho scored the only goal of the game after just four minutes when he tapped in a cross from full-back James Justin, who had been found by Dennis Praet’s superb raking pass.

    Leicester were the better team in the first half and Ayoze Perez should have doubled their lead when he was sent clear by Iheanacho but Bees keeper Luke Daniels made a good save to deny him.

    However, the hosts came out for the second half with a renewed vigour to their play, and they were unlucky not to equalise on the hour mark when Emiliano Marcondes’ cross beat everyone and hit the post.

    Foxes keeper Danny Ward was also forced into a fine save to keep out Luka Racic’s volley late on before second-half substitute Bryan Mbeumo saw a goal ruled out for offside.

    The inexperienced hosts pressed for an equaliser right up until the final whistle but the Premier League side held firm to book their place in the next round of the FA Cup.

    There were emotional scenes at the full-time whistle for the home fans at the end of Griffin Park’s final cup tie, with the Bees set to move to the newly built Brentford Community Stadium before the 2020-21 campaign.

    BBC