Schmeichel saves see Leicester advance in the Carabao Cup

Newcastle United 1: 1 Leicester City
(Leicester win 4:3 on penalties)

Kasper Schmeichel produced two saves in the penalty shoot-out to edge City past Newcastle in the Carabao Cup at St James’ Park on Wednesday night…

After recent seasons of under strength sides Brendan Rodgers’ starting XI showed his intent in the cup competitions with just two changes – Evans and Praet making way for Morgan and Barnes.
Steve Bruce was less willing to expose his first team, making seven changes.

City had a chance within a minute of the kick off, Pérez and Ricardo combining well down the right and into the penalty area, but Pérez’s effort from six yards was blocked. At the other end Shelvey’s 30 yard free kick comfortably cleared the crossbar.
City then had a bit of defending to do and Söyüncü picked up an uncomfortably early yellow card for a foul on Longstaff.
A patchy and physical game unfolded, before City took a 34th minute lead, thanks to a bit of luck. After a foul on Tielemans 30 yards out Maddison delivered a free-kick that didn’t appear to be troubling Darlow, before it took a big deflection off Ritchie in the wall, leaving the keeper stranded.
Another foul on Tielemans on the right, gave Maddison the opportunity to pick out Fuchs on the edge of the area, but his volley was blocked.
Five minutes before the break a Willems’ cross found Ritchie at the far post but his shot was blocked by Tielemans.
With two minutes of the half remaining tempers flared when Choudhury and Ritchie contested a 50-50 ball and the Newcastle winger was left writhing on the ground. It was a robust challenge from both players, but Choudhury got the ball. He looked aggrieved at getting a yellow card, while the home crowd in a half empty St James’ Park howled for a red. Ritchie had to go off, and Choudhury did not emerge for the second half, replaced by Praet.
Early in the second half Vardy, who had seen little of the ball, attempted to go round Darlow but Willems robbed him.
Newcastle levelled in the 53rd minute. Willems raced into the area to meet Schar’s 50 yard free-kick and with the merest touch from Ricardo he produced an Oscar-worthy swallow dive. It should have been a yellow card, but the loose ball fell for to Muto, who netted from five yards.
Three minutes later, Morgan limped off, replaced by Evans.
City pressed to retake the lead but Pérez, his every touch booed, sent one chance off target and another was blocked.
At the other end a Shelvey pile-driver from 40 yards was too close to Schmeichel to trouble the City keeper.
In a game lacking quality City put together a great move in time-added-on but Pérez sent his shot over when well-placed and there was no avoiding a penalty shoot-out.

This took place at the Gallowgate End and Fuchs sent Darlow the wrong way stroking the ball into the bottom right hand corner.
Muto then aimed top right, also sending Schmeichel the wrong way.
Maddison decided to make things more interesting, deceiving Darlow with a perfect Panenka.
Shelvey then placed his kick a little too close to Schmeichel who got down to his left for a fine save. Advantage City.
Tielemans smacked his into the top left, and Schar calmly rolled his bottom left.
But then Barnes’ effort was poor allowing Darlow to save.
The Newcastle fans joy was short-lived, with Schmeichel brilliantly tipping Hayden’s spot-kick round the left hand post.
Vardy stepped up to fire the ball past Darlow and send City into the third round.

It was a below-par performance from City, but they did the job and remain unbeaten this season.

Newcastle: Darlow, Krafth (Manquillo 50), Schär, Fernandez, Clark, Willems (Dummett 78), Longstaff, Shelvey, Hayden, Ritchie (Atsu 45), Muto.
Substitutes Dubravka, Ki Sung-yueng, Lascelles, Longstaff.
Leicester: Schmeichel, Ricardo, Morgan (Evans 57),  Söyüncü,  Fuchs, Pérez, Choudhury (Praet 45), Tielemans, Barnes, Maddison, Vardy.
Substitutes: Justin, Gray, Albrighton, Ward, Mendy.

Referee: Tim Robinson. Attendance: 22,727.

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Barnes-stormer seals Leicester win at Bramall Lane

Sheffield United 1:2 Leicester City

Substitute Harvey Barnes settled a tight game in City’s favour with a superb 70th minute strike at Bramall Lane on Saturday…

Brendan Rodgers made one change to his line-up, with Praet making his full debut in place of Ndidi, who had a hamstring injury. With Chilwell still unavailable Fuchs continued in his left back role.
The game kicked off in glorious sunshine and a raucous atmosphere, with Sheffield Wednesday fan Vardy’s every touch being booed.
City dealt with an early spell of pressure and Robinson fired over from a corner, but then the visitors began to press forward. Pérez pulled a ball back for Tielemans who fired well wide, before Maddison was fouled 30 yards out. Fuchs hit the free-kick through the wall and it was deflected narrowly wide, but referee Andy Madley awarded a goal kick.
Maddison then got a glancing header to a cross, but it drifted wide of the far post.
A Tielemans cross for Vardy was also nodded wide, while at the other end a 35 yard rising shot from Lundstram went two feet over the bar.
With the tide going United’s way again their overloading of the left flank led to a chance for Baldock, but his well struck volley went straight at Schmeichel.
Maddison was brought down for another free kick 30 yards out but delivered it straight into the wall.
With the game finely poised City took a 37th minute lead. Pérez won the ball on the halfway line and a superb ball from Maddison sent Vardy in down the left and he fired past Henderson before celebrating in front of the Kop, which reduced some Blades to a gibbering rage.
City took that lead in with them at the break.

City had an early chance in the second half when Vardy nodded a ball to Pérez at the far post, but the angle was just too tight.
Eight minutes into the second half Chris Wilder changed his front line, bringing on  McBurnie and Sharp, and with the home crowd fired up the Blades enjoyed a spell of pressure. This dominance led to a 61st minute equaliser when Baldock delivered a cross from the right and McBurnie rose above the City defence to direct a header past Schmechel.
A huge roar greeted this goal, but City dug in and regained control of play.
Barnes replaced Praet in the 64th minute and now it was City doing the attacking.
And it was Barnes who fired home a superb winner in the 70th minute. A Fuchs cross from the left was nodded back by Söyüncü and Barnes struck as sweet a half-volley as you could ever wish to see. It was in the net before Henderson could even move.
United pressed forward looking for another equaliser and it looked like it had come in the 75th minute when Lundstrum connected well from close range but Schmeichel reacted with a fantastic save, not diminished by the fact that the offside flag was up.
With City under pressure Rodgers brought on Morgan for Pérez to shore up the back line. The defence dealt with a series of corners and then Rodgers tightened up further with Mendy replacing Tielemans in the 88th minute.
The most nervy moment came in time added on when United won a free kick 22 yards out, but Choudhury stood firm in the wall to block the shot. After four additional minutes City had weathered the storm for their first win of the season.
There was still room for improvement, with Tielemans and Pérez yet to find form, but it has been a good start to the season underlined by third place in the Premier League on Saturday evening.
Brendan Rodgers commented: “We needed to be ready to fight and show resilience and it was an important three points for us. We had to change the system in the last 25 minutes to cope with the balls coming into the box. It is a very young group but they are all focused and doing well for me. It was fantastic technique for Harvey’s goal and that kind of goal was worthy of being the winning goal.”

Sheff United: Henderson, Basham (Morrison 78), Egan, O’Connell, Baldock, Lundstram, Norwood, Freeman, Stevens, McGoldrick (McBurnie 54), Robinson (Sharp 54). 
Substitutes; Jagielka, Osborn, Moore, Besic.
Leicester: Schmeichel, Ricardo, Evans, Söyüncü, Fuchs, Choudhury, Tielemans (Mendy 89), Praet (Barnes 64), Maddison, Vardy, Pérez (Morgan 78).
Substitutes: Justin, Gray, Albrighton, Ward.

Referee: Andy Madley. Attendance: 30,079.

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Ndidi makes amends to earn Leicester a point at Chelsea

Chelsea 1:1 Leicester City

Wilfred Ndidi went from villain to hero at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, presenting Chelsea with the opening goal, and then nodding home the equaliser from a corner…

Brendan Rodgers made one change to his side for this Sunday afternoon trip to West London, with Fuchs coming in for the injured Chilwell.
City, resplendent in their new pink and black strip, soon found themselves under the cosh, as the pre-match fervour celebrating the return of Frank Lampard continued into the game.
Before the first minute was up Azpilicueta’s cross from the right was chested down by Giroud and Pedro lashed his shot into the side-netting.
A minute later Giroud set up Mount for a shot that was saved by Schmeichel, the City keeper recovered swiftly to block Pulisic’s follow up effort.
With City looking bewildered at the back Pulisic met the resulting corner with a near-post header that zipped across the face of goal.
When Chelsea took a 7th minute lead it already seemed overdue. As City played out from the back Ndidi dawdled too long on the ball and was robbed by Mount who stayed upright after being clipped by Ndidi and managed to stab the ball past a wrong-footed Schmeichel.
After the goal the pace relented a little and City began to slowly feel their way into the game. But Chelsea were still creating chances. In the 21st minute Mount got a head to a Azpilicueta cross but directed his effort straight at Schmeichel from the penalty spot.
Then an Emerson cross was back heeled by Giroud into the path of Kante, who was denied an 8 yard tap in when Fuchs flew in with an excellent last-ditch challenge.
At this stage City’s best chance had come when Kepa dithered over a clearance and Vardy chased him down, and the Chelsea keeper only just managed to prod the ball clear.
City had more of the possession in the closing stages of the first half, but were still struggling to create anything. A Maddison free-kick into the area that just evaded Ndidi was the closest they got.

The game turned on its head in the second half with City the better side and the chances had gone from famine to feast.
Maddison burst into the area down the left and rounded Kepa, but his cut back ball for Tielemans was intercepted by Mount.
After a corner was cleared Choudhury attempted a curling effort into the top corner, but it was too close to Kepa.
Maddison then twisted and turned his way past Christensen before delivering a cross/shot that flashed wide of the far post.
Inspired by Maddison it was all City now. Tielemans fired over from a corner, and then a Fuchs shot deflected over the keeper missing the bar by inches.
City made the breakthrough in the 67th minute, with Ndidi evading his marker and rising to meet Maddision’s flag kick with a thumping header that gave Kepa no chance.
Brendan Rodgers made his first change in the 72nd minute, with debutant Praet replacing Choudhury.
A minute later City should have taken the lead. Praet send Fuchs in down the left and his cross into the area was touched in Maddison’s path by Pérez. Maddison created himself room for a shot but lifted it over the bar from 8 yards.
Chelsea had a rare chance when a Pedro chip missed Abraham’s head by a whisker, but City were soon threatening again. More good work from Praet in midfield saw Maddison breaking forward and he slipped Vardy in down the left, but the striker’s low angled drive went just beyond the far post.
With ten minutes remaining Albrighton came on for Pérez, as City pressed for a winner.
In the 88th minute another breakaway came from Praet winning the ball and finding Maddison (the third time he’d done this). Maddison fed Albrighton on the right and his precise cutback saw Tielemans connecting well with a first time effort that went straight at Kepa.
Seconds before the full time whistle Albrighton and Kepa were involved in a straight race for the ball which the Chelsea keeper narrowly won, and both sides had to be content with a point.
It had been a strange game, City could have been 3-0 down very early on, but were also genuinely disappointed not to have claimed victory.
Brendan Rodgers commented: “It was obviously a tough start for us in the game. Frank got a great reaction when he came back, which fed into the players and gave them momentum at the start of the game. But that tests you as a team, your spirit and resilience, so we had to hang in there for that opening 10-15 minutes But I thought after that, we regained our composure again, the decision-making in the first half could have been better at times with the final pass, but it’s a case of reinforcing that to the players, there were a couple of little items to look at at half-time. Second half, we were very, very good. Defensively, we didn’t give a way much, we were really tight in our organisation and we created a number of chances, and good chances, too, to win the game.”

Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Zouma, Emerson, Kanté, Jorginho (Kovacic 71), Pedro, Mount, Pulisic (Willian 71), Giroud (Abraham 61). 
Substitutes: Alonso, Barkley, Caballero, Tomori.
Leicester: Schmeichel: Ricardo, Evans, Söyüncü, Fuchs, Ndidi, Pérez (Albrighton 80), Tielemans, Choudhury (Praet 73), Maddison, Vardy.
Substitutes: Justin, Morgan, Ward, Iheanacho, Barnes.

Referee: Oliver Langford. Attendance: 40,629.

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VAR makes its mark on Leicester Wolves stalemate

Leicester City 0:0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

A poor opening day spectacle at the King Power saw a VAR decision ruling out a Wolves goal to produce a 0-0 scoreline…

Brendan Rodgers handed Pérez his debut, Söyüncü took Maguire’s place in the back line and both Ndidi and Choudhury were employed in midfield.
Before the game a Union FS tifo celebrated 100 years since the club was restructured after World War One and renamed ‘City’.

A first half of few incidents unfolded, with Wolves set up to defend and attack on the break.
The first chance came in the 2nd minute but Dendoncker shot from the edge of the area flew high and wide.
City pressed forward but were met by a wall of old gold and Choudhury and Tielemans both had shots blocked.

City were confined to trying their luck from the edge of the area and Chilwell, Ricardo and Ndidi all failed to hit the target.
In the 35th minute Doherty delivered a free-kick into the goalmouth and the ball fell for Bennett in front of goal, but Evans managed to prod the ball away before he could react.
City’s best moment of the half came in the 37th minute when they passed their way around the Wolves area, before Tielemans delivered a hard and low cross but Vardy’s attempted flick from two yards out was too elaborate when any touch would have seen a goal.
Wolves then broke upfield and Jota was in a great position when he fell over, presenting the ball to Söyüncü.
The half time whistle drew a veil over a forgettable half.

After the break Wolves came racing out of the traps and enjoyed a spell of pressure.
Jiménez bore down on goal and forced a save from Schmeichel, and then Bennett sent a header wide from a corner.
This spell of pressure appeared to have ended with a goal in the 51st minute.  Dendoncker got his head to a corner and it brushed Boly’s arm. Dendoncker fired the loose ball home and the away corner erupted.
But this is 2019-20, and 98 seconds later it was the home fans celebrating as the scoreboard flashed up ‘NO GOAL’ and referee Andre Marriner signalled a free kick.
A combination of the poor new handball law and VAR’s all-seeing eye had left Wolves feeling robbed.

Jota had a chance to put Wolves ahead a couple of minutes later when he went clear down the right, but he pulled his shot 10 yards wide of the left hand post.
Maddison then had a shot blocked as City continued to struggle to get past Wolves well drilled defence.
Rodgers made his first change in the 61st minute, bringing on Barnes for Choudhury.
City upped the pressure and won a series of six corners, but Maddison failed to deliver a decent one and Wolves easily soaked up the pressure.
Albrighton replaced Pérez in the 76th minute, but still City couldn’t find a way through.
Tielemans picked out Barnes for a swerving 30 yarder, but Patrício gathered it just inside the post.
Barnes then charged into the area and exchanged passes with Vardy before delivering a low cross which Boly did well to block.
Maddison sent a shot wide and Evans’ attempted overhead kick from close in didn’t work out. Albrighton had a shot blocked late on, but this game had long looked like a 0-0 draw.

It was an underwhelming performance from City in the face of high expectation, but Wolves are a very good side and their Europa League games appeared to have put them more in their stride than City.
Maddison, Tielemans and Vardy all looked a little rusty, though the fine performance of Söyüncü made the decision not to spend large on a Maguire replacement look like a wise one. Brendan Rodger revealed that he earned a round of applause from his team mates.
Inevitably the main talking point was the VAR decision, which may have left some Wolves fans thinking they might never celebrate a goal quite as enthusiastically again. Which would be a great loss to the game.

Leicester: Schmeichel, Ricardo Pereira, Evans, Söyüncü, Chilwell, Ndidi, Pérez (Albrighton 76), Tielemans, Choudhury (Barnes 61), Maddison, Vardy.
Substitutes: Justin, Morgan, Ward, Iheanacho, Praet.
Wolves: Rui Patrício, Bennett, Coady, Boly, Doherty, Dendoncker, Neves (Saïss 81), João Moutinho, Castro Otto, Jiménez, Jota (Cutrone 76).
Substitutes: Lomba Neto, Gibbs-White, Ruddy, Vinagre, Traoré.

Referee: Andre Marriner. Attendance: 32,015.

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The Fox Summer Special 2019 – on sale before the Wolves game

The FOX Summer Special 2019 will be in the shops today and on sale before Sunday’s game…

Our 29th annual summer edition features: An interview with former City defender Julian Watts, a review of the traumatic 2018-19 season, The Nations Cup Diary from our man in Portugal, an appraisal our new Adidas kits including the pink one, the progress of Women’s football, LCFC on holiday via the lens of Instagram, farewell to Danny Simpson and Shinji Okazaki, a Guide to the Premier League 2019-20, Union FS on the past and the future, Rewind – Top & Pop celebrating in Town Hall Square, The Fox Player, Goal and Villain of the season are revealed, The History of Leicester City in 100 Objects expressed in Subbuteo and Ambitious Leicester Fans, Foxed in the Head reflects on the Bukta shirt craze, and unlikely rock venues in Norfolk, the Keith Weller book reviewed, John Hutchinson revisits Fosse’s first overseas tour, the Best of Bentley’s Roof and your letters; and Fanatical Frank chooses the harder path…

The most fun you can have for £3.

Julian Watts Interview Extract…

FOX: You beat Stoke in the 2nd leg and had a date at Wembley…
JW: The Stoke fans weren’t too happy about that one! There were about seven of us at the Leicester end throwing our kit into the crowd and then suddenly we were cut off by the pitch invasion. Lenny was standing there in just his pants and we were thinking we were going to have to climb the fence into the away end if they got any closer. But the police did a good job in rescuing us. Oh, I was so nervous before that play-off final. I didn’t mind that because it keeps you on your toes. Five minutes into the game it all settled down. Driving in on the coach we couldn’t see a Palace fan anywhere, it was all Leicester fans. Walshy stood up and said: “Ooo, I’m a bit tense!” Everyone was laughing, but I felt I was way past that stage.
They took the lead with a shot through my legs that then hit a bobble and beat Pooley.
But we had the mentality to get back, and got stronger as the game went on. It was a really good game, I loved the experience.
I got a bit of revenge in because I’d once gone for a trial at Sheffield United and Dave Bassett came up with the age old cliche, ‘You did well, but you’re no better than what we’ve already got.’ So when we beat his Palace side I thought ‘have a bit of that’.
FOX: There was a bizarre end to the game with Kevin Poole being subbed…
JW: Yes, he wasn’t happy about that. He was a far better keeper, but Zeljko was good at penalties in training because of his frame. Pooley wasn’t one of the big socialisers, he was a quiet one, but he was a really lovely lad. He got me off the hook in that game, George Ndah side-stepped me and got a shot in, but Pooley tipped it over in the top corner. He pulled off some great saves during that run, which was his job to do, but he did it really well.

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