Leicester 2 Stoke 0
Post Match Analysis by Kate Thompson
I was more concerned about this game than the one against Preston three days earlier, as I could see complacency creeping in against a team 18th in the league before the match. However, it was pleasing to see that Maresca had clearly made sure that we take no team lightly and this was borne out; despite Stoke’s lowly position they made life difficult for us at times.
It was a bit concerning that there were so many changes from the previous match and perhaps this wouldn’t have happened against a stronger team. Choudhury was playing in an unfamiliar position, as one of a back three, but I thought he acquitted himself pretty well. One player who I have been disappointed in – Casadei – clearly felt he had something to prove and had his best match in a City shirt, winning the ball more than once and starting an offensive move.
For once we didn’t have to wait until the second half to take the lead, and Iheanacho scored a clever goal which was almost a carbon copy of Dewsbury-Hall’s first one on Wednesday. He also played some clever passes and had a better game than is often the case. In all truth, nobody had a bad game.
City then had to ride their luck at times and there were some sloppy passes (notably from Fatawu, who also let the ball roll out of play quite a few times), which fortunately were not capitalised on. The second goal from Vardy came quite late in the game but killed it as a contest. It was a cleverly constructed goal and probably one of the easiest that Vardy has ever scored.
The stats were pretty impressive, although we all know that they can be meaningless. City apparently had 74% possession overall and at one stage it was 90%, but we all remember that when we won the Premier League we had arguably the worst possession figures of the 20 teams.
We had 14 shots against Stoke’s two, of which seven were on target (only one for Stoke, when Hermansen pushed the shot round the post). City used all five substitutes, something that we haven’t always seen and the unfortunate Vestergaard was booked again shortly after the first goal.
I stayed on in Leicestershire so I could go to the women’s match on Sunday and they won a tight contest by a single goal. But how satisfying to see both the senior teams top of their respective divisions!
My neighbour in the KPS said I should mention that we are only ten points from safety!
Hermansen, 7; Ricardo, 8; Souttar, 7; Vestergaard, 8; Choudhury, 7; Winks, 8; Casadei, 8; Dewsbury-Hall, 7; Akgun, 6; Iheanacho, 8; Fatawu, 6; Subs: Coady, 7; Ndidi, 8; Mavididi, 6; Vardy, 8; Albrighton, 7.
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation.