West Brom 2 City 3
Report by Kate Thompson
This was the archetypal game of two halves. The only team change was the return of Ulloa and the omission of Fuchs, who is apparently injured. City started brightly and Vardy was denied by a combination of the keeper and a post, but it was West Brom who scored first as City failed to clear a corner and Rondon put a bullet header past Schmeichel, in the 30th minute.
I was beginning to have doubts, as I couldn’t see where a goal was coming from, and too many players seemed to be below par. For those of us of a certain age, who frankly have seen more lows than highs, the current position is unbelievable and each match I wonder if this time we will fail to do the business.
I was thinking that Mahrez hadn’t done a lot and when Dyer appeared to be coming on, it seemed that Mahrez would take no further part. But as so often happens in football, this all changed in seconds, as Mahrez scored from a lovely angled pass from Albrighton in the 57th minute. And he was doing it again only eight minutes later; the cross again came from Albrighton, but from the other side this time and fortunately Mahrez was played onside by a defender so that the goal stood.
But the icing on the cake was Vardy’s eighth consecutive goal in the 77th minute, to break the club record and to stand alongside only two other players since the Premier League was created. There was a lovely inter-passing move from Vardy to Drinkwater and back to Vardy; there was no way he was going to miss that opportunity and showed the chasing defenders a clean pair of heels to bury the ball.
It was just as well as West Brom were awarded a penalty following a clumsy challenge from Dyer and Ricky Lambert buried it. There were only six minutes of normal time left, plus five more added on and so it was back to chewing fingernails. But City held on and Watford’s win against West Ham put them to the dizzy heights of third.
For the second match running we had the opposition manager moaning about penalties that weren’t given and it is nice to see that we are getting the rub of the green at the moment. It gets better week by week; I thought the game against Palace was perfect – Vardy’s seventh consecutive goal, a win and a clean sheet – but to continue for a further week is beyond any City fan’s wildest dreams. The latest present for the away fans from the club was a (limited edition?) scarf which was too hot on a balmy day, but who cares!
As usual, Ranieri’s substitutions were timely and effective. Dyer finally replaced Albrighton in the 76th minute and the others were King for Ulloa (69th minute) and Okazaki for Drinkwater (87th minute).
Ironically, the other player who seemed to be below par was Drinkwater, some of whose passing was woeful, but when it mattered he did the business. So yet again, I cannot fault the team for their effort and belief – and no little skill. We are already over halfway to Ranieri’s 40 point target and no one is now predicting that we will be relegated.
It must be the strangest Premier League season ever, with Chelsea languishing well down the table and unfashionable teams like Crystal Palace and us doing better than anyone expected. And I can’t be the only City fan who keeps looking at the table in disbelief and pride! All we want now is for Hodgson to realise where he should play Vardy, not stick him out on the wing where no player wants to give him the ball!
Leicester: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Schlupp, Mahrez, Drinkwater (Okazaki 88), Kante, Albrighton (Dyer 76), Ulloa (King 69), Vardy. Subs not used: De Laet, Chilwell, Schwarzer, Inler
West Brom: Myhill, Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Brunt (McManaman 82), Sessegnon, Yacob (Morrison 76), Fletcher, McClean, Berahino (Lambert 76), Rondon. Subs not used: Olsson, Chester, Gardner, Lindegaard
Attendance: 24,150 Referee: Anthony Taylor
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