City 2 West Brom 2
Report by Chris Griffin
The morning papers and other media were full of doom and gloom as if dropping two points has cost City the title. Maybe the scribes should have waited till Wednesday night’s results! But with ten games to go don’t let’s rush to any conclusions. What stands out, despite the disappointment of not clinching the win, is an excellent City display – much improved on Saturday’s rusty win over Norwich – against a West Bromwich side determined to present a challenge. The crossbar (twice), some heroic defending and superb goalkeeping denied City the three points their exhilarating play deserved.
With Kante injured King started the game in front of a crowd of 32,018.
City got into their stride early. A weaving run ended in a foul on Mahrez but King blazed the chance from the free kick high and wide. Mahrez was seeing plenty of the ball but was double and sometimes triple marked: Albion’s 4-1-4-1 structure with Fletcher shielding the defence supported by Jacob, was proving a stubborn system to break down.
In the 11th minute, and against the run of play, Albion took the lead. Fletcher took possession in midfield and speared a pass into the heart of the City defence. Huth looked the favourite to deal with it but was left behind by Rondon’s pace and strength. His early shot found the net despite a Schmeichel parry.
Momentarily stunned, the crowd immediately found both its voice and the clackers and urged City back into the game. Okazaki flicked a half chance over the bar following a Huth header from a corner. Drinkwater launched Vardy on a great left touchline run but his cross fell behind the posts. Okazaki was again involved when he robbed Fletcher but sent his attempted curling shot wide.
City’s hunting down in packs kept them in possession and going forward. Their game took on more fluency and a flowing move ended in a foul on Mahrez just outside the box. The resulting free kick saw Vardy head straight at Foster.
City pressure resulted in a succession of corners and eventually, on the half hour, the goal came. The ball fell to Drinkwater whose low shot struck Olsson’s left foot and flew up and over the stranded Foster and into the net.
The momentum stayed with City despite a brief hiatus for a yellow card and a lecture for Sessegnon following an altercation with the linesman after a robust Fuchs challenge. A brilliant run and cross by Drinkwater saw Vardy head against the bar with Foster beaten.
The second goal came on the stroke of half-time following a trademark City move comprising pace and fast transfer of the ball. Drinkwater’s penetrating run ended in a good pass to Albrighton whose cross field ball found Mahrez unmarked on the right hand side of the box. What happened next was pure class. Mahrez flicked the ball with the outside of his left foot back into the box and into the path of the supporting King who coolly drilled his shot into the far corner: 2-1 at half time and deservedly so.
But any ideas or hopes that Albion would say “OK guys this one is yours” were soon dispelled. Manager Pullis had his team on the front foot from the restart. Their pressure eventually paid off, perhaps a little contentiously when Mahrez was penalised for hand ball in the D. Gardener took the kick and scored a goal of the highest class, whipping the ball over the wall and bringing it down, to curve into the far corner of the net before Schmeichel could move. For a time Albion pressure continued and they forced several corners – as well as free kicks that were too close to the City box for comfort.
City held firm and gradually took control. It was noticeable that Vardy was seeing more of the ball, consistently turning and losing his marker through his great pace. Leicester established a thrilling pattern of close passing and quick movement off the ball to set up the spare man time and time again down the left flank. From one such move Albrighton’s excellent cross was headed against the bar by Okazaki. Another Albrighton cross saw a Vardy header deflected wide.
Ranieri rang the changes. Schlupp and Ulloa replaced Albrighton and Okazaki. The pressure down the left continued with Schlupp persistently driving forwards – but cross after cross was cleared by one of a myriad of defenders in the well-drilled and well-marshalled Albion defence. When the defence was beaten Foster was up to the mark, instinctively dealing with a sharp deflection from a Vardy shot and saving from Vardy after the striker had dispossessed Dawson out wide.
The Leicester surge continued punctuated by the occasional Albion counter attack, one of which saw Rondon miss an opportunity from very close in. Ranieri replaced Fuchs with Gray. Following Morgan’s inspired run down the right flank – beating man after man – referee Clattenburg incensed the crowd by awarding a goal kick when for all the world it looked at least a corner if not a free kick to Leicester. Morgan was involved again following a corner. He found himself in space and shot hard and low but the excellent Foster was off his line like a whippet and made a great and brave block which probably guaranteed Albion their point.
But it was not yet over. Mahrez, unmarked at the far post, disappointed the crowd by attempting an unnecessarily spectacular volley that went into orbit. Seconds later he was unmarked again, this time sending a header back across goal but the straining Ulloa could just not make the touch needed for what would have been a truly last gasp winner.
In a nice touch the Albion players made a point of shaking Ranieri’s hand at the end of the game. Manager Pulis was understandably pleased with the point and with his players and added “I’d love to see Leicester win the title.”
Ranieri maintained his usual blend of optimistic fatalism. “I am very pleased with our performance. They played so well – there was no panic after the first goal…just sometimes you can do everything but the ball doesn't want to go in…but we are alive and we fight to the end. Everybody is ready to fight, to play well, to create chances. Only the victory was missing….well done to my players. We never, never give up.”
Leicester City: Schmeichel; Simpson; Morgan; Huth; Fuchs (sub Gray 79’); Mahrez; Drinkwater; King; Albrighton (sub Schlupp 63’); Okazaki (sub Ulloa 63’); Vardy. Subs not used: Amartey; Wasilewski; Inler; Schwarzer.
West Bromwich Albion: Foster; Dawson; MaCauley; Olsson; Chester; Fletcher; Sessegnon (Sandro 90’ + 3’); Yacob; Gardner (sub Mc Clean 83’); Rondon (sub Anichebe 90’ + 2’); Berahino. Subs not used: Myhill; Gamboa; Lambert; Pritchard.
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