Southampton 1 Leicester City 4
St Mary’s Stadium – 13th December 2017
Report by Colin Murrant
For the last two seasons this fixture has thrown up one team playing exceptional football, the other hardly competing. The only constant being the winning manager, M. Claude Puel, who could not have got his tactics more correct on either occasion. The fact that City were the victors this season following his Saint’s sacking for serving up a cup final and eighth place finish, must have been exceptionally sweet and satisfying to him.
On a cold, wet South Coast night there was plenty of chat amongst the City fans pre-match as the team was announced. No starting place for Albrighton, Iborra, Gray – Chilwell and Fuchs both playing, Okazaki starting, and the much-maligned Andy King in midfield. Puel was obviously resting players for Palace and Man City in the cup, but was this team really strong enough to compete against a Saint’s team that were unlucky not to win against Arsenal on Sunday? The answer was to be a most emphatic YES!
The start of the match saw Saints winning two corners in the first minute, at this stage memories of last seasons rout came to mind. Gradually however City gained a foothold and soon were in the ascendency. The 11th minute and City were ahead, Mahrez on the half way line played the ball to Okazaki, van Dijk hesitated on the wet surface giving Okazaki time to return the pass. Mahrez slipped but had time to recover and, as Saints defenders backed away, he progressed to the edge of the box before finding the corner of the net with a well-placed low shot.
City now piled on the pressure with clever build ups and only great saves from Forster prevented Okazaki and Vardy extending the lead; another move saw Chilwell fall to the ground and the ball then finding its way to Okazaki, his shot being cleared off the line by Lemina. In the 30th minute Saints had their first shot of the match, Austin curled his shot from the left of the box towards goal and Schmeichel made a fine save pushing the wet ball safely out of danger and behind.
Almost immediately, City won a corner which Mahrez takes, a training ground routine sees the ball hit out to Fuchs who fires in a fierce shot that Okazaki shoots into the net at his second attempt. A few minutes later and a Mahrez free kick is chested down by Maguire, he turns virtually unchallenged and passes across goal for Andy King to score number 3 with the simplest of tap ins.
City were on fire and the city fans were loving it, there was a whole album of new songs and a rendering of the old favourite ‘On Wednesday nights, under the lights …’ as the dreams of European football again, although extremely premature, re-surfaced. Last nights classics included ‘Aren’t you glad you sacked Puel’, ‘You should have gone Christmas Shopping’, ‘Boring, Boring Leicester’ and ‘I want to be in that number when the Saints go marching out’.
Half time came and the inevitable boos from the home supporters were in evidence. The very poor Romeu was replaced by Gabbiadini as the Saints went in search of goals. The game was now more even but City still on top and they went close again as a Mahrez free kick was saved low down by Forster.
Maguire was increasingly looking to get forward and he went on several dribbles, on one occasion getting through the whole defence and firing in a shot from a tight angle that Forster again saved, this time with his legs.
On the hour mark Southampton scored against the run of play as a corner found its way to Yoshida at the far post. His header back across goal was lost to the visiting supporters in the mass of players and then, after what seemed an age, the ball reappeared as it fell into the net. This was the start of a mini-revival as Saints grew more confident and a break down City’s right flank ended with Bertrand laying the ball across the six-yard line for what appeared a simple tap in for Austin. Schmeichel never gave up however and his scramble across the line resulted in a fine block.
Again, the pendulum swung back to Leicester and poor pass from Cedric was picked up by Mahrez who looked up and, seeing Vardy on the move, laid a delightfully weighted ball into the channel. Vardy took control and whipped a ball into the near post where Okazaki lost his marker to fire into the net with a ferocious shot.
That was it although City could have scored more and Puel had the luxury of substituting Mahrez and Vardy after 72 minutes, ahead of the busy schedule coming up.
There are too many positives to mention them all with star performances in abundance, but Ndidi was immense in the tackle (his passing is his only weakness), and Andy King played his best game for a long time.
The negatives were the awful weather and, personally, a cancelled train on the way back.
M. Puel deserves a mention as his charm, quietness, and his tactical know-how are becoming increasingly attractive – next song ‘My sweet Claude’?
On the way out of the ground it crossed my mind that there was an absentee last night. The tall long grey-haired gentleman in the long black coat and bag over his shoulder. A City stalwart for years who you always saw at every away game. R.I.P. Paul Taylor, you would have loved it last night.
To you all Joyeux Noël, Joyeux Puel.
SOUTHAMPTON: Forster, Cedric, Yoshida, van Dijk, Bertrand, Lemina, Romeu (Gabbiadini 45), Davis, Tadic (Ward-Prowse 82), Boufal (Redmond 62), Austin. Subs: McCarthy, Stephens, Hojbjerg, Long
LEICESTER: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs, Chilwell (Ulloa 82), Ndidi, King, Mahrez (Albrighton 72), Okazaki, Vardy (Gray 72). Subs: Hamer, Dragovic, Amartey, Iborra.
Ref: Chris Kavanagh Attendance 27,714 at start, 7,714 from the 80th minute
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