Chelsea 0 City 1
Report by Kate Thompson
Like most City fans I imagine, I went to the game with very low expectations and the first half did not really dispel them. I was just satisfied that we had got to half-time without conceding, despite some near misses. We could actually have scored in the first half when Ndidi managed for once to keep his rasping shot down and it took a fantastic save from the Chelsea keeper to keep it out of the net.
Vardy continued to look the frustrated player we have seen so often and Maddison yet again did not fulfil his early promise. However, we have since learnt that City were trying to snuff Jorginho out of the game and it must have worked because he was substituted in the 75th minute!
Puel decided to change tactics at half-time and it worked magnificently. In the 51st minute persistence by man of the match Ricardo led to a pass to Maddison who slid in a terrific pass between Rudiger’s legs and – as Maddison himself said – Vardy doesn’t miss those opportunities. Well, he does sometimes but not on this occasion.
Thereafter the tenor of the game changed beyond all recognition. Chelsea had to come out and Leicester were more dominant than I think I have seen them this season. They were pressing and harrying the Chelsea players who were clearly rattled. How the City fans loved it!
Although we always want to win, what we ask for above all is for the players to give everything and if they lose or draw at least they have tried their hardest. I know I am not alone in disliking the sideways – and even worse, backwards – passing and this match demonstrated to Puel that City are a much better team when they go forward.
For once there wasn’t a weak link in the side and it was interesting to read that Sarri had said that after we scored the Chelsea players were playing as 11 individuals, not as a team; our winning of the Premier League showed very clearly that a team of ‘lesser’ players working their socks off for each can beat 11 so-called super-stars any day!
Two City players were booked, Ndidi and Mendy, but not one Chelsea player; I know I am biased but some of their fouls were just as bad, however they got away with it. Will we ever get consistency in referees? One other statistic: for the first time I can remember Schmeichel went a whole match without putting the ball out of touch – he must have been practising!
Chelsea made their first two substitutions in the 61st minute and a third one (as mentioned above) in the 75th; by contrast City only made two substitutions and they both came in the last ten minutes – Gray for Maddison and Iheanacho for Vardy.
In terms of team selection I was pleased that Choudhury (he’s one of our own you know!) kept his place from the Cup game and I hope he continues to be picked. Now all we want is a creative midfielder (Drinkwater anyone?) and another striker to take the onus off Vardy.
A fit again Matty James, who can’t be far away now, might do for the first but I think we need to buy a striker. Iheanacho was actually quite lively in his brief cameo but he seems to be in a different world a lot of the time and will someone please explain the offside rule to him!
Happy Christmas City fans and here’s hoping that we give the FA Cup a good go this year.
Leicester: 1 Kasper Schmeichel, 14 Ricardo Pereira, 5 Wes Morgan (c), 15 Harry Maguire, 3 Ben Chilwell, 38 Hamza Choudhury, 24 Nampalys Mendy, 25 Wilfred Ndidi, 11 Marc Albrighton, 9 Jamie Vardy (8 Kelechi Iheanacho. 84 mins), 10 James Maddison (7 Demarai Gray 82 mins). Subs unused: 6 Jonny Evans, 12 Danny Ward, 20 Shinji Okazaki, 21 Vicente Iborra, 28 Christian Fuchs.
Goal Vardy (51)
Booked: Mendy, Ndidi.
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