Wednesday 1 July 2020 – 6pm Sky Sports
Kate Thompson previews our return to league action…
So what effect will the loss to Chelsea in the FA Cup have on Leicester? As I see it, it can go one of two ways. Either it will galvanise the team to try to hang on to a Champions League place – as the only competition now available to them – or they will crumble, rather like Spurs did four years ago when they lost out to City in the Premier League title race.
Obviously, all Leicester fans will much prefer the former, but I feel there was more riding on the FA Cup result than just a place in the semi-final. Rodgers said the players’ performance was much improved, but this glosses over the fact that they were unable to score despite a poor Chelsea performance in the first half. Once Lampard brought on three subs for the second half, they were like a team transformed and deserved to win the game.
City used to have a poor record against Everton, but since we played them on the day we lifted the Premier League trophy, we have done better; of nine games, we have won five and lost four – which actually contrasts well with results prior to that season.
Interestingly, we used to have a lot of draws but no longer it seems. A useful website, https://www.11v11.com/teams/leicester-city/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Everton/, shows that since December 1908 we have won 38 games, drawn 32 and lost 42. At the beginning of the season, Everton were tipped by some pundits to be in with a shout of a Champions League spot, but they are currently 12th, with 41 points, so a disappointing season for them so far. They did beat Norwich away in their last game, on 24 June, something that we were incapable of doing.
Many Leicester fans thought they had turned the corner with an impressive 4-0 win over Villa, in the last match before the lockdown, but it seems that we should view that as an aberration rather than a return to the previous form.
Certainly the two league games were instantly forgettable, Chilwell’s wonder goal aside, and the home game against a determined Brighton side was one of the poorest I have seen in recent times. Everton have some good players, who can hurt teams on their day. Richarlison is a tricky little player who gets into good positions, and Sigurdsson has often been a thorn in the side of Leicester and can score excellent long-range goals. Pickford, despite being an irritating moaner, is still a good goalkeeper.
Like all City fans, I will be watching this match with some trepidation and wondering if our season is going to end with a whimper, not a bang.
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