Leicester City produce another clinical display, despatching under-pressure Frank Lampard’s Chelsea in silky fashion to go top of the league
On a wet and windy night in Leicester with further storms on the horizon coming this weekend, a different kind of storm was approaching the top of the Premier League table. As early as the 6th minute when Wilfred Ndidi pinged in a beautiful shot off the post, Leicester City were rising to the summit of the Premier League.
Chelsea just couldn’t get going and bar a few half chances were dealt a sucker punch with a classy James Maddison finish. From then on in Brendan Rodgers Foxes were their usual difficult self with a mature defensive performance that ensured Chelsea never got close. It might only be for less than 24 hours but on the 19th January 2021 Leicester City looked down on the rest of English football. But what 3 things did we learn from Leicester’s victory.
Wesley Fofana is a frightening prospect
Although there were many contenders, Wesley Fofana produced a man of the match display that typified the whole defensive performance of the eleven. 20 year old Wesley Fofana…..i repeat that……20 YEAR OLD Wesley Fofana is causing eruptions in the footballing world with his dominating displays and Chelsea were no exception.
The Frenchman’s all round game had everything: winning headers from corners and crosses, muscling out and marking Tammy Abraham in one-on-one runs, creating key passes in the back areas and bursting runs through the lines to open up space for his teammates.
Fofana’s timing in tackles isn’t far off Wilfred Ndidi levels of accuracy as well. As soon as he turns his aerial dominance on defending crosses into scoring goals from corners there won’t be much he can’t do.
Paul Scholes recently (and predictably) urged the Manchester United board to sign the Frenchman only a handful of months after he arrived in the East Midlands. It’s unlikely that the Foxes would even entertain a sale. But it is clear that he is going to get better, he is going to keep getting noticed and he is going all the way to the top of world football.
Leicester City are not a one man team
Clearly looking to bait some Leicester fans into biting, an Everton fan recently made the point that Leicester will drop like a stone without Jamie Vardy and are essentially Crystal Palace without him. I’ll just let you all finish laughing.
The truth is that the last couple of games Jamie Vardy has not been as dangerous or effective as he had earlier in the season. this isn’t anything new though with his goal conversion rate at home at a limp eight per cent compared to his astonishing 48% on the road. Vardy hasn’t scored a goal from open play for eight games which would normally coincide with bad Leicester form. The key thing to remember though is that none of this is causing any issues with goals being scored from other channels.
James Maddison’s goal scoring has hit new levels with three classy finishes in as many EPL games. Harvey Barnes keeps notching at crucial times and even Wilfred Ndidi is now getting on the score sheet. In fact this starting outfield ten now only has one player yet to score a goal this season in Jonny Evans.
Goals are being created from different areas with Marc Albrighton’s direct style reaping rewards with assists in his last few starts. Youri Tielemans continues to create chances and is now getting into more attacking positions. James Justin is also offering more in attacking areas and should have scored a header late on.
With danger in all areas, Vardy’s goalscoring form is worrying nobody at the club because sooner or later he will be back amongst the goals and causing more defences headaches.
Home form might just be cracked
Leicester City are a near perfect team away from home, with them able to pick off teams that refuse to close down available space. After losing at home to Everton in December the prospect of the next three home games against Manchester United, Southampton and Chelsea was causing foxes fans much concern.
But seven points from nine available has made the football universe sit up and take notice. The grit and determination against United to come back and get a draw and then to produce two mature and professional home displays is a sign that the team is maturing.
The last two games will have given the team and club confidence that the home form is not as big an issue as many may have first feared. But that comes with a caveat. The last three visitors to the King Power played an open style that was susceptible to counter attacks and wasn’t particularly a strong defensive outfit. If teams quickly adapt their defensive style to replicate those that enjoyed success then familiar problems could occur at the King Power. But with the likes of Leeds, Liverpool and Arsenal to visit the King Power in the coming weeks it’s difficult to see those sides adopting those styles.