Foxes of Leicester
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Fulham vs Leicester: The rematch, pre-match analysis

By Elliot Mackness

Ruben Loftus-Cheek of Fulham and Nampalys Mendy of Leicester City (Photo by Visionhaus)
Ruben Loftus-Cheek of Fulham and Nampalys Mendy of Leicester City (Photo by Visionhaus) /
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Leicester City
Ruben Loftus-Cheek of Fulham and Nampalys Mendy of Leicester City (Photo by Visionhaus) /

The scene is set for Leicester City’s away from home to get revenge in this rematch against Fulham. Join FoL to analyse the Foxes’ need to dominate away.

It is the 30th November 2020; Leicester host the 19th team in the league at home, hoping to continue their push for top four. Rodgers releases a defensive team, hoping to have caught Fulham out with a system designed to shut them down. The result is a humiliating 2-1 home defeat; an unacceptable loss given the circumstances, despite the injuries and poor home form, there was no excuse for that loss.

And so, the scene is set for the Flying Foxes away from home to get revenge in this rematch against Fulham. Leicester City must dominate and then obliterate Fulham in their own turf.

Leicester City derailed?

One first remark, the potential derailment of LCFC at home on Sunday to Leeds United. That was a tough one to take. Have a quick gander at the things we learnt from that match, and at my live-written reaction to the match.

Leeds made 1.81 in xG (expected goals), actually scoring three. Leicester made 1.73 in xG, actually scoring one. The Foxes only goal was a low probability shot, it was fantastic and deserved the goal at the end of it. Leeds United’s goal-scoring shots had a total xG of 1.18. Wow. That shows a great deal of individual brilliance to score those goals.

So, what went wrong on the day. I would say there were two lacking qualities in ‘BrendanBall’ – a predatory nature, and penetration. James Maddison, as brilliant as he may be, had a responsibility to make penetrating runs into the defensive line in the absence of Vardy, who will be out for this match unless rushed back.

The lack of that predatory nature is the result of the patchwork system Brendan Rodgers implemented: we see a more Firmino-style creative and technical player in the Ayoze Perez puzzled into an attacking system built around Jamie Vardy. Without Vardy, the attacking play – which remains broadly the same with Albrighton on the wing – lacks the ability to pull defenders out of position or menace the goalkeeper with presence in the box.

There are three options for the next match against Fulham. First, do nothing, this system is quite creative, it is just unlucky to not have scored more. Second, start Under to meld the penetrative pace of Barnes and Under with the creative lay-offs of Perez (similar to the traditional Liverpool front three). Finally, start Iheanacho as a positional striker to make more use of Albrighton’s pull-backs.

Whichever one Brendan chooses, he will need to get it right and get the squad firing on all cylinders again. Now let us revert to the script – just as Leicester must – and delve into analysing form.