After an appalling performance against Newcastle United, Leicester City showed resilience and character to earn a 2-1 win against an under-strength Manchester United. Whilst hardly United’s strongest XI, it was by no means an easy game with the Red Devil’s lineup still being worth more than Leicester’s. Such financial disparity underlines the job that Brendan Rodgers has done, with his opposite number able to call on several players with considerable pedigree.
Furthermore, Leicester had not been victorious at the Theatre of Dreams since 1998, so a victory was long overdue. Regardless of the imperfect performance, a win is a win, and the second-half performance was excellent.
On this note, here are five main talking points from tonight’s game.
1. A tale of two halves
After a first-half display that was littered with misplaced passes (familiar?) and insipid sideways passing between the defence, Leicester fans could be forgiven for dreading the worst.
Despite the lack of quality and confidence in the first period, the Foxes goal was a true delight. Lovely, crisp passing and clever movement from Tielemans, followed by a pinpoint cross was combined with a sublime volley from the academy graduate Thomas.
The placement of this gave De Gea no chance. This description doesn’t do the goal justice, and it is surely one that requires viewing on the highlights reel again.
Second-half, the Foxes were much improved with a much better tempo and greater composure in possession of the ball, with the midfield wrestling control of the match. This was ultimately rewarded by a goal from the unlikely source of a set-piece.
Although the last ten minutes constituted a ‘backs to the wall’ job for the boys in blue, it was nevertheless a job well done and a deserved three points.
2. Fofana steps up to the mark
What a week Wesley Fofana has had. Not only did he manage to put in a shaky display against Newcastle, but also combined this with the premature leaking of an impending transfer, as well as somehow finding and liking tweets that criticised his performances. Thus, this match provided the perfect tonic to the events of the previous seven days.
Whilst his defensive positioning and interceptions were excellent, one moment stands out in particular. With Rashford running at Fofana in full flight, the young Frenchman stepped in with an exemplary tackle to help preserve his side’s lead.
Such a situation against one of the top English left-wingers would have filled most defenders with fear, but the France U-21 defender made it look very easy.
Despite his lack of English, Fofana’s leadership and calmness in the ‘Evans’ role was exceptional, proving football is a universal language after all. In total contrast to the ragged display against the Magpies on Friday, Leicester’s defence stood up well to the pace of a youthful United front-line, and then withstood the late flurry from Cavani and the more experienced United substitutes.
3. Leicester’s midfield shines once again
Manchester United must be kicking themselves for not attempting to buy Youri Tielemans in 2019. In the first half, Leicester’s midfield two were admittedly very sloppy in possession but in the second we saw why the duo are branded as one of the best double-pivots in the Premier League.
A special mention must go to Wilfried Ndidi, who epitomised midfield domination with six tackles and admirable composure on the ball under pressure. Therefore, it is no surprise that United are one of the many leading lights who are interested in the Nigerian powerhouse.
By contrast, Tielemans cut a frustrating figure in the first 45. Despite getting the assist for Thomas’ goal there were too many misplaced passes and uncharacteristically poor decisions. Even so, the Belgian showed his future ‘captain’ credentials with an excellent second-half showing. Highlights included an excellent threaded pass to Iheanacho, with Youri also finding excellent positions in between the lines.
Additionally, the ever-dependable Marc Albrighton repaid Rodgers’ faith with another hardworking and quality performance, with the set-piece for the winner being of an exceptional standard.
Though ‘flashier’ players hog the headlines, Albrighton’s work ethic and undoubted quality on the ball is an invaluable asset to Brendan Rodgers and is why the former Villa wideman has become a fan’s favourite.
4. Mentality monsters
After the disaster on Friday, every pundit under the sun was questioning Leicester’s resolve and ‘bottle’, and the Foxes provided the perfect response. In a game where things could have gone horribly wrong,
Many would say United gave us a gift, with the 10 changes meaning Rodgers’ men were against a team short on match fitness and cohesion. Nevertheless, Solskjaer’s second string put out a spirited performance and were arguably the better team in the first half. Although United’s limitations were laid bare in the second half, with the influence of Matic in particular fading badly, Leicester still had to carry out a professional job.
Çağlar Söyüncü epitomised this resilience. Despite committing the cardinal sin of leaving a ‘lazy leg, which led to Greenwood’s equaliser, what better way to respond than to grab the winner. A bullet header from a corner, of all places, was the perfect response to what had been a turbulent week for the Turk.
5. Another big step for LCFC
A return of those famous Wednesday nights seems so close, with the Foxes eight clear of West Ham, and nine of Liverpool, although these sides have games in hand.
Mathematically, Leicester require four points to secure a top-four finish, but a victory against either Spurs or Chelsea is likely to be enough. Hopefully, Leicester’s recent opponents can do the Foxes a further favour by beating their bitter rivals Liverpool on Thursday.
Regardless of other results, Leicester now know where they stand and it is totally in their hands, with the pressure being on the chasing pack. Such a change in mood is an indication of how fast sentiments can change, with West Ham and Liverpool not being able to afford any slip-ups if they hope to catch Leicester.
Onwards and upwards for Leicester City
Although, not a stellar performance by any means, at the ‘business end of the season, results are all that matter and Leicester stood up at the time of judgement. Such a victory should not paper over the cracks, and there are issues that Rodgers must sort out over the close-season, but the psychological significance of this game is immense.
The cliché of every game being a ‘cup final’ can certainly be applied here, and the Foxes passed the first test with flying colours.
Gaining three points will certainly be a massive confidence boost ahead of a FA Cup final against Tuchel’s Chelsea on Saturday, and totally changes the dynamic around Leicester, both at the club and online.
With Chelsea in excellent form, this sets up an intriguing encounter despite the Foxes being underdogs. Certainly, the ‘underdog’ title suits LCFC down to the ground, and Leicester will hopefully be able to put in a disciplined defensive display once again, as they did tonight. It will certainly be an interesting watch, and tonight’s result will spark hope amongst the optimist and pessimist alike in the Leicester fanbase.