Leicester 2-1 Palace: What 3 things did FoL learn?

Subsequently, depending on the space between the pressing player and Mendy, he will carry the ball until he almost reaches the defender and then offloads it. There’s never a risk that he’ll actually cause a turnover, he’s confident and astute in doing this, and the upside is removing the pressing player from the game.

I’m not sure if it’s a direct correlation of his influence since returning into the fold, but the main “possession-orientated” players for Leicester were maximising the spaces in a similar style against the Eagles. The likes of Youri Tielemans, James Maddison, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are all adept at selecting the correct pass, but by adding the correct timing as well, you can see the inherent positives. The latter’s assist was made easier for Ademola Lookman due to him attracting a defender and then utilising them to disguise the pass.

This concept may seem pointless and minuscule, but it was one of a few focal concepts that enabled the dominance of the first half. Without Mendy’s presence in the UEFA Conference League this Thursday, Rodgers will have to adopt a different style of defensive-midfielder (No.6), but his hopes will be that they maintain this quality in possession.