Walsall 0-1 Leicester: Foxes player ratings

Kelechi Iheanacho emerged as Leicester City’s savior again in a FA Cup fixture, this time against Walsall.

The Swifts held off the struggling Foxes until the halfway mark but eventually fell short from a deflected shot courtesy of the visitors. It was the Nigerian international’s 17th goal in this competition, with 23 appearances thus far. The scoreline paints half a picture as the saga of Youri Tielemans’ costly penalty misses persisted.

The Saddlers tested City’s defense with eight shot attempts despite not having much possession. Their set pieces kept the fans anxious, but Leicester City held on to move ahead into the fifth round of this competition, keeping the glimmering hope alive for this season.

Leicester City’s player ratings from the FA Cup tie

Daniel Iversen: The next Danish successor looks to be stitching some encouraging performances in regularly featuring outside the Premier League competitions. With four appearances, he has managed to record four clean sheets. Today, Iversen had to make three saves in total, with an impressive stop to a Walsall chance, which was deemed offside. 7

Timothy Castagne: The Belgian’s work ethic was again on display for the fans. The tireless worker gave it his all running down the right flank to create a man-to-man advantage for the King Power club as their wingback. Defensively, he held his ground, regaining control and cleaning up each other’s mess. 8

Daniel Amartey: The untrustworthy nature of the Ghanaian quite rightfully preceded his image in this one. With some errors, it showed why the fans demand a better choice for centre-backs. Though he won headers and remained calm while clearing the ball, it was clear that he looked inconsistent. 7

Wout Faes: Faes regained his lost momentum in this fixture. He was in the right place at the right time, committed to not letting Walsall breach City’s defense. He remained equally sound with his dribbling and passed the ball around with 87 per cent accuracy.

8

Luke Thomas: Thomas has lost his impressiveness, and it’s showing itself. The reluctance to send him out for a loan move might be a step in the wrong direction for his progress. He looked nervous at times. Why shouldn’t he? After all, a new signing is here to reduce his value to the team. 6

Papy Mendy: Mendy played well in his last Premier League outing, but the question was can he do the same again? Well, let’s say he didn’t let us down. The Senegal international remained stable, for the most part, helping his side with the advancement. With a 96% accurate passing rate, he managed to land a vital assist. 7

Youri Tielemans: Another penalty miss? Really? Why is Tielemans still on penalty duty?

Anyway, this was not the Belgian’s day. He struggled to make advancing passes. Despite co-creating most chances in this game, the playmaker remained cold to impress us. 6

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: It was definitely one of the weird games for the budding regular because, for the first half, the midfielder remained largely ineffective. However, it all changed when he emerged as one of the best performers for Leicester City by rekindling his talents for the second half. ‘KDH’ managed to create the most chances alongside getting to the opposition with the most tackles and duels done successfully. 8

James Maddison: The ref was definitely harsh on Madders during his return, as he found his name booked for a minor protest. But he was the lethal injection that City fans were hungry for. Just having him back instills confidence in their mentality. The England international looked okay for his first outing in a long time but still left us with a lot to be desired for. 7

Patson Daka: Unlucky not to have scored in this one, even with seven shot attempts. The Zambian needs to find his clinical nature rather quickly to impress the gaffer when Jamie Vardy is resting. His movement around the box was the reason for winning the penalty for the team. 8

Harvey Barnes: Worked over his mistakes from the Brighton game and showed rectification in this one. Remained an ever-present threat with his dribbling and footwork on the flank. Was linking very impressively with others to attack. We need more of this from him. 7

Victor Kristiansen: The debut was done right. Brendan Rodgers trusted his latest acquisition to feature in the FA Cup to shed away the nervousness of playing in the biggest league first. He looked promising with an attacking mentality. Defensively was composed. It’s still early to brag, but we might have another one on our hands who can turn big in the coming months. He should’ve got an assist for a good cross. 6

Dennis Praet: Came on for Maddison around the 63rd minute and tried to hold out and play a safe game. Praet created a chance for Iheanacho, which he should have scored. 7

Kelechi Iheanacho: After all, he was the difference maker between the two teams. The striker did his job as a substitute, faring well with the tempo for half an hour and holding the ball remarkably. 7