Kelechi Iheanacho is an integral member of this new look Leicester City team gunning for an immediate return to the English Premier League after last season’s devastating relegation. The 26 year old forward has started four of the five Championship league games so far and while he hasn’t lit up the division with goals, he has justified his starts as a key player in the team.
Given the constant rumours linking Iheanacho away from the King Power a few weeks ago, fans will be relieved that the Nigeria international stayed put. Having him in the side will play a factor in deciding the team’s success this season.
In five appearances so far (four starts) this season, Iheanacho has failed to hit the back of the net so far and has assisted once. These are typically not good readings for a forward but what he brings to the team is cohesion. Without an attacking midfielder in the team, there is often a gap between the forward line and the midfielders. Iheanacho is proficient at dropping back deeper to receive the ball and facilitate chances for the inverted wingers or the bombarding central midfielders.
While the importance of the centreforward’s presence in the team is not disputed, the data suggests there is room for improvement in his performances so far. Let’s have a deeper look at his numbers.
The ex-Manchester City man’s shooting figures are below average. He has taken ten shots so far (third highest in the team) but has only hit the target twice, scoring zero goals. He has taken four shots inside the box and six shots from outside the box, having an average shot distance from goal of 19.7 yards. He has received zero big chances and has accumulated a meager xG of 0.6 from all his shots.
Iheanacho has had 153 touches of the ball so far, and out of them only 15 have been in the penalty box (less than Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Stephy Mavididi). In comparison, Jamie Vardy has nine touches in the penalty box from his total 45 touches of the ball.
Looking at passes, the player from Nigeria seems to be doing fine. He has created two big chances and has one assist. He could slightly increase his chance creation having registered only six key passes and four passes into the penalty box. He’s not much of a dribbler, having only one successful carry into the box.
The lack of goals is not just Iheanacho’s fault though. In a previous article, I highlighted Leicester’s difficulty in creating good chances so far. Having not created a single big chance for your striker after five league games is a concerning stat.
Iheanacho’s lack of chances is also linked to his positioning, if you have a look at his season’s heatmap, he seems to be in an Attacking Midfield role the majority of the time. While he does create space and chances for the Wingers and the Central Midfielders, his lack of presence in the penalty box will hamper the team and his chances of scoring goals.
If a striker isn’t scoring and is instead dropping deep to set up chances, his teammates have to capitalize on that. There hasn’t been consistent returns from any other player so far.
A possible solution for this is playing a second striker alongside Iheanacho, whether it be Vardy or Patson Daka. Leicester usually play with a 4-1-4-1 out of possession and transition into a 3-2-4-1 formation in possession with Ricardo Pereira advancing into midfield. With Iheanacho dropping deep frequently, Leicester often lack a presence in the penalty box for players to target.
Having a partner up top for Iheanacho could change that. Leicester would line up a 4-4-2 out of possession and transition into a 3-2-3-2 in possession. WIth Iheanacho linking up the midfield and the forwards, it would effectively be a 3-2-4-1 with Vardy/Daka remaining up top and staying in the penalty box. KDH’s energy in the midfield could ensure that the resulting space in Leicester’s midfield isn’t a major problem.
If this formation is considered too attacking to start the game with, at the very least Enzo Maresca shouldn’t keep subbing out Iheanacho for Vardy. He should instead keep the two of them up top when chasing goals as both of them will be beneficial to each other. Iheanacho will create space for Vardy to run into while also creating chances for the legendary number nine.
Vardy might be old but he still strikes fear amongst opposition defenders. Having him would also draw defenders away from Iheanacho affording him more chances. We’ve seen first hand how effective their partnership can be when they regularly started together in the 2020-21 season.
Leicester’s defense has shown to be more than capable and an increase in firepower upfront shouldn’t hurt the team’s balance drastically. Having two strikers could also afford game time to the newly signed Tom Cannon and want-away Daka. Whatever Maresca decides for the team tactically, he has to make sure that these talented players are creating chances regularly and complementing each other’s playing style.