2 3 月, 2021

Football: Rodgers urges Leicester to fight through injury woes

LONDON (AFP) - Brendan Rodgers has challenged Leicester to defy the odds as a mounting injury crisis threatens to wreck their bid to finish in the Premier League's top four. Rodgers' side lost star midfielder Harvey Barnes to a left knee injury during Sunday's damaging 3-1 home defeat against Arsenal. Barnes, who is going under the knife on Tuesday, is likely to be out for around six weeks. The England international joins team-mates Ayoze Perez, Dennis Praet, James Maddison, Wesley Fofana, James Justin and Wes Morgan on the sidelines, leaving Leicester facing a tough task to qualify for the Champions League. But Rodgers is trying to stay upbeat and, ahead of Wednesday's trip to Burnley, he said: "We have had injuries of course but we have also had European football to contend with. "I think we see it with some teams that it can prove difficult but the players have been absolutely brilliant up until this point." Leicester are third, five points clear of fifth-placed Chelsea, with the top four guaranteed a place in Europe's elite club competition. The Foxes were also riding high last season but agonisingly dropped out of the top four at the end of the campaign. Given the current injury crisis, Rodgers would be happy to see Leicester in with a shout heading into the final weekend of the season. "We haven't done anything yet," he said. "People talk about the top four but for me, my attitude is that we are not in the top four until we see where we are at after the last game of the season. "There is nothing to lose then because we haven't got anything yet. You have to get to the end of the season and see where you finish in May and look at it from there. "There are 12 games to go and it is a process now over these next three months and it is something we are going to relish and enjoy." As if Leicester have not got enough players in the treatment room already, Rodgers revealed Jamie Vardy was suffering from a sore groin following the Arsenal game. Vardy is expected to face Burnley, as will Jonny Evans, who came off with a calf issue against the Gunners. "Jonny's from the old school, he'll play through anything and everything to help out his team," Rodgers said.

11 2 月, 2021

Football: Iheanacho sends Leicester to FA Cup quarter-finals with late goal

LEICESTER, ENGLAND (REUTERS) - Kelechi Iheanacho struck deep into stoppage time to send Leicester City into the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday (Feb 10). Extra time loomed when Ihenacho was picked out at the far post from a corner and he headed home. Both sides had goals ruled out within the space of a minute in the second half, Andi Zeqiri for Brighton and Cengiz Under for the hosts. Leicester also suffered a blow when James Justin was carried off on a stretcher after jarring his knee. Iheanacho's late intervention, however, made sure it was Leicester who moved through and they were joined in the last eight by the Premier League's bottom club Sheffield United who beat Championship side Bristol City 1-0.

4 2 月, 2021

Football: Maddison pulls strings as Leicester ease to win at Fulham

LONDON (REUTERS) - Leicester City midfielder James Maddison created both goals in a 2-0 win at relegation-threatened Fulham on Wednesday (Feb 3) as Brendan Rodgers' side moved provisionally up to third in the Premier League. Fulham, 18th, are now winless in the league in 11 games since a 2-1 victory at Leicester in November and they sit seven points from the safety zone. Leicester are two points behind second-placed Manchester United. "I thought we were excellent, two outstanding goals. We showed real moments of quality," Rodgers told BBC Sport. "In the second half we controlled the game without the ball and managed the game really well. "I think the team is maturing - it's hard physically for players this season. We had one shot against us all night which shows the concentration." Leicester took the lead in the 17th minute when Maddison's pin-point cross found Kelechi Iheanacho making a run into the box and the Nigerian forward scored his first league goal of the season with a well-directed header. Maddison grabbed a second assist just before halftime when he was released down the middle before spotting James Justin's lung-busting run into the box and the full back took one touch to round goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and score. Maddison has hit a purple patch and his two assists mean he has now contributed to nine goals in his last eight appearances in all competitions. Fulham manager Scott Parker made halftime changes with Mario Lemina and Ivan Cavaleiro coming on but the London side rarely tested Kasper Schmeichel in Leicester's goal. "We huffed and puffed in both boxes. We fell a little bit short tonight," Parker said. "A good performance in some aspects but we understand what we need to do. We have one clear objective, to win games. "(Maddison is a) top player that makes good decisions and has the quality to make the difference. First goal, cross is on the money. The calmness and composure to assist the second, it's where he is."

20 1 月, 2021

Football: Leicester beat lacklustre Chelsea to go top

LEICESTER, UNITED KINGDOM (AFP) - Leicester moved top of the Premier League by inflicting another damaging 2-0 defeat on Chelsea on Tuesday (Jan 19), to leave manager Frank Lampard fighting to remain in charge at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have now won just two of their last eight league games to fall to eighth, nine points behind the leaders. Chelsea were expected to challenge for the title after a £220 million (S$400 million) spending spree in the transfer market. But it is Leicester who are threatening to recreate their heroics of the 2015/16 season when they shocked the world to win the Premier League. A second title in five years would be less of a surprise, despite the financial gulf between the Foxes and the traditional top six in the English top-flight, as they have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with since Brendan Rodgers took charge nearly two years ago. Lampard left two of his expensive summer arrivals in Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech on the bench, but club-record signing Kai Havertz did return with former Leicester midfielder N'Golo Kante ruled out by injury. Kante was one of the stars of Leicester's title triumph, but Wilfried Ndidi has proved a worthy successor as a midfield enforcer and got the hosts off to a flying start with a rare goal. A well-worked corner caught Chelsea napping and even after Harvey Barnes failed to connect with Marc Albrighton's cross, Ndidi smashed in off the inside of the post from just outside the box. James Maddison then fired off the bar and Edouard Mendy tipped another long-range effort from Marc Albrighton over the bar as Leicester dominated the opening half hour. Chelsea showed signs of life when Callum Hudson-Odoi fired into the side-netting and the visitors thought they had won a penalty when Christian Pulisic was upended by Jonny Evans. A VAR review, though, judged the foul had taken place outside the box and within two minutes it was 2-0 thanks to more dire Chelsea defending. Albrighton's simple long ball forward found Maddison completely unmarked inside the area and the in-form England midfielder slotted home his eighth goal of the season. More on this topic Related Story Football: Leicester can upset Premier League established order, says Rodgers Related Story Football: Leicester can cope with Premier League pressure, says Rodgers ahead of United clash The margin of defeat could have been far more humiliating for Lampard had Leicester been more clinical in the second-half. James Justin headed wide with a free header at the back post before Albrighton did find the net but the goal was ruled out for offside. Mendy stood up well to deny Youri Tielemans as a Leicester counter-attack cut through Chelsea with ease on the hour mark. Lampard responded by turning to his £85 million worth of talent on the bench as Werner and Ziyech were introduced for the final 25 minutes. Werner has now gone 11 Premier League games without a goal and even when the German international did find the net to flick home a late free-kick, the offside flag rescued Leicester.

17 1 月, 2021

Football: Leicester go second with 2-0 win over Southampton

LEICESTER, ENGLAND (REUTERS) - Leicester City moved above champions Liverpool into second place in the Premier League after James Maddison's first-half goal and a stoppage-time effort by Harvey Barnes secured them a 2-0 home win over Southampton on Saturday (Jan 16). Maddison lashed a ferocious shot past Alex McCarthy in the 37th-minute of an even first period and Barnes broke clear to finish coolly as Leicester claimed only their fourth home victory of the season. While all eyes will be on Sunday's showdown between Liverpool and leaders Manchester United, Leicester showed again that they must be taken seriously in the title race. Brendan Rodgers's side have 35 points from 18 games, one point behind United and two better off than Liverpool. Manchester City, who also slipped below Leicester ahead of their Sunday clash with Crystal Palace, have 32. Leicester did not have things all their own way though and eighth-placed Southampton, who beat Liverpool in their last game, were unlucky when Stuart Armstrong's long-range effort rattled the crossbar as the visitors pressed for an equaliser.

17 12 月, 2020

Football: Richarlison sets Everton on way to 2-0 win at Leicester

LEICESTER, ENGLAND (REUTERS) - Brazilian forward Richarlison and defender Mason Holgate scored as Everton earned an impressive 2-0 win at Leicester City in the Premier League on Wednesday (Dec 16). Richarlison fired Carlo Ancelotti's side ahead in the 21st minute, cutting in from the left before unleashing a low drive which Kasper Schmeichel saw late and failed to stop squeezing in the bottom corner. Jamie Vardy had a great chance to pull Leicester level but headed straight at Everton's Robin Olsen, in for Jordan Pickford as Ancelotti rotated his keepers. Everton then suffered a blow when their Brazilian midfielder Allan went down with a hamstring injury and could not continue. Despite the loss of the former Napoli midfielder, who had been influential, Everton maintained their dominance, moving the ball well. The Merseysiders made it 2-0 in the 72nd minute when Schmeichel parried out a Michael Keane header from Gylfi Sigurdsson's corner and did superbly to push Dominic Calvert-Lewin's follow-up against the bar before Holgate pounced to poke home. Leicester were awarded a penalty when substitute Ayoze Perez went down under a challenge from Andre Gomes but the decision was overturned by referee Lee Mason after the VAR review showed there was no contact from the Everton midfielder. A frustrating night for the Foxes, who have now suffered four home defeats this season, continued when Perez had the ball in the net but the effort was ruled out for offside. The victory was Everton's fourth in seven away games this season and following their home win over Chelsea at the weekend, the Merseysiders moved up to fifth in the table on 23 points, a point behind Leicester. "It was a good performance, we were consistent defensively and made good use of the counter-attack, I am satisfied," said Ancelotti. "We found a good consistency, we didn't concede in these past two games. If you can keep clean sheets you can win games," added the Italian. Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers felt his side could have got more out of their display. "We are disappointed with the result, the players' effort was good they gave everything. We gave away two goals but we didn't give away much," he said. "When you go a goal behind you have to show quality at the other end and we didn't quite do that. It is one of those ones you drive home and you can't quite understand how you have lost it but we did, we just have to be better in certain moments," added the former Liverpool boss.

26 10 月, 2020

Football: Vardy rocks Arsenal as Leicester go fourth

LONDON (AFP) - Jamie Vardy came off the bench to seal Leicester's late 1-0 win as spluttering Arsenal crashed to a third defeat in their last four Premier League games on Sunday (Oct 25). Vardy was only fit enough for the bench after a calf injury, but Brendan Rodgers sent the Leicester striker on with 30 minutes left and he responded with his sixth goal of the season. The 33-year-old has made a habit of tormenting Arsenal and has now scored 11 goals in 12 Premier League games against them. Leicester climbed up to fourth place after ending a run of two successive league defeats. Arsenal are languishing in 10th after a second consecutive league loss following their 1-0 defeat at Manchester City last weekend. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta will have been disappointed by his team's lack of cutting edge. The principle problem is a sudden dip in form for captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabon forward is without a goal in his last five league games, although he did net against Rapid Vienna in the Europa League on Thursday. Aubameyang has scored just once in the league this season, hardly the kind of form Arteta would have hoped for after handing him a lucrative new contract in September. Arsenal's ability to challenge for a top four place rests on Aubameyang leading the charge and so far this term he has been a flop. Luiz blow Arteta handed a home debut to Thomas Partey as he recalled a host of first-team regulars following the victory in Vienna. More on this topic Related Story Football: Vardy signs contract extension at Leicester Related Story Football: Leicester City's Vardy wins Golden Boot despite final day disappointment Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno had played in Vienna and was at fault for the goal his side conceded. The German looked shaky again and nearly gifted Leicester the lead inside the first two minutes. Leno came dashing way off his line but his attempted clearance went straight to James Maddison and the midfielder's 40-yard effort went just wide. Alexandre Lacazette headed in from an Arsenal corner moments later, but the goal was disallowed for offside against Granit Xhaka. Arsenal were on top and Bukayo Saka's strike forced a good save from Kasper Schmeichel before Aubameyang headed over from Kieran Tierney's cross. Lacazette should have done better with a good chance from another Tierney cross before Saka shot into the side-netting. More on this topic Related Story Football: Vardy double as Leicester ease past West Brom Related Story Football: Vardy treble inspires Leicester to 5-2 win over Man City Arsenal suffered a blow when David Luiz limped off early in the second half, with Maddison shooting over as Leicester tried to take advantage of any confusion in the rejigged Gunners rearguard. Maddison went for another audacious effort from near the halfway line, but Leno scrambled back to spare his blushes. Hector Bellerin, already shown a yellow card, was fortunate to escape a booking when he crunched into James Justin. It was the kind of game crying out for the creativity of Mesut Ozil, the exiled playmaker left out of Arsenal's Premier League squad this season. Instead, Arteta sent on Nicolas Pepe midway through the half in a bid to perk Arsenal up. Bellerin brought a good save from Schmeichel when he met Aubameyang's cross with a powerful volley. But Arsenal were hit with a sucker punch in the 80th minute. Youri Tielemans' ball over the top for Cengiz Under was perfectly weighted and the Turk squared across goal for Vardy to head into the empty net.