Leicester 2-1 Everton Report By Simon Mack

Leicester City 2 Everton 1

1^st December 2019 4:30pm

King Power Stadium

Attendance: 32,133

Welcome to the Iheanacho show!

An unexpected hero at King Power Stadium kept the foxes winning streak rolling as Leicester earned some clear daylight in the league from title holders Manchester City and maintained pace in their quest for a top 4 finish.

City were unchanged for this one keeping a side that had a 5 match winning streak under their belt and had clean sheets in the last 4 to their credit, meanwhile visitors Everton’s fortunes have been a stark contrast and manager Marco Silva’s job is under scrutiny.

The early exchanges of the match were even in their tone. Everton showing flashes of their attacking capability and the foxes breaking into their visitor’s 18 yard box on regular occasion. Ayoze Perez saw his drive flash wide left of the post and had a couple of half shouts for a penalty to boot, but it was the toffee’s who broke the deadlock with top scorer Richarlison firing home an unstoppable header from Sidibe’s pinpoint right flank cross.

Shortly after a powerful run into the Everton penalty area by Ben Chilwell saw him hit the deck under the challenge of Mason Holgate. Replay’s showed little contact and the initial penalty award by referee Graham Scott was overturned by the VAR official.

Into the second half and by now Everton were doing all they could to spoil and frustrate their hosts in a negative attempt to cling onto their slender leader. Around the hour mark in the absence of Demari Gray from the bench up stepped the rarely played Kelechi Iheanacho and who could have guessed what would happen next?

Iheanacho’s presence along with the change of formation that accompanied it was to the huge credit of the players and not to mention the tactical awareness and faith of manager Brendan Rodgers, and as the game matured even the toffee’s growingly frustrating negative tactics could not prevent the foxes from making it 6 wins from 6.

It was the league’s top scorer Jamie Vardy that gave city parity. Ndidi’s neat positive work in his new more advanced role played in Inheanacho on the right side of the box and his perfectly weighted pass to the far post saw Vardy crash home the leveller and a jubilant celebration ensue in front of the kop.

After the equaliser there was only one team looking capable of providing a winner but the toffees continued to do all they could to disrupt the foxes chances. Throwing themselves to the floor whenever they could Everton’s desire to limit the damage almost knew no bounds. But Leicester were not to be denied and despite Vardy going so close to the match winner with a header that fizzed just over the bar deep into injury time city broke forward again with purpose and Ricardo’s perfectly weighted slide rule pass fed in super sub Iheanacho who coolly placed the ball into the far corner beyond the England number 1 in the Everton goal and seal all 3 points for the home side.

Iheanacho’s winner was initially ruled off side by the linesman but with the post no goal VAR review showing the Everton defence playing the Nigerian marginally on side the victory was the foxes, and as the players piled on top of Rodgers in jubilant celebration an abject Marco Silva looked isolated as he shook his head in disbelief in his technical area.

Once again Leicester had found a way to win, and despite Everton’s best efforts to spoil the foxes flowing attacking positive play they got it done, and enormous credit must go to Kelechi Iheanacho. A man that many of the city faithful had written off got a rare chance from the bench and played a massive part in this exhilarating victory.

If nacho can play like that maybe the search for a genuine back up for Vardy in case of catastrophe is over? And with players who fans doubted would ever make the grade in the guise of Gray and Iheanacho now looking like a genuine threat to the first team establishment huge credit must go to boss Rodgers whose magic dust seems to have thoroughly rubbed off on city’s forgotten men.

The press and pundits continue to whip up a frenzy around Rodgers and the vacant manager’s job at Arsenal, but with Rodgers suggesting on Sunday evening that this is a project at city he is committed to who would bet against him getting this hugely talented and motivated squad at Leicester to push runaway leaders Liverpool all the way through Christmas and into the new year to see if this time they won’t fluff their lines.

MOTM: Kelechi Iheanacho. Little football this season and came on and played a vital role in securing all 3 points for city. Passionate and skilled in his workmanship the Nigerian put in a 30 minute cameo worthy of more game time moving forward. Match winner and despite his rustiness looked every bit a Premier League striker of high calibre.