HEAD OVER HEELS
Vardy’s magic touch flattens wretched Everton
JAMIE VARDY was in no hurry to leave the pitch. He shuffled slowly to the touchline after being substituted, shaking hands with team-mates before turning to applaud Leicester’s exultant fans.
The new year had started in the best possible manner for Vardy, with a goal and a somersault for good measure, so who could blame him for wanting to savour the moment? But all around Goodison Park, Evertonians were in a hurry, darting for the exits after another wretched day.
Vardy’s seventh goal of the season had proved decisive and completed a hugely successful Christmas period for Claude Puel, who has masterminded wins over Chelsea and Manchester City to go with this flattening of Everton.
For Marco Silva, though, the picture could not have been more miserable. Everton were abject, lifeless and toothless, and they look a far cry from the team who were threatening the top six at the end of November.
‘I’ve had that in the locker for a while and saved it for a special occasion,’ said Vardy, referring to the gymnastics he displayed after scoring. ‘What better occasion — a new year, a new me! It’s been a great Christmas, now we need to push on and get the points to keep us where we are in the table.’
Leicester were everything that Everton were not — determined, resolute, organised, but most of all confident. If they can find consistency in the less high-profile fixtures, they can qualify for Europe.
Puel may get derided but he is a competent manager. He arrived with a game plan and lured Everton into his trap by frustrating the life out of the home side.
It made for a woeful game in the opening 45 minutes, but the onus was on Silva and his players to make something happen.
There were only two notable moments before referee Martin Atkinson mercifully called time, both of which were provided by Jonjoe Kenny, the young right back who had been recalled at the expense of Seamus Coleman.
He did his best to make an impression. First he cracked a drive from the edge of the area against the bar in the 18th minute, after a cutback from Lucas Digne had evaded everyone, then followed up by whipping a cross into Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but the England Under 21 striker headed wide. That was as good as it got.
Leicester had shown little attacking ambition, but the situation was about to change and there was a noticeable improvement in their urgency in the second period, characterised by Puel literally bouncing with impatience on the touchline.
‘We cannot play fantastic football in this busy period and I am happy to come here with this squad and this fantastic mentality,’ said Puel. ‘If we look at the season, the first half, we finished seventh in the table. It is not bad with all the problems we have had. It is important to find a good consistency.’
Puel remains a manager under pressure, but he could not have done more to galvanise Leicester here and in the 58th minute he got his reward.
A long clearance by goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel was miscontrolled by Theo Walcott and Michael Keane, allowing the ball to bounce to Ricardo Pereira.
Suddenly danger loomed and Pereira’s quick pass invited Vardy to take on the labouring Kurt Zouma. The former England striker zipped past Zouma before drilling a left-footed shot beyond Jordan Pickford.
‘Ricky’s seen me straight away and his one touch slid me through,’ said Vardy. ‘I’d tried that a few times in the game, but Ricky has been excellent all season and it was a great assist. You can’t have any doubts as a striker. You want to score all the time, but I am making the right runs.’
You suspected there and then that the game had been decided. The Goodison crowd was in one of those irascible, tetchy moods that are not conducive to comebacks and the onus was on Silva and his players to come up with the right answer. Not once did they threaten to find it.
‘A poor performance,’ said Silva. ‘We have to play better than this. We were anxious and nervous. To be here, you have to show the capacity to deal with this normal pressure. We are playing a lot of games in a row with no time to rest, but that is not an excuse when you miss simple things.’
Other than a couple of crosses drilled into Leicester’s penalty area and a hopeful shout for a penalty, Everton puffed and spluttered like a broken-down steam train. Leicester, by contrast, grew in confidence and played with intelligence.
At the end, those Evertonians who had bothered to stay booed in frustration. It must have been music to Puel and Vardy’s ears.
EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Pickford 5; Kenny 6, Keane 5, Zouma 5, Digne 5; Gueye 6, Gomes 6 (Bernard 62min, 6); Walcott 4 (Tosun 70, 5), Sigurdsson 6, Richarlison 5; Calvert-Lewin 5. Subs not used: Stekelenburg, Baines, Mina, Coleman, Davies. Booked: Gomes, Digne, Tosun. Manager: Marco Silva 5. LEICESTER CITY (4-3-3): Schmeichel 6; Simpson 6, Maguire 7, Evans 7, Chilwell 7; Mendy 6, Choudhury 6, Ndidi 7; Pereira 7, VARDY 8 (Gray 90), Ghezzal 6 (Albrighton 46, 6). Subs not used: Ward, Soyuncu, Maddison, Okazaki, Fuchs. Scorer: Vardy 58. Booked: Evans. Manager: Claude Puel 7. Referee: Martin Atkinson 7. Attendance: 39,052.