Year of the Fox?
Rodgers urges his side to create history after Kel’s deadly double 1
BRENDAN RODGERS challenged Leicester to create history by winning their first-ever FA Cup.
Kelechi Iheanacho’s double and Youri Tielemans’ goal set up a last four clash with Southampton at Wembley next month.
Mason Greenwood did level in the first half but United’s hopes of winning a 13th FA Cup were ended.
Leicester have reached the final four times but never won the competition and Rodgers wants to end that.
He said: “We are in the semi-final and we have a chance to get to the final and create history.
“When it comes we will fight and give everything we can to achieve that.
“For the club to get to the final and win the trophy would be really special.
“It’s a trophy in their history they haven’t won. I would be
LEICESTER ...... 3 MAN UTD ...... so happy for the owners. There are lots of teams ahead of us in terms of budget or whatever else, maybe history, but the ambition is there to win titles and be competitive.
“We were very complete. You are playing a top-class team but it was an outstanding performance against a very good side.
“It was a measure of how well we are progressing.”
Fred’s howler gave the Foxes a 24th minute opener when his backpass to goalkeeper Dean Henderson was short and Iheanacho stole in to score.
Greenwood levelled 14 minutes later, sweeping in Paul Pogba’s cross but that was as good as it got.
Tielemans put Leicester’ back in front seven minutes into the second half when he held off Fred’s half-hearted challenge and drilled into the bottom corner.
Jamie Vardy shot wide with just Henderson to beat but Iheanacho sealed the tie when he escaped from Scott McTominay to head in Marc Albrighton’s free-kick with 12 minutes left.
Iheanacho felt Leicester’s superior fitness was key to the victory.
He said: “We worked really well in training to get ready for this game tactically.
“I think we were fitter than them in the game, that helped us. We passed the ball well.”
It was United’s first domestic away defeat in 30 games but boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who left talisman Bruno Fernandes on the bench until the second half, insisted he had no regrets about his decision.
He said: “I would have started the same team again.
“Every team selection has reasons behind it. On Thursday Bruno broke all his records physically and the boy is not inhuman.
“He has played a game every three or four days.
“It was a chance to start both Donny Van de Beek and Paul Pogba but maybe the accumulation of games caught up with us.
“Everyone could see that we weren’t as sharp as we have been.”