Is so magical
PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION Puel hails ace Riyad James spares Farke flak
THE good news for Claude Puel is he can finally pick midfielder Adrien Silva.
The bad is that he has 30 more days to sweat on keeping Riyad Mahrez.
Portuguese ace Silva, ironically wearing the number 14, made his debut for the Foxes four months after his £22m move from Sporting Lisbon was completed 14 seconds too late.
But it was Mahrez, who has never formally withdrawn a summer transfer request, who was the star of the show.
The Algerian scored one brilliant volley, made another goal for Islam Slimani and was involved in everything that Leicester did well.
Better
After a sensational two months since Puel took over, in which he has been involved in 10 of the club’s 22 goals, Mahrez is back in the shop window.
“There is speculation about Riyad but I want to keep my best players,” said Puel. “It was a complete game for him, with and without the ball.
“Why is he so much better since I’ve been here? Because I speak French!
‘‘We have tried to find ways to win matches and Riyad and other players are enjoying the games. We are getting the ball to him more and he can make a bigger difference.”
Last summer Leicester rejected £32m from Roma for Mahrez. They demanded £50m and will want far more now.
After a dismal first-half he lit the game up, adjusting superbly to meet Marc Albrighton’s floated cross in the 53rd minute after Huddersfield had failed to clear a corner. Then he played a killer ball for Shinji Okazaki, only for the Japanese ace to be pulled up for a foul before he stuck the ball in the net.
But there was no stopping Mahrez and he served the ball up on a plate for Slimani – the club’s £30m record buy but a flop until now – to lift it over the advancing Jonas Lossl for his first league goal since April.
Mahrez had been subbed to a standing ovation by the time Albrighton turned home Demarai Gray’s cross.
Huddersfield’s best chance came early on when Danny Williams ran on to Aaron Mooy’s pass, but he landed in a heap after a Harry Maguire challenge.
Town boss David Wagner said: “I think Danny looked to slow down and get the foul when he could have accelerated and tried to score.
“We gave away the first goal and then you must give credit to Leicester.”
Schmeichel; Amartey, Morgan (Dragovic 28), Maguire, Fuchs; Mahrez (Gray 77), Ndidi, James (Silva 86), Albrighton; Okazaki; Slimani. Subs: Iheanacho, Hamer, Iborra, Ulloa.
Lossl; Smith (Depoitre 82), Jorgensen, Schindler, Lowe (Malone 76); Van La Parra, Williams, Mooy, Lolley (Quaner 59); Mounie, Ince. Subs: Hogg, Coleman, Cranie, Hadergjonaj.
Graham Scott.