GUNNED DOWN
Own goal misery brings Foxes to their knees
LEICESTER City were dumped out of the Carabao Cup but that was not the end of their problems last night, with Wilfred Ndidi potentially set for a spell on the sidelines.
City lost 2-0 at home to Arsenal, a Christian Fuchs own goal and an Eddie Nketiah finish condemning them to an exit at the first hurdle.
The club failed to reach at least the quarter-finals for the first time in four seasons. While City can now focus their attention on other, perhaps more important competitions, they have other issues with Ndidi potentially out for 12 weeks.
After the midfielder was ruled out of the upcoming Nigeria matches by his association, Brendan Rodgers was asked about the midfielder, with the boss revealing a groin problem that may require an operation.
“We’re just waiting to hear more on that but it could be anything between six and 12 weeks,” Rodgers said of his midfield destroyer.
“It’s a groin abductor which may have come off the bone. We’re waiting to see if he needs an operation or not. If he does, it could be 12 weeks.”
ELEVEN days into the new season and Leicester City’s potentially busy campaign is already looking lighter after they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle.
With the Europa League group stages but a month away, City were staring at an energy-sapping schedule, but they no longer have to worry about the League Cup, with a poor second half ensuring it was Arsenal that progressed to round four.
City had the depth in their squad to make wholesale changes, but it led to a disjointed performance.
Bright moments in the first half, including an inventive strike from James Maddison that bounced off the post, dried up in the second period as the Gunners controlled the game.
Pinball in the box led to the opener as Christian Fuchs diverted the ball into his own net, with Eddie Nketiah poking in late on to end Arsenal’s run of three straight defeats at the King Power Stadium and eliminate City from the competition.
Brendan Rodgers’ side deserved nothing more.
City’s starting line-up demonstrated where this competition ranks among their priorities this year.
Rodgers made 11 changes from the Premier League win over Burnley and while among the fresh faces were those in desperate need of game-time, the City boss also made sure to give his key players an early rest with a hectic schedule on the horizon.
In the line-up was Daniel Amartey, playing his first senior game in 23 months following an
ankle break against West Ham in October 2018, the night five people, including chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, died in a helicopter crash outside the King Power Stadium. The Ghanaian was on the right of a back three for City.
Meanwhile, homegrown Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was handed his first start for the club as one of five Leicester-raised, City-developed players in the squad, along with Hamza Choudhury, Luke Thomas, Harvey Barnes and Josh Knight.
Arsenal made fewer changes, with seven, but the unfamiliarity of the teams saw the game start with a certain looseness, allowing for chances at both ends.
Reiss Nelson tested Danny Ward inside three minutes, Kasper Schmeichel’s ever-reliable deputy superbly tipping the 25-yard effort over the bar.
Moments later, City were in behind, Marc Albrighton’s excellent touch and pass sending Kel
echi Iheanacho racing through.
Bernd Leno was quick off his line though to shut down the Nigerian striker, who fired straight at the keeper.
As the half progressed, Arsenal began to assert their dominance.
They were perhaps unfortunate not to have a penalty when intricate play saw Bukayo Saka escape into the box and was clumsily challenged from behind by Amartey.
But referee Peter Bankes pointed for a goal-kick.
Two more chances then fell Nelson’s way, the young winger bending a shot to the corner that was parried away by Ward, before placing it wide then unmarked 12 yards out. For the second opportunity, he should have done much better.
An injury stoppage towards the end of the half allowed City to regroup and for Rodgers to reorganise his troops, and the hosts improved, with Maddison inches from opening the scoring.
Starting his first game since June after summer hip surgery, the England international was having a quiet game, but after picking the ball up from Dewsbury-Hall, he shimmied inside his markers, then lofted a curling shot over Leno, only to see the ball bounce back off the post.
As the second half started, the rain came hammering down and Arsenal closed in.
For the first 15 minutes of the second period, City barely got out of their half, and they eventually buckled under the pressure.
With Fuchs beaten in the air, the ball was played wide to Nicolas Pepe, who skipped past Thomas’s outstretched leg and struck on the angle, Ward saving.
The City keeper did not parry to safety though, and Pepe was presented with another chance, this time firing against the post.
It bounced out and Fuchs, desperately trying to get back to protect his goal, inadvertently shinned it in.
To try to change the momentum of the game, Rodgers introduced Dennis Praet and Ayoze Perez. It helped, but not before Arsenal nearly had a second.
Eddie Nketiah raced onto a ball and lobbed over the advancing Ward, but defying his 36 years, Wes Morgan sprinted back to the goal-line in the nick of time to head it up and away from danger.
It was one of the substitutes, Perez, who had City’s best chance to equalise. Albrighton swung in a free-kick, the Spaniard escaped his man to meet it at the near post, but headed off target. It was a head-in-hands moment.
As injury time approached, Arsenal sealed the victory, Hector Bellerin dancing inside the challenges before Nketiah poked it home.
The Gunners will head to Liverpool or Lincoln next week, while City will sit at home with their feet up.