Flagging City gifted hold out as general
FOXES NEVER HAD CONTROL DESPITE FIRST HALF STRIKES
LEICESTER City remain gripped by a malaise as they again gave up a two-goal lead to draw with Crystal Palace.
Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy gave City a surprise halftime lead, the strike duo profiting from mistakes to score in spite of a desperate display by Brendan Rodgers’ side.
But they were never really in control of the game and Patrick Vieira’s substitutes earned Palace a more-than-deserved point, Michael Olise and City old boy Jeff Schlupp netting in the second half.
Failure to win means City are now four games without victory in the Premier League, their longest such run under Rodgers, equalling a streak from February 2020.
It was also the first time since 2003 that they have led by two or more goals at half-time in the Premier League and not taken all three points.
But in truth, they did not deserve them. Their first-half play was sloppy and lacked any cohesion, and yet Iheanacho, on his 25th birthday and on his first Premier League start of the season, robbed Joachim Andersen to streak away and score.
Vardy then grabbed his sixth of the season against the run of play not long after.
But, just like in the Napoli Europa League game last month, with City’s defensive struggles it always felt like a third goal would be needed to ensure victory - and that proved to be the case.
Olise finished on the rebound to cut the deficit and then City titlewinner Schlupp headed in just a minute after taking to the pitch to get Palace back level in a half in which they dominated.
City now head into the second international break of the season in the bottom half of the Premier League and still searching for answers as to how they turn these performances around.
Injuries are not helping, clearly, particularly that of Jonny Evans, and the latest problem, ruling out Wilfred Ndidi, saw Hamza Choudhury handed his first minutes of the season.
Iheanacho also came in as six changes were made from the 1-0 loss at Legia Warsaw, Ryan Bertrand replacing Luke Thomas at left-back, and Vardy, Harvey Barnes, and Ademola Lookman brought back into the starting XI too.
Vardy’s form has helped keep City from plummeting towards the bottom three this season, and he nearly helped them take an early lead when he flicked on a free-kick, Caglar Soyuncu nearly
meeting it at the back post.
But that was not a sign of positive performance to follow, and instead City were almost immediately on the back foot.
The defence, as it so often has been of late, was ripped apart with ease, Jannik Vestergaard just getting his body in the way after Odsonne Edouard, a City target in the summer, ran across the front post to meet a cross.
Shortly after, an off-colour Youri Tielemans gave up possession on the edge of City’s box, allowing
James McArthur to bundle through the ball to Wilfried Zaha.
So often City’s nemesis, this time he was denied by Kasper Schmeichel’s outstretched boot.
Conor Gallagher followed up to fire through the bodies, but City’s skipper again saved with his feet.
There followed a 10-minute period in which City were hopeless, unable to string two passes together before they knocked it out of play. They looked as far away from the team of the past couple of years as they ever have.
And yet at the end of that period, they took the lead.
Andersen wanted too long on the ball and Iheanacho nipped in,
stealing the ball to set up a oneon-one for himself, and finishing with composure, trickling the ball past Vicente Guaita.
Shortly afterwards, almost unbelievably, Vardy doubled City’s lead.
Tielemans dinked a nice pass into Barnes’ path to get City away, and the winger fed the number nine. From there, Vardy’s fine form continued, the striker deceiving Guaita and putting the ball in at the near post.
Chances still fell Palace’s way, Gallagher placing a shot over the bar, but the half ended with Zaha and Jordan Ayew arguing and City two to the good.
They were in a good place, in spite of the performance.
After the break, they had a chance for a third as Iheanacho’s brilliant footwork and sublime pass set Barnes free, and while he beat his man well, he could only find the side-netting.
A couple of minutes later, with Soyuncu out of position, Edouard received the ball, nipped past Vestergaard too easily and then fire against the crossbar.
It was a warning to City. They simply had to tighten up because Palace were building momentum, but it was a warning not heeded as they could not hold off the Eagles for much longer.
Not long after he was introduced, summer signing Olise met Tyrick Mitchell’s cross from the left, seeing his initial shot blocked by Ryan Bertrand, only for the ball to fall back to him, allowing him to slam into the net with Schmeichel wrong-footed.
Vieira’s super substitutions didn’t end there, and after more Palace pressure, City folded again, Schlupp heading past his former colleague Schmeichel after pinball in the box.
It was desperate defending from City thereafter, but they just about coped.
They created nothing of note themselves, and if there was going
to be a winner, it would be Palace, but they did just about enough to keep them out.
The best chance for a third came through Schlupp again as he rose highest to meet a setpiece, heading past the post.
It nearly got worse for City when Vardy received substantial treatment following a body check by McArthur, but he managed to get up and continue.
He should therefore be out on the training pitch over the international break, where City have a lot to work on if they are to return in any kind of form in two weeks’ time, when Manchester United come to town.