Supersub Crouch delivers for Stoke
Hughes throws on his Joker, and once again he proves the get-out-of-jail card
FOR ALL the benefits of sports science and psychologists in the modern Premier League, throwing on the big feller up front can still work.
There is more to Peter Crouch than being 6ft 7in of course but when Stoke manager Mark Hughes turned to the 36-year-old striker for his height and experience, he didn’t let anyone down.
Leicester were good value for their 2-1 lead when Hughes sent on Crouch after 69 minutes. Four minutes later, he’d nodded Stoke level from a corner and the home side were then able to press for a winner, Kurt Zouma denied by Kasper Schmeichel in the last attack of the game.
Crouch’s 52 headed goals is a Premier League best and his 142nd appearance off the bench equalled a record held by Shola Ameobi.
He’s mostly used by Hughes as a supersub these days and the former Liverpool, Spurs and England striker admitted: ‘It would be nice to be starting games and scoring goals but that’s the way things are going for me. So I have to come on and make an impact and try to get in the starting XI.’
At least, his manager had some encouraging words on that after watching Crouch score for the third time off the bench this season.
‘Everybody says he is a plan B. He’s doing nothing wrong, he might be a plan A!’ smiled the Stoke boss. ‘Credit to him, he comes on and makes an impact, and he’s done it again. I played until I was 38 and thought it was important to be on the training pitch every day, and that is what Peter is like.’
This was a hard-earned point for Stoke and one they might not have got without Crouch.
Leicester have made a bright start under new boss Claude Puel with four points from two games and were the better side for 70 minutes. Winger Demarai Gray was outstanding in front of England manager Gareth Southgate.
After an early referee swap, Bobby Madley clutching his hamstring as he was replaced by Jon Moss, Leicester deservedly took the lead after 33 minutes. Harry Maguire outmuscled Zouma to reach Riyad Mahrez’s corner at the far post and Vicente Iborra cleanly swiped the ball in left-footed from eight yards. It was the Spaniard’s first goal for the club following an £11.5million summer move from Sevilla, for whom he won three Europa Leagues, all as substitute. The visitors should have been out of sight before half-time. Zouma redeemed himself with a goal-saving challenge on Mahrez as he was about to set up Jamie Vardy for a gimme. Jack Butland then pulled off an outstanding point-blank save to keep out Shinji Okazaki’s header while Iborra was off-target when left free again from a corner.
Stoke equalised out of the blue after 39 minutes. Zouma’s pass to Eric Choupo-Moting’s feet was followed by a lovely first-time lay-off around the corner for Xherdan Shaqiri to run on to. As Schmeichel came out, the Swiss firmly placed the ball past him left-footed. It was his second goal of the season and first at home since April.
A dramatic 60 seconds midway through the second half saw Leicester regain the lead after Schmeichel had brilliantly saved from Ryan Shawcross. Leicester went up the other end and Wilfried Ndidi hooked the ball towards Mahrez on the right. The Algerian cut inside and unleashed a shot that had too much power for Butland, even though he got his gloves to it. It was Mahrez’s third goal in five games.
It was time for Hughes to throw on his Joker. ‘As soon as Crouch came on, we had problems. He is tough to handle,’ said Schmeichel.
Crouch barely had to jump to beat Christian Fuchs to Shaqiri’s corner but his desire and concentration were immaculate as he made the perfect connection.
Having equalised, Hughes threw on Saido Berahino for the final few minutes. He didn’t score, but Zouma almost did, meeting Shaqiri’s header in injury time to bring a point-blank save from Schmeichel.
‘We showed great character, it’s not easy to come back twice in any game. And we could have won it in the end, with five seconds to go,’ said Hughes ruefully.
For Puel, it was a decent followup to his debut win against Everton. ‘To create a lot of chances away is a good thing,’ he said.
Schmeichel added: ‘We created a lot of chances and retained possession well. But the goals we conceded were avoidable.’