Kelechi gets off the mark with cracker
KELECHI Iheanacho emerged from a troubled start to his Leicester City career to set them on the road to the quarter-finals – and raise the possibility of Claude Puel returning to Wembley in the competition.
The Nigeria striker fired home his first goal for the club since a £25million move from Manchester City and then set up Islam Slimani for the Foxes’ second as they bounced back from falling behind to Leeds United.
Riyad Mahrez wrapped it up two minutes from time.
Leicester are reported to be in talks to appoint Frenchman Puel as the successor to Craig Shakespeare to mark his return to English football after he guided Southampton to the final of the competition in his one season at St Mary’s.
But caretaker boss Michael Appleton has done much to revive City’s fortunes since the sacking of Shakespeare last week.
Leicester were stunned a spectacular striker from Pablo Hernandez in the 26th minute, but with Iheanacho finally impressing after so much frustration at the start of his City career, they hit back strongly
Leeds posed the first real threat when Jay-Roy Grot’s shot was pushed away unconvincingly by Ben Hamer.
Leeds looked the more menacing and were rewarded when Kemar Roofe set up Hernandez, who made room to curl a shot which flew in off the underside of the bar.
Just as the precision of Hernandez’s strike
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gave Hamer little chance, so too did Iheanacho’s equaliser from 20 yards four minutes later.
The Foxes had clearly been stung into action and Demarai Gray twice went close to putting them in front, sending a low shot flashing past Felix Wieldwald’s right hand post and then rattling the bar with a 25-yard thunderbolt.
Wieldwald was lucky when he clearly carried the ball out of his area but neither referee Lee Probert nor his assistant spotted the error. Leeds escaped again when Pontus Jansson gave the ball away deep in his own half to Slimani who fed Andy King, only for the midfielder to lash wide.
Slimani wasted a golden chance, heading over from a couple of yards..
But the Algeria striker made amends after 71 minutes with a simple tap-in when Iheanacho picked him out after being put through by Vicente Iborra.
It was all Leicester and substitute Mahrez put them out of sight with a typical individual goal, cutting in and shooting into the far corner.
LEICESTER CITY (4-4-2):