FOXES FRUSTRATE OLD BOSS RANIERI
CLAUDIO RANIERI produced football’s greatest miracle when he led Leicester to the Premier League title. But he could not conjure another one last night as his Fulham side, who have not kept a clean sheet all season, remain bottom of the table. The Cottagers seemed poised to snap that streak after Aboubakar Kamara gave his side a first-half lead then deployed Italian-style defending to frustrate the Foxes until the 74th minute.
But current Leicester boss Claude Puel showed he also knows how to tinker by making three second-half changes. Two of his subs – Shinji Okazaki and Demarai Gray – combined to set up James Maddison’s equaliser to see the spoils shared in a scrappy affair. It means Leicester are still unbeaten in seven games in all competitions since the death of chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha on October 27.
Ranieri, who was sacked by Leicester in February last year, returned to the King Power Stadium last month for the club’s first home match after the helicopter tragedy.
He was again given a rousing reception by the travelling fans, but it was another title-winning hero in Jamie Vardy who Leicester really missed.
In the third minute, Maddison (below) released Kelechi Iheanacho on goal, but he shot straight at Sergio Rico.
Vardy, nursing a groin strain on the bench, would have scored.
The Italian still calls his Leicester players “my boys” and two more of his former charges – Marcus Albrighton and Wes Morgan – had chances.
The winger scooped a shot over while the club captain sent a first header over before his second effort was saved by Rico. But as the half wore on, Ranieri’s new team gained in confidence.
Kasper Schmeichel made a spectacular full-length save from a Calum Chambers volley after Denis Odoi nodded back a Jean Michael Seri free kick.
Wilfred Ndidi made a superb block on another Chambers shot then Ben Chilwell got in the way of a Luciano Vietto drive.
But a Fulham goal was coming and it arrived after 42 minutes. A flick from Aleksandar Mitrovic sent Kamara surging into the box.
The Frenchman appeared to go too far, but he dragged the ball back as Caglar Soyuncu slid in before drilling a shot through Schmeichel’s legs.
Leicester’s third sub Vicente Iborra could have won the match, but headed wide from a corner while Fulham replacement Tom Cairney volleyed straight at Schmeichel.
In a frantic four minutes of injury time, Rico denied Gray and Maddison before Odoi spurned the best chance when he shot over.
MATCH STATS
FULHAM: LEICESTER: REFEREE: