It all began on a cold and windy afternoon in Stoke... the Foxes’ journey to Wembley
FOR the first time in 52 years, Leicester City have reached the FA Cup final. It is a gap that has been filled with promotions, relegations, a great escape and the 5,000/1 Premier League triumph.
Long since the days when Peter Shilton, David Nish and Allan Clarke donned the blue and white of Leicester City, the likes of Kasper Schmeichel, Youri Tielemans and Jamie Vardy have the chance to create history. It will be no easy task for Brendan Rodgers’ team, who face a revitalised Chelsea side under Thomas Tuchel, but the Foxes’ road to Wembley proves they have what it takes to land the FA Cup.
Third Round: Stoke City (A)
As the Premier League teams joined the competition in the third round, the Foxes were given the task of making progress on a cold and windy Saturday afternoon in Stoke.
With the likes of Vardy and James Maddison rested for the trip to the Bet365 Stadium, Rodgers still fielded a very strong side and their Premier League quality ultimately shone through.
One of their standout performers at this stage of the season, James Justin, set the Foxes well on their way as he curled a sensational effort beyond the helpless Josef Bursik in the Potters’ net.
With Leicester enjoying success down both flanks, Marc Albrighton was allowed to nip in from the left to double his side’s lead.
Ayoze Perez then got his name on the scoresheet before Harvey Barnes rounded off a resounding win to start City’s FA Cup journey.
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Fourth Round: Brentford (A)
Coming into the game on the back of a seven-match unbeaten run, the high-flying Foxes travelled to promotion chasers Brentford looking to secure a place in the fifth round.
It was a repeat of Leicester’s fourth round tie last season, when Kelechi Iheanacho stung the Bees with a fourth-minute strike to secure his side’s passage to the next round.
However, this game was far less comfortable as they went into halftime a goal down, thanks to Mads Bech Sorensen’s goal in the opening 10 minutes.
Despite their early setback, the game was level 49 seconds after the restart as Cengiz Under fired up the Foxes. Five minutes later, Youri
Tielemans was tripped in the box and the Belgian converted the resulting penalty. Rodgers’ side secured their place in the hat for the next round as man of the match James Maddison punished Luke
Daniels’ inability to save a Harvey Barnes shot.
Fifth Round:
Brighton (H)
A game featuring two Premier
League sides, many expected a game of high quality with a few goals thrown in.
Unfortunately, Leicester and Brighton evidently had other ideas.
In a game that saw both sides make seven changes, including a first-team debut for City’s Vontae Daley-Campbell, neither side registered a shot on target in the first half.
The afternoon was made worse for Rodgers as in-form full-back Jus
tin was stretchered off 15 minutes before the final whistle. It later emerged as an injury that would keep the 23-year-old out for the remainder of the season.
However, with the game looking destined for extra time and penalties, Iheanacho was on hand to nod the Foxes through to their second successive FA Cup quarter-final, the first time the club had managed this impressive feat since the 1968-69 season.
Quarter final: Manchester United (H)
With the Foxes without their creative duo of Maddison and Barnes due to injury, the arrival of title-chasing Manchester United seemed untimely. However, the hosts took the lead through the in-form Iheanacho, taking advantage of Fred’s terrible back pass to Dean Henderson.
Despite their dominance, Mason Greenwood was on hand to pull the visitors level just before the halftime whistle.
The Foxes continued to dominate the game and were rewarded when Tielemans’ fine strike put Rodgers’ side back in the driving seat.
With 12 minutes to go, City accelerated into a two-goal lead with Iheanacho again getting on the scoresheet with the help of some hapless defending from the Manchester United defenders.
The Nigerian striker netted his ninth goal in as many games and improved his excellent goal-scoring record in the FA Cup, scoring his 13th goal in his 18th game.
Semi-final: Southampton (Wembley)
Underneath the Wembley arch for the first time since 2018, the Foxes had the chance to reach the FA Cup final for the first time in 52 years. However, the omens were not for the fainthearted: three games and three loses for the Foxes ahead of their semi-final clash with Southampton.
The match had significance, not only for the supporters of both sides, but also for football in general, allowing spectators in football stadiums for the first time since March last year.
Although the presence of spectators may have seemed slightly strange after all this time, something most definitely not out of the ordinary was Iheanacho finding the back of the net in the FA Cup.
After excellent work from Vardy, the in-form Nigerian was on hand to pass the ball into the net following a block on the line to send the Foxes scampering into the final against Tuchel’s Chelsea.
The omens were not for the fainthearted: three games and three loses for the Foxes ahead of the semi-final