FOXES TICKING ALL THE BOXES
Win keeps Leicester in hunt for top four
ANYONE looking for more tangible evidence that Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester are the real deal should have been directed to Selhurst Park yesterday.
True, there was no 9-0 like their dismantling of Southampton last time out. Just the two goals which sank Crystal Palace, Caglar Soyuncu’s first for the club before Jamie Vardy’s late strike took Rodgers’ impressive side up to third.
Yet, this victory answered more pertinent questions about Leicester’s European credentials than what unfolded at St Mary’s.
This was a grind, a true war of attrition. It seems Leicester have the capacity to do both; dazzle when they can, grit their teeth when the going gets tough.
Time will tell if they can break the top-six monopoly but, on the evidence of the last ten days, the Foxes tick all the boxes.
‘It was a historical win last week, but this is where you earn your money,’ said former Celtic boss Rodgers.
‘We always want to be better, but we’re comfortable in the fact we’re challenging.
‘People asked about European football at the beginning of the season, but there are some incredible teams in this league, great quality.
‘I’m not going to trap the players with pressure to think of anything other than playing. Let’s try to get better.’
Another convincing win here was never really on the cards, Roy Hodgson teams don’t generally roll over. Not that it stopped Leicester from trying, Harvey Barnes testing Vicente Guaita with a well-struck effort following Youri Tielemans’ incisive pass.
The Foxes continued to pressurise Palace who, unlike Southampton, continued to resist.
Following that cake walk on the south coast, this was turning into an altogether different test.
It wasn’t that they weren’t playing particularly well, Palace were resolute and organised.
Rodgers has faced Hodgson teams often enough to know what to expect. Breaking down such defiance, though, is an altogether tougher prospect.
In the 18th minute, Leicester breached a Palace defence well marshalled by Gary Cahill — James Maddison’s outside-of-the-boot pass finding Vardy — but Guaita thwarted the away team again.
Jonny Evans was next to threaten, his towering header above James McArthur from a corner rippling the roof of the net.
Palace had their moments and with Wilfried Zaha in your ranks, you’ve always got a chance.
But those instances were few and far between, though Kasper Schmeichel did tip over Jeffrey Schlupp’s deflected volley in the 40th minute.
Yet you’d imagine Palace’s lethargy in attack wouldn’t have concerned Hodgson too greatly at this stage.
Indeed, Palace’s game plan almost paid off to perfection at the start of the second half but Jordan Ayew completely missed his kick from six yards out after Cheikhou Kouyate’s low cross appeared to put the opener on a plate.
The miss proved costly — and it wasn’t like Palace weren’t warned. Guaita had just produced an instinctive stop to deny Evans’ bullet header from Maddison’s dangerous outswinging corner in the 56th minute.
So there was little sympathy for Palace when from the resultant corner — taken once more by Maddison — Leicester took the lead. It wasn’t Evans this time, but his central defensive partner Soyuncu who was allowed to ghost in unmarked before planting his header past Guaita.
Leicester deserved their advantage, though it would have left Hodgson tearing his hair out having conceded two goals from corners in last weekend’s draw at Arsenal.
But, while the Eagles’ recent susceptibility at corners may come as a surprise, the fact Leicester’s opener was conjured by Maddison’s right foot was far less shocking.
The Foxes’ No10 was having another excellent game, dictating his team’s attacking approach.
And all in front of England No2 Steve Holland, who will report his findings to Gareth Southgate today.
In normal circumstances, Maddison’s inclusion in Thursday’s squad would be a no-brainer — but his jaunt to a casino just 24 hours after withdrawing from the previous party has initiated a degree of doubt over his selection.
On this evidence, he is certainly worth the gamble.
Palace tried to muster a response — but a long-range effort from Joel Ward that was easily claimed by Schmeichel was the best the hosts had to offer.
Once they got their noses in front, Leicester never looked like losing, their game management was exemplary.
If only Liverpool had shown the same sort of intelligence during that fateful night in 2014 when their title dreams came to a dramatic end in relinquishing a 3-0 lead to draw — the last time Rodgers found himself on the touchline at Selhurst Park.
By the end, Leicester were toying with Palace, striker Vardy slotting home in the final minute to silence home fans intent on ribbing him about his wife’s social media drama with Wayne Rooney’s wife Coleen.
Vardy sarcastically mocked the supporters goading him, impersonating an Eagle as he celebrated. Right now, Vardy and co are soaring.