Golden boots Vardy
Golden boots Vardy breaks Premier mark with 11th goal in a row
Jamie Vardy celebrates after scoring a record goal last night, his 11th in 11 games in a row
IF you’re wearing golden boots, the expectation is that you will deliver. Jamie Vardy took that questionable sartorial decision last night. However, he also did the deed and an extraordinary tale gathered yet another chapter.
He already shared the Premier League record of scoring in 10 successive games with Ruud van Nistelrooy.
So, it was fitting that it was against Manchester United, with their travelling support singing the old songs in praise of their legendary Dutch striker, that the Sheffield Wednesday reject and alumnus of Stocksbridge Park Steels, who was still playing non-League football three years ago, chose to go one better.
The new record is 11 successive games and Vardy has actually scored 13 in that run. Yesterday it felt as though he was trampling all over the established order, not just Van Nistelrooy.
While Vardy was all energy and action, Wayne Rooney looked a much older man than his 30 years at the other end. There were a few snapshots wide, a desperate dive on 35 minutes and an attempt to fling himself at a rebound. But, bruised and seemingly hobbling with a dead leg, he was substituted on 67 minutes. It may not be the case come the summer, but yesterday evening the comparison with his Leicester counterpart and England team-mate was unkind for Rooney.
Vardy’s goal was a classic of its kind from Leicester this season. Kasper Schmeichel bowled the ball to Christian Fuchs who advanced upfield to play a raking pass behind United’s extremely shaky back three for Vardy to run onto. Such is his confidence at present, few inside the King Power Stadium can have doubted the conclusion once the man of the moment began that run.
He simply sprinted past a startled Matteo Darmian, took one touch and threaded it past David de Gea. The stadium erupted as Vardy raced off to celebrate, dashing briefly past the United fans, pointing at his chest and shouting something, presumably along the lines of: ‘I’m the man now.’
And he was, but it was not just about him. Leicester may have to share top spot with Manchester City after this draw, but their resilience as we approach December is remarkable. They aren’t going away and were magnificent in that first half, when United reverted to their stuttering shapeless alter ego, a parody of their finest sides.
When United improved, as they were almost bound to, Leicester proved equal to their defensive task. Yet it was the home side’s first-half onslaught which truly exhilarated the King Power Stadium. Vardy and Marc Albrighton had already served warning on Darmian after 11 minutes, hounding him into losing the ball with the Italian saved on this occasion by a dubiously awarded free-kick. Darmian and Paddy McNair, in particular, will not remember their first-half performances fondly.
But all over the pitch, Leicester were embarrassing United, none more so than Riyad Mahrez, whom Ashley Young had to pull back as he raced away on yet another counterattack, thus earning a yellow card. United’s 3-5-2 formation simply looked ragged.
When Mahrez broke away on 31 minutes it needed the steadfastness of De Gea to block his smart shot with his knees.
Vardy then raced through on to a another long pass on 37 minutes, clipping De Gea as he stretched for the ball, the pair exchanging angry verbals over the Leicester striker’s right to make such a challenge.
So, Leicester should have been aghast when, with a minute remaining of the half, they allowed United to level, with Shinji Okazaki simply being wrestled out of position by Bastian Schweinsteiger, who had the simplest of tasks heading home Daley Blind’s corner.
It was a wretched goal to concede, caused purely by Okazaki not being strong enough.
And it was a painful blow for Leicester to absorb, having started so well. For, with a Louis van Gaal team-talk fresh in their minds, United did improve in the second half.
Space was contained much better, so Vardy and Mahrez could no longer make relentless free runs at goal. Michael Carrick and Schweinsteiger began to impose themselves on the game.
And Schmeichel had to parry away when the German headed a Young free-kick goalwards on 50 minutes, with Rooney diving desperately but unsuccessfully to connect with the rebound and hurting his side and wrist in the process.
Yet, when the opportunity presented itself, Leicester still managed to expose United.
Mahrez, on 66 minutes, left Blind in his wake as he dashed towards goal and through United’s defence yet again. He fed substitute Leonardo Ulloa who, rather than shoot first time, chose to cut inside Chris Smalling, giving De Gea time to steady himself and block the shot.
United had their own moments as the evening closed in. Memphis Depay, on for Rooney, chased down a Darmian header but shot wide as the ever-attentive Wes Morgan ensured he was ushered away from Schmeichel’s goal.
And right to the end Leicester threatened, Danny Drinkwater shooting just over on 88 minutes.
When, with the clock heading towards Fergie Time, Ulloa played that man Vardy clear on the right — for one last time — he raced into space and it seemed an extraordinary finale beckoned. All Leicester sensed it, roaring him on his way.
This time, though, Vardy checked inside and rolled the ball disappointingly and aimlessly across the face of goal. Still, it was a forgivable lapse. It was his day, nonetheless, and chapters unwritten remain in the compelling story of this season.