Recap
Leicester City defeated fellow strugglers Southampton by a score 2-0 at the King Power on Saturday afternoon. Jamie Vardy and Jordan Ayew struck in the first half to give the Foxes the final margin. Neither side seriously threatened scoring in the second period as keeper Jakub Stolarczyk only faced two shots on goal the whole afternoon.
It was a meaningless match, but it was fun to watch. I don’t know how many times I’ve had a chance to say this, but we were the better side the entire match and fully deserved the win. The only player who looked off the pace was Skipp, who hasn’t played enough to stay sharp. Everyone else looked crisp and in control.
What’s left to play for? Getting Vardy his 200th Leicester goal. Finding out which of our younger players are ready for senior football. Finishing in front of Ipswich Town would mean a couple of million pounds for the club. That’s about it.
3 Takeaways
- Jamie Vardy can still score when he gets a modicum of service. I suspect he will be able to score from a wheelchair when he’s 90. Michael Owen was wrong; he’s a natural scorer.
- I did not understand it at the time and I still don’t: How on earth was Oliver Skipp a 20m player?
- I hope we can keep Stolarczyk next season. I feel comfortable with him in goal.
The victory gives the Foxes 21 points from 35 matches. We remain 19th on the table, but only a point behind Ipswich. It might as well be two points as they have a big advantage in goal differential, but it’s something to shoot for. We travelling to face Nottingham Forest next Sunday and then host Ipswich in the penultimate match of the season.
Leicester City: Stolarczyk, Justin, Faes, Coady, Thomas, Ndidi, Skipp, McAteer, El Khannouss, Ayew, Vardy
Southampton: Ramsdale, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens, Walker-Peters, Downes, Ugochukwu, Manning, Fernandes, Sulemana, Stewart
Key Moments and Notes
1’- The press are calling this match “El Crapico” on account of it being not just a fixture featuring the bottom two clubs, but two of the lowest-ever point totals for this point in the season. Credit where it’s due: It’s a good joke.
5’- Saints win a corner through a ball over the top that Coady has to put behind. A free header from the cross is directly to Stolarcyzk, but it had a lot of pace, so better direction would have been a problem.
8’- The commentators seem to have decided that Kasey McAteer is Jordan Ayew and Luke Thomas is Kasey McAteer. Makes me feel a little better about my level of professionalism.
17’- GOAL! Glorious break from the Foxes! Thomas plays an incredible return ball to El Khannouss and he’s off to the races on the left. He pulls it back for Vardy and, even though the ball is behind him, he smashes it first time with his left boot and no keeper on the planet is saving that one. 199 Leicester goals for Jamie.
19’- File this one under “things you’ve never seen before.” Jordan Ayew inadvertently catches referee David Webb with an elbow to the head. The official goes down. Jamie Vardy picks up his whistle and blows it so the ref can receive treatment. We have a 10 minutes delay before he’s replaced by 4th official Sam Barrott. The referee’s delegate takes over as the new 4th official.
36’- A mix-up at the back gifts the Foxes a corner. Ayew takes it and Ndidi rises highest to glance it across the face of the goal, but no blue shirts are present.
40’- McAteer crosses into the box and it falls to Luke Thomas. His shot is blocked and goes behind for a corner which comes to nothing.
44’- GOAL! El Khannouss wins a free kick on the edge of the area. Ayew’s free kick hits the middle of the wall, but it comes right back to the Ghana striker. He hits it low through traffic and it finds a way into the far corner.
45’- TWELVE (12) minutes of time added on.
45+12’ – TWELVE (12) minutes of time added on have been played and I’ve nothing to report about them. It’s 2-0 to the Foxes at the half.
46’- We have a new fourth official. The Foxes are unchanged.
52’- Close! El Khannouss does everything right, beating two defenders and getting into the box, but he puts his shot over. It was a difficult chance to make and the finish should have been the easiest part.
55’- Southampton have the ball in the net, but it doesn’t count. A free kick deep into the box finds Manuel Fernandes who taps home, but he’s offside.
68’- Skipp goes into the book for a foul that could be reasonably described as “late.” Very late. No arguments.
70’- Jeremy Monga comes on for goalscorer Ayew.
76’- Close! Vardy takes a free kick from outside the area. It’s on target and it’s travelling, but Pickford parries and Vardy’s header from the rebound is wide.
81’- Skipp seems determined to end his night early. He misses the ball and kicks a Saints player in the face with a high boot. No card, but you have certainly seen them given.
84’- A triple change for the Foxes: Vardy, El Khannouss, and McAteer are off for Jake Evans, Patson Daka, and Boubakary Soumare.
90+4’- Skipp gets his wish and comes off before the final whistle as he’s replaced by Michael Golding.
90+5’- Ndidi’s through ball finds Daka and it’s a two-on-one break for the Foxes! Unfortunately, he holds the ball too long instead of playing into space for Evans and it comes to nothing. That’s the final action of the match.
82’- The commentary team are still calling Luke Thomas “Kasey McAteer.” Sigh.
