Another Foxes Win! Report By Simon Mack

Crystal Palace 0 Leicester City 2

3^rd November 2019

Selhurst Park

Attendance: 25,480

Leicester City made it officially their best ever start to a top flight campaign in the club’s history as they rolled with the punches to see out a hard fought victory in South London.

Hosts Crystal Palace are known for their patient counter attacking style, but the first half of this match ebbed and flowed and Youri Tielemans strong run and high quality pass in the early exchanges afforded Harvey Barnes a decent chance that was firmly rifled straight at Vicente Guaita between the home posts.

James Maddison wasn’t to be denied his share of the creative good that was a key part of the foxes victory today, and a stunning 25 yard pass with the outside of his right boot threaded Vardy into the box wide left of the eagles goal and his shot was chested away by the Spanish stopper.

Maddison’s corner taking was on point during this one and both sides of the half curling bombs from the corner flag found the head of Jonny Evans with the second after the break requiring Guaita to tip over.

Seconds later with another corner for city Maddison’s delivery was hard and low and Caglar Soyunchu ghosted in to meet the set piece as if invisible to his defensive rivals in the box. The result a low stooping headed effort that was unchallenged in its path and the visitors were in front on 57’.

Soyunchu had put in his customary honest, passionate and dedicated performance and the goal was just reward for the superb effort and quality he has brought to the Leicester City defence so far this season.

There has been rumour that as the January window looms it’s a defender that’s top of Brendan Rodgers wish list. But despite the noted £80 million war chest at his disposal surely any addition will be a back up to rather than replacement for this current central pairing who have been stunning so far this season to the point of many pundits and fans suggesting that this city defence is an improvement on the one that included Harry Maguire.

With the 1 goal lead the game continued to flow in favour of both sides but the difference was that whilst the foxes were engineering clear cut goal scoring opportunities their hosts were creating half chances at best, and the quality and creation of the city midfield was to put this game beyond doubt when the supreme Youri Tielemans played a pacey low ball into Jamie Vardy who laid a neat one two with substitute Demari Gray to the left of the box and the foxes number 9 coolly slotted home to seal the points.

As Vardy wheeled away in front of the fans to celebrate his ‘bird’ impersonation caused quite a stir with the home supporters. However if you are going to give it then I guess you should be prepared to take it too, and the palace fans chants in reference to the city talisman’s wife were only going to end in retribution if Vardy netted his 10^th goal of the season in their gaze.

Ben Chillwell hit the inside of the post with a rasping low shot across goal late on to go close to bagging 2 goals in as many games but as the final whistle blew the ultimate difference here between the sides was the creative quality and cutting edge in Leicester’s attacking play which in contrast Crystal Palace were wasteful with their forward play at times and lacked a cutting edge to seriously trouble their lofty visitors.

Despite their best ever start to a league campaign at the highest level the foxes are 8 points behind the blistering pace being set by leaders Liverpool after 11 games. ‘That’ season this would have been more than good enough but with the red half of Merseyside baying for the holy grail that has alluded them for so long and the money fuelled machine that is Manchester City on their heels this spectacularly talented side that Brendan Rodgers is doing such a superb job of deploying week in week out will just keep on, and if those above stumble or choke in the weight of their lofty perch it is the foxes you’d suggest who have the talent and nouse to exploit their falter.

Player Ratings:

Schmeichel: 7 Not massively worked but mopped up nicely what came his way.

Ricardo: 6 Not one of his best but he never fails to work on both aspects of the foxes play.

Evans: 7.5 Unlucky not to get a goal and his defending was ever passionate and commited.

Soyunchu: 8 A goal to crown another top draw performance full of passion, intelligence and determination.

Chilwell: 7.5 Hugely improved in the past couple of games and unlucky not to get his 2^nd goal in 2 late on.

Barnes: 6.5 Not quite the driving force we know he can be but ever motivated to get something going whenever the chance arose.

Tielemans: 8 Getting better and better with each match now starting to display the incredible vision and ability we all knew was waiting to bubble to the surface. Outstanding

Maddison: 8.5 MOTM Involved in the build-up / assist play of everything city did in an offensive sense including a superb corner that was the assist  that broke the deadlock. A world class display of passing and vision.

Perez: 6.5 The fire seems to be there but not in the same vein as last week’s trouncing of Southampton. Subbed for Gray.

Vardy: 8 Took more abuse from the home support but answered them in the best way possible by sealing the victory followed by the ‘funky eagle’. The Premier League’s top scorer to boot so far this term.