Frustrating Loss to Burnley… Report by Simon Mack

Burnley 2 – 1 Leicester City

19^th January 2020 2pm

Turf Moor

The foxes suffered their 2^nd league defeat in a row going down to a 2-1 defeat at Turf Moor against Burnley.

Brendan Rodgers made a couple of changes for the trip north as Nampalys Mendy came in for Hamza Choudhury and Christian Fuchs took the place of Ben Chilwell. Both Choudhury and Chilwell had only trained for part of the week leading up to the game with minor knocks and neither made the match day squad.

The game went end to end with both teams having chances to break the deadlock but ultimately it was a robust ball winning challenge by Dennis Praet in the middle of the park on an unexpectant Jack Cork that lead to the ball falling into the path of Harvey Barnes and the young wide man drove toward ball with purpose. A clever run by Jamie Vardy pulled the clarets defence away from Barnes who drove across the box toward the right side and struck the ball hard past Nick Pope in the home goal to give city the lead.

The game continued to provide both sides with opportunity to score but it always felt like it was the foxes whose attacking forays looked like bearing fruit and Ayonze Perez went close with a point blank header from a James Maddison free kick from wide, yet somehow the final tale was to be one far more palatable for the Lancashire club.

Into the second half and yes you’ve guessed it that man Chris Wood put the clarets back on parity. An in swinging corner was headed goal bound by Burnley captain Ben Mee and the resulting block put the loose. In strode the former foxes striker and he rifled home into the back of the net and the clarets eagerly re took their places hungry for another to give them their first win in 5 league matches.

The crucial passage of play in the game was to be the following 15 minutes in which another high quality and dangerous run into the clarets box by Harvey Barnes resulted in Ben Mee hauling him to the floor. Penalty given… but Jamie Vardy’s resultant spot kick was neither to the corner or at a height that made it difficult for Pope in the clarets goal and the penalty was saved.

Having failed to re-establish a lead the game continued to sway back and forth and a driving run and cross by Burnley full back Charlie Taylor was intercepted by Jonny Evans but the Northern Irishman could only manage to tee up the ball for the onrushing clarets attack and Ashley Westwood ruthlessly smashed the ball home to give the home side the lead.

Youri Tielemans and Kelechi Iheanacho came on for Dennis Praet and Ayonze Perez soon after but in truth the foxes never looked like carving out the chance to earn themselves a point. It feels like city have lost around 10% of their performance level and the penalty miss gave the home side the belief and lift that ultimately carried them to all 3 points.

Post-match Brendan Rodgers said that he felt on balance of play his side deserved the win but also lamented the defensive error that gifted the clarets a winning goal. The shuffling that Rodgers has felt obliged to make to the city starting eleven during a busy 6 weeks of fixtures seems to have lost some momentum in Leicester’s season. In addition the loss of Wilfred Ndidi to a knee op has highlighted to everyone who follows the foxes just how much of an important figure he is for this city side.

MOTM? For me the stand out player in a foxes shirt was Harvey Barnes. The young wide man’s running was purposeful on the afternoon and resulted in city’s only goal and the penalty that could have earned Leicester the lead back. He ran his socks off throughout the game and was everything that some had sad was lacking from his game in recent matches prior.

The Leicester City squad don’t have long to lick their wounds as West Ham visit King Power Stadium on Wednesday night under the lights in a Premier League match up that requires a victory to maintain the foxes hopes of a top 2 finish. For the first time since Brendan Rodgers appointment the Northern Irish gaffer has a mini crisis of confidence and form on his hands and it will be interesting to discover just what the city manager does to rectify his charges slump in performance level. You’d think having not played for a couple of matches Youri Tielemans will be back in the foxes eleven but the cries from the stands for a start for Marc Albrighton might have to wait a while longer given the cracking display from Harvey Barnes in this one. Choudhury and Chilwell back too?? The 2019/20 season is starting to fill with dilemma, and the city boss has choppy waters to calm and navigate if his Leicester City are to achieve Champions League football status next season.