Good point at home! Report by Simon Mack

Leicester City 2 Chelsea 2

1^st February 2020 12:30pm

King Power Stadium

3rd met 4^th at King Power Stadium in a Saturday lunchtime showdown and both sides had their chances to take the spoils but ultimately honours ended even.

The foxes were forced to make a last minute change as defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi felt his knee in the pre match warm up and Hamza Choudhury came into the starting eleven at the last minute.

The early exchanges afforded both sides the chance to break the deadlock with both teams attacking with purpose it was clear that the blues had not come to sit back. City made some mistakes defensively and their insistence on playing out from the back was pressured by Chelsea and their endeavour was causing some consternation in the foxes final third. With the first half ending goalless both sets of fans went for a half time pint believing their side could have a lead yet despite some quality endeavour the cutting edge had just not quite been enough to break the deadlock.

Early in the second half it was the visitors that took the lead almost immediately when German international Antonio Rudiger met a corner at the back post and nodded the ball home. His first goal of the 19/20 campaign defied the 3 city players that surrounded him and Leicester Captain Kasper Schmeichel could only watch as the ball whisked just inside the near post.

Having gone behind the foxes had their tails up and were immediately in the hunt for a leveller. And the city crowd had something to shout about just 8 minutes later when James Maddison found Youri Tielemans centrally mid-way into the opposing half. Tielemans fed Harvey Barnes wide right and whilst Jamie Vardy positioned himself for the killer ball Barnes pressed into the box with only one thing on his mind and the resultant shot was took a deflection that looped it over a helpless Willy Caballero in the Chelsea goal and the scores were level.

What both teams had failed to produce in the first half was the finishing touch to their endeavour but the second half was the antidote for that in its earlier play and now on parity once again the home side continued to press to a second that would see them with their noses in front. And 10 minutes later their efforts bore fruit again when Ben Chilwell began a move from a throw in deep into the Chelsea half. Some neat play on the left resulted in the ball being played to Ricardo wide right of the blues box and his pass to Teielmans afforded the Belgian a ball that he put across the 18 yard area and there was Chilwell bursting in from the left to smash the ball home and put the foxes ahead.

This see saw game had swept back and forward across the King Power Stadium pitch and both sides showed no fear in expressing their attacking prowess and yet again just 7 minutes later the match took another turn as the visitors drew level. Young rising blue’s star Mason Mount produced a free kick of high quality from the left of the city box and his perfectly weighted delivery once again found Rudiger rising high above everyone in the foxes 18 yard zone and his pinpoint looping headed was one that Schmaichel could only admire as it flew past his stretched dive into the far corner to put the blue back on parity.

What had been so clinical about the early part of the 2^nd half then seemed to desert both sides and ultimately it was the foxes that had the better of the chances to score with Jonny Evans missing a free header from 6 yards out square on goal and Harvey Barnes being perfectly put through from a stunning pass by Jamie Vardy but the young wide man (who has scored in his last 3 appearances) could only whip the ball agonisingly wide of the left hand post and as he put his shirt over his head in disappointment it seemed to be set to end level.

A penalty shout against brace scoring Antonio Rudiger late on for hand ball was a topic of debate but ultimately on field referee Lee Mason saw nothing in it and the incident was not reviewed by the all glorious VAR.

Match over scores level the foxes maintained their gap to Chelsea in 4^th at 8 points and despite going home a little disappointed at not securing all three points it had been a cracking match to watch and the honours ending even on the balance of play felt like it was the right outcome despite those gilt foxes chances to snatch it late on.

MOTM? The pundits and hacks gave the spoils to Chelsea full back Antonio Rudiger whose two goals and largely excellent defensive duties had been hugely influential on the result of the game. For the foxes a tossup between Jonny Evans and Harvey Barnes who despite both missing cracking opportunities to seal it for the home side both provided fantastic performances overall with Evans keeping city in the tie during a rocky spell in the first half and Barnes providing the drive to see city back at the races.

For city 13 points clear of Sheffield United in 5^th place a settled pattern of league games in the near future despite Manchester City being amongst the looming crowd should afford them the chance to cement an incredible top 4 place finish in Manager Brendan Rodgers first full season at the helm, and achievement that fans and staff alike will take massive pride in. Sometimes it’s frustrating to watch city seemingly heap pressure on themselves by insiting on playing around their own box without any need and taking risks and at times making mistakes that heap pressure upon themselves that feels it’s of their own creation, but ultimately the system and tactic employed by Rodgers despite their mystery for some at times are the reason why Leicester are where they are. It’s certainly not boring to watch and if the outcome is top 4 come May we will all raise a glass to the Northern Irishman and his charges.