A look at five key performances in Leicester City's season as they prepare for a Premier League return
With Leicester set to return to the top flight after ten years away, Sam Drury looks at five of their performances this season that proved their Premier League credentials...
Friday 4 April 2014 14:11, UK
After a ten year absence Leicester City look set to start next season in England’s top flight.
In the end it has all appeared rather simple for Nigel Pearson’s side as they have pulled away from the chasing pack since Christmas and this weekend they could seal automatic promotion to the Premier League with time to spare.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing, however, and we look at five games during the course of the season where Leicester have had to show a variety of different qualities to prove themselves deserving of a place amongst England’s elite from August.
3rd August – Middlesbrough 1-2 Leicester
Having suffered play-off agony last season, the Foxes needed a good start to ensure any hangover from that disappointment was nipped in the bud. An away game at Middlesbrough then was not the fixture they were hoping for.
At 1-0 down at half-time, things weren’t looking good for Nigel Pearson’s side and with an hour gone they still trailed as a result of Sean St Ledger’s own goal. However, two goals in seven minutes turned the game on its head.
A powerful strike from Danny Drinkwater drew Leicester level before a neat move ended with David Nugent playing in Jamie Vardy to lift the ball over the onrushing keeper to make it 2-1. The visitors had chances to add a third but ultimately it mattered not as they held out for an important opening day win.
2nd November – Watford 0-3 Leicester
Leicester arrived at Vicarage Road in good form having won their last three, including a last gasp victory over Premier League Fulham in the Capital One Cup in the days preceding the match, whilst Gianfranco Zola’s Watford were struggling to repeat their form of the previous season.
The talk before the match, however, was all about the previous encounter between the sides on this ground. With just moments remaining in the play-off semi-final Leicester were awarded a penalty. Score and they were through. However, Manuel Almunia saved Anthony Knockaert’s penalty, Watford broke and Troy Deeney scored the goal to send the Hornets to Wembley instead.
Any demons that the Foxes had were soon cast aside though as they dominated from start to finish. Chris Wood got the rather fortuitous opener and Lloyd Dyer completed a 3-0 late on but it is the second goal that will have most pleased Leicester fans. Last season’s villain Knockaert lashing the ball home from Jeffrey Schlupps’s pull back. His subsequent celebration showed how much it meant to him. A major psychological hurdle cleared.
21st December – QPR 0-1 Leicester
Nigel Pearson’s side arrived at QPR without a win in four games, losing away at Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton, drawing with Burnley and defeated at home by Manchester City in the Captial One Cup. High flying Rangers would provide another stern test as the aimed to reaffirm their status as genuine promotion contenders.
The home side knew they could go six points clear of Leicester at the top of the table with a win and the mathematicians amongst will realise that that meant a victory would see the visitors move level on points with Harry Redknapp’s team. A pre-Christmas cracker was expected.
As it was a solitary goal settled matters. Jamie Vardy was the match-winner hammering the ball home from a tight angle at the end of a first h
