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Tag: Leicester City

  • Walcott grabs brace as Everton beat Leicester

    Walcott grabs brace as Everton beat Leicester

    Theo Walcott scored twice in his second appearance for Everton as they beat Leicester City 2-1 at home on Wednesday to move further clear of English Premier League relegation danger.

    Walcott, who joined Everton from Arsenal for about 20 million pounds in the current transfer window, converted Gylfi Sigurdsson’s low cross from close range after 26 minutes.

    He then volleyed home before half-time to double the lead.

    Jamie Vardy reduced the arrears from the penalty kick spot deep into the second half.

    Read Also: Walcott   left Arsenal with his things in bin bags

    This was after the referee spotted a Wayne Rooney foul on Wilfred Ndidi, to set up a nervy finale for the hosts in which Leicester’s Kelechi Iheanacho twice hit the woodwork.

    Everton, who flirted with relegation danger earlier in the season, are ninth in the table while Leicester are three points above Sam Allardyce’s side in seventh.

    NAN

  • Leicester, Man City in league cup Q/Final showdown

    Leicester, Man City in league cup Q/Final showdown

     

    Which of the City will survive the heat Tuesday in the League cup quarter finals as Leicester hosts Manchester city?

    Manchester City are aiming to win their third EFL Cup in five seasons and visit Leicester City on Tuesday for a place in the semi-finals.

    Manuel Pellegrini won the competition twice during his tenure but Pep Guardiola’s first tilt was stopped by Manchester United last season.

    City have lost just once across all competitions this term, a Champions League dead rubber against Shakhtar Donetsk, but were less than convincing in the previous two League Cup ties to give the Foxes a glimmer of hope.

    Leicester City host Manchester City at the King Power Stadium with kick-off scheduled for 7.45pm on Tuesday, December 19.

    Leicester have no fresh injury concerns, with Robert Huth and Matt James sidelined, but Wilfried Ndidi is suspended after picking up two yellow cards in the loss to Crystal Palace.

    It is a similar tale for City, with Vincent Kompany and John Stones sidelined with muscle and hamstring injuries respectively. Benjamin Mendy is out for the foreseeable with a knee injury.

    Pep Guardiola fielded strong sides in narrow wins over West Brom and Wolves with a sprinkling of youth in the form of Tosin Adarabioyo and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

    Phil Foden, fresh from his BBC Young sportsperson of the year win, could play a part after making his Premier League debut at the weekend.

    Manchester City currently running riot in the premier league have been tipped to continue the rampage in the league cup.

    Leicester City boss Claude Puel has claimed that it is “difficult to find a solution” against Manchester City.

    On Tuesday night, the two clubs will lock horns in the EFL Cup quarter-finals and both teams are expected to make changes for the game at the King Power Stadium.

    However, Puel has suggested that he is not optimistic about a result against Pep Guardiola’s side, who sit 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

    The 56-year-old told reporters: “They are the top team in Europe. It’s difficult to beat them, other teams have tried but without the results.

    “With the ball and without the ball, they are the best at the moment. It’s difficult to find a solution against them.”

    Last month, Man City ran out 2-0 winners when the teams met in the top flight. Puel’s submission may however be the usual mind game as he is likely to put all he has into the game. With Ndidi out of the game Puel may be tempted to give compatriots Ahmed Musa a chance.

     

     

     

  • Five things to know about Lineker – 2018 world cup draw host

    Five things to know about Lineker – 2018 world cup draw host

    Gary Lineker, who won the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup, was announced last week as the host and will be partnered by Russian Sports Journalists, Maria Komandnaya to coordinate together the 2018 World Cup final draw billed for Friday, December 1, 2017.

    It is less than a week for the draws that will determine the groupings of the 32 countries that had booked a ticket at next year’s World Cup in Russia, and it is pertinent to have an insight of who Lineker, the main conductor of the Draw Ceremony is.

    These 5 things about Lineker, starting with the more astonishing ones to the most jaw-dropping, are guaranteed to keep your head swirling. Carefully go through them.

    1. Was predicted not to make a living out of football:

    After leaving school with just four O’ Levels, one of Lineker’s teachers predicted that he would never make it as a footballer.

    The teacher attributed the failure to his passion for football, and he wrote on his report card that “he concentrates too much on football and that he would never make a living at that.”

    1. England’s highest goal scorer at the World Cup:

    The former striker who was capped 80 times by England is the Three Lions’ all-time scorer at the World Cup with 10 goals.

    With six goals at the 1986 World Cup, Lineker emerged as the top scorer of the tournament, one that had the likes of Jorge Valdano, Socrates and Diego Maradona as participants.

    No English player has yet to win a World Cup Golden Boot even after seven World Cups.

    1. Highest goal scorer with three different English clubs:

    The former Barcelona forward is the only player to have been the top scorer with three different clubs in England. In 1984 for Leiceser City, Lineker emerged as the joint top scorer with Chelsea’s Kerry Dixon. The duo recorded 24 goals apiece.

    In 1985, Lineker moved to Everton in a deal worth around £800,000. He scored 30 goals for Everton in his debut season and finished the season as the league’s top scorer for the second time in a row.

    In the 1989 season, he emerged again as the English league’s top division highest scorer– scoring 24 goals for Tottenham Hotspur.

    1. Presented a show in 2016 with shorts:

    Lineker, who is BT Sport’s lead presenter for Champions League back in 2016, appeared in the first BBC Match of the Day for the 2016/2017 season in boxer shorts.

    The 57-year-old had promised in a tweet in 2015 that, if his former club, Leicester, should win the 2015/2016 Premier League, he would appear on the BBC match of the day in his undies. And appear he did!

    1. Had zero yellow card in his entire playing career:

    With a 16-year playing career that saw him had spells with the likes of Barcelona, Tottenham, Leicester City, Everton and Nagoya Grampus Eight, Lineker went his entire career without receiving neither a yellow card nor a red. This feat earned him the FIFA Fair Play Award in 1990.

    Hope Lineker has a great day on Friday like he did during his playing days.

  • Leicester City owner faces £327m tax charge

    Leicester City owner faces £327m tax charge

     

    Leicester City’s owners are being sued for £327million by the Thai government over an alleged attempt to dodge taxes.

    A Thai anti-corruption court has accepted a lawsuit accusing duty-free giant King Power, the company that owns Leicester City Football Club, of owing the state unpaid taxes.

    King Power is owned by billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the 60-year-old who bought Leicester for an estimated £44m in 2010 and financed their incredible Premier League title win in 2016, and his son Aiyawatt.

    The suit accuses King Power executives of colluding with airport authorities to pay only three per cent of the company’s annual revenue instead of the contracted 15 per cent.

    The plaintiff, an anti-corruption official called Charnchai Issarasenanark, said the graft caused the state 14billion baht (£327m) in damages.

    ‘The court agreed to hear the case,’ an official from Bangkok’s Corruption court told reporters.

    King Power, whose lawyer declined to comment, has previously denied any wrongdoing and filed a number of defamation lawsuits against Charnchai.

    A trial is forecasted to take place in March.

    King Power denied any wrongdoing in a statement in July.  ‘The allegations in question are categorically denied,’ it read.

    ‘King Power has always followed and been absolutely committed to the highest standards in proper and ethical business practice. We are proud of our company’s good name and honest reputation and will fight rigorously any attempts to discredit them.’

    Vichai started King Power with a single shop in Bangkok in 1989, and has since built an estimated fortune of £2.2bn through his duty-free empire.

    The firm now has a near-monopoly on duty-free sales in Thailand’s main airports, plus a satellite mall in Bangkok favoured by Chinese tourists.

    He has carefully navigated Thailand’s treacherous political waters of recent years, frequently rubbing shoulders with the elite, and taking Leicester on tours of the country.

  • Leicester City name Puel as manager

    Leicester City name Puel as manager

    English Premier League clubside Leicester City have signed on Frenchman Claude Puel as their new manager on a three-year deal.

    Former Southampton boss Puel replaced Craig Shakespeare who was sacked last week with Leicester, the 2016 English champions, third-bottom of the table.

    “It’s a great privilege to become the new manager of Leicester City – a club whose values and ambitions are closely aligned to my own,” the 56-year-old Puel said on Leicester’s website.

    “The opportunity to help the club build on its remarkable recent achievements is a truly exciting one and I’m looking forward to working with the owners, players, staff and supporters to deliver further lasting success.”

    Leicester, who followed their title-winning campaign with a 12th-place finish last season, said assistant manager Michael Appleton would remain in his role.

    He had stood in for two games since Shakespeare’s sacking and won both.

    Vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha described Puel as “a perfect fit”.

    “Upon meeting Claude, his attention to detail, knowledge of our squad, understanding of our potential and his vision to help us realise it were extremely impressive,” he said.

    “He quickly emerged as the outstanding candidate and I am delighted we will have the opportunity to reinforce our long-term vision, aided significantly by his expertise.”

    Puel, who previously managed AS Monaco, Lille, Olympique Lyonnais and Nice, led Southampton to eighth in the Premier League last season.

    His performance at Southampton was in spite of losing a number of key players in high-profile transfers.

    He also guided them to the League Cup final where they lost 3-2 to Manchester United.

    But he was sacked after a poor finish to a campaign during which Southampton scored only 41 goals in 38 league games.

    Shakespeare was appointed Leicester manager in March following the dismissal of Italian Claudio Ranieri nine months after he led the team to their first-ever English top-flight title.

    Leicester are 14th in the Premier League and host Everton in Puel’s first game in charge on Sunday.(Reuters/NAN)

  • Leicester sends Shakespeare packing!

    Leicester sends Shakespeare packing!

     

    Craig Shakespeare has been sacked as the manager of Leicester City only four months after succeeding Claudio Ranieri on a permanent basis.

    Leicester’s players were not informed of the decision by the club on Tuesday, and only found out as the story was broken by MailOnline Sport.

    Sportsmail understands the 53-year-old was called to a meeting with the club hierarchy on Tuesday to be told a decision has been made to dismiss him after a run of one win in 10 Premier League games that leaves the 2015-16 champions in 18th place this season.

    The Foxes could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to West Brom on Monday night and have won just three times this term, with two of those victories coming in the Carabao Cup.

    Shakespeare’s assistant Michael Appleton has been placed in temporary charge.

    Shakespeare was sacked by Leicester at 2.30pm after watching a training game against Nottingham Forest which featured first-team fringe players who had not been involved against West Bromwich Albion.

    The move has not been well received among senior players in the dressing room.

    Shakespeare is a popular manager and has been well respected since taking full-time control from Claudio Ranieri.

    Established members of the title-winning team believe he has been a victim of the problems the club had in replacing recruitment chief Steve Walsh, who moved to Everton.

    Midfield duo N’Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater have been sold to Chelsea and not adequately replaced.

    Adrien Silva was bought from Sporting Lisbon for £22m on deadline day but the club have been unable to register the midfielder as the deal was completed 14 seconds after the cut-off point.

    Harry Maguire has been a hit after joining for £17m from Hull but reservations remain over signings from last summer, including Islam Slimani and Ahmed Musa.

    Marco Silva and David Wagner are young and hungry coaches, both admired by Leicester, although in work.

    Shakespeare only replaced Ranieri in June, signing a three-year contract after guiding the club to Premier League safety during his spell as caretaker.

  • EPL: Some of The Things You Might Have Missed

    EPL: Some of The Things You Might Have Missed

    English Premier League on Saturday was action pact as expected as 17 goals were recorded from the seven matches that were played.

    Incase you missed the matches including the star match of the day at Stamford Bridge in the game against Pep Guardiola’s side, read below some of the things you might have missed.

    Chelsea 0 – 1 Manchester City

    OPTA FACT

    • Kevin De Bruyne has scored nine of his last 11 Man City goals from outside the box, including each of the last four.

    A game which didn’t quite live up to its billing – not helped, of course, by Alvaro Morata limping off in the first-half with a hamstring injury. After a goalless first-half, Manchester City’s control greatly increased and Pep Guardiola’s playmakers began to make deep incisions into a shuffled Chelsea’s defence.

    When Kevin De Bruyne eventually gave the visitors the lead, after a well-timed pass from Gabriel Jesus and scything move, it was a goal they thoroughly deserved. And, ultimately, it was an advantage they protected well: Chelsea mounted a vague response, but all the best chances in the remainder of the game fell to City.

     

    Saturday’s round-up, as Tottenham run over Huddersfield and Manchester United continue to click through the gears.

     

    Huddersfield 0 – 4 Tottenham

    OPTA FACT

    • Harry Kane now has 13 goals for club & country in September 2017; his best ever goal tally in a single month of his career.

    A real lesson. Huddersfield have begun Premier League life well, but this was not David Wagner’s best day: Huddersfield played into Tottenham’s hands, got caught too high up the field three times inside the first half-hour and conceded as many goals in the first half as they had in their previous six games.

    Spurs spent most of the second half well within their comfort zone, but two goals from Harry Kane (who is now just 14 goals short of Teddy Sheringham’s Premier League record for the club) and Ben Davies capped a performance in which they played some of their brightest football of the season. Moussa Sissoko added a fourth from close range in second-half stoppage-time.

    Goals: Kane 10′, 23′, Davies 16′, Sissoko 90′

    Bournemouth 0 – 0 Leicester

    Bournemouth certainly started like a side determined pull out of the relegation zone before the international break. Jermain Defoe had the clearest opportunity, but slammed his shot against the crossbar. Eddie Howe’s team were the better of the two and certainly posed the tougher questions but, oddly for two teams who don’t exactly specialise in clean sheets, this proved a stalemate.

    Goals: *Tumbleweed*

    Manchester United 4 – 0 Crystal Palace

    OPTA FACT

    • This is the first time that Marcus Rashford has assisted two goals in a single game for Man Utd.

    Exactly the start here that Palace didn’t want. Only three minutes had passed when Marcus Rashford knotted up Joel Ward before setting up Juan Mata to open the scoring. Ten minutes before the break, an impressive Manchester United performance was further rewarded by their second, Fellaini scoring after good work from Ashley Young. Fellaini would double his tally just after half-time and Romelu Lukaku scored a late fourth for his seventh goal in as many games.

    Goals: Mata 3′, Fellaini 35′ & 48′, Lukaku 86′

    Stoke 2 – 1 Southampton

    OPTA FACT

    • Saido Berahino is now without a goal in 31 hours & 23 minutes of Premier League football (Stoke & WBA combined).

    Stoke have quietly begun to go off the boil, having not won a Premier League game since beating Arsenal in August and having not led in any game at all since their 4-0 win over Rochdale in the League Cup. Mame Diouf gave them the lead here, heading in Xherdan Shaqiri’s corner on 40 minutes.

    It wasn’t all good news in the first half, though, as there was still time for Saido Berahino to miss a penalty. His wait for a first Stoke goal continues. Fifteen minutes before time, Maya Yoshida acrobatically converted Shane Long’s flick to score only Southampton’s second goal away from home this season. Peter Crouch would have the last word, though, scoring late against his old side to win Mark Hughes three overdue points.

    Goals: Diouf 40′, Crouch 85′- Yoshida 75′

    West Brom 2- 2 Watford

    OPTA FACT

    • Abdoulaye Doucouré has scored 3 goals in his last 7 league games, as many as in his previous 57.

    Despite losing, Tony Pulis would have been greatly encouraged by the improvement he saw in his side last Monday at Arsenal and West Brom initially built on that here, scoring twice in three first-half minutes through Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans. A first goal of the season for each and the first time since May 2017 that Pulis’s team had scored more than one in a game. Abdoulaye Doucoure pulled one back before the interval and then late, late into second-half injury time, Richarlison headed in Jose Holebas’s free-kick to steal a point.

    Goals: Rondon 18′, Evans 21′ – Doucoure 37′, Richarlison 90′

    West Ham 1 – 0 Swansea

    OPTA FACT

    • Swansea have never kept an away clean sheet at West Ham, conceding 75 goals in 32 games in all comps (W2 D7 L23).

    Not a first half that gave anybody great reason for cheer; these really are two sides struggling for confidence. It didn’t really improve in the second period, either, and this game – if anyone chooses to remember it at all – become more notable for Slaven Bilic’s curious substitutions; Javier Hernandez’s withdrawal, in particular, proved unpopular with the home fans.

    Still, West Ham mounted a late siege and, after Andy Carroll had hit the bar minutes earlier, Diafra Sakho (remember him?) finished well to snatch the points. A relief for the home fans, less so the ones who (quite understandably) decided to leave early.

    Goals: Sakho ’90

  • EPL Results: Man City, Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea win matches

    EPL Results: Man City, Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea win matches

    Man City vs Crystal Palace 5-0

    Palace held Man City out until the 44th minute before Leroy Sane broke the deadlock and a quick fire double by Raheem Sterling deflated the visitors’ initially stubborn resistance.

    Late goals by Sergio Aguero and Fabian Delph completed a 5-0 route, making it the third time City hit five or more in three successive games.

    Southampton vs Man United 0-1

    Romelu Lukaku broke the deadlock on 20 minutes, converting the rebound after Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster parried his header from Ashley Young’s cross.

    The result maintains United’s unbeaten start to their league campaign, although they are second in the table, behind Manchester City on goal difference.

    Their latest victory was not routine as Southampton piled on the pressure in the second half, and United’s Marouane Fellaini had to clear Oriol Romeu’s header off the line

    Leicester City vs Liverpool 2-3

    Simon Mignolet saved Jamie Vardy’s penalty to clinch a thrilling 3-2 win for Liverpool at Leicester city

    The goalkeeper capped an eventful game after conceding the spot-kick having also been in the spotlight for Shinji Okazaki’s controversial strike.

    Mignolet appeared to be held by the forward when he netted just before the break after Leicester trailed to goals from Mohamed Salah and Philippe Coutinho.

    Jordan Henderson made it 3-1 before Vardy netted but he was then denied from the spot by Mignolet.

    Stoke vs Chelsea 0-4

    Blues continued to show there is life after Diego Costa with another Premier League victory at Stoke, with Alvaro Morata scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 win.

    Morata, the club-record signing bought to replace Costa, was on the scoresheet again early on before Pedro extended the lead on the half-hour mark.

    Both goals came from defensive mistakes by Stoke, whose manager Mark Hughes had demanded a response from his players following the disappointing midweek defeat at Bristol City in the Carabao Cup. He did not get it, with Morata rounding off the win in the final quarter-hour.

  • Mahrez leaves Algeria camp to complete transfer

    Mahrez leaves Algeria camp to complete transfer

    Leicester City forward Riyad Mahrez has been allowed to leave the Algeria training camp to “formalise” a transfer on deadline day, the Algerian Football Federation said on Thursday.

    Mahrez, a key member of Leicester’s Premier League title-winning side in 2015-16 when he was voted PFA Player of the Year, has been the subject of bids from Italian club Roma.

    Read also: Iheanacho Unveiled as Leicester City Player 

    Several Premier League clubs are also likely to be keen to sign the 26-year-old, who has scored 35 goals for Leicester since arriving from French club Le Havre in 2014.

    A statement from the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) said Mahrez, preparing for World Cup qualifiers against Zambia, had been allowed to travel back to Europe.

    Read also: Mahrez: We didn’t let Ranieri down 

    “Mahrez was authourised by the national coach, Lucas Alcaraz, and FAF to make an express trip to Europe to formalise his transfer to his new club,” a statement said.

    “The selection will, therefore, fly without him Thursday morning to Lusaka to face Zambia on Saturday.”

    Mahrez has played in all three of Leicester’s Premier League matches so far this season.

    Also, check out: Ahead of 2018 World Cup Qualifiers: We can beat Nigeria, others to sole slot, says Algeria’s coach

    The English transfer window closes at 2200 GMT on Thursday.

  • Leicester announce Iheanacho’s signing

    Leicester announce Iheanacho’s signing

    Leicester City on Thursday announced the signing of Super Eagles striker, Kelechi Iheanacho, from English Premier League rivals, Manchester City.

    Iheanacho, 20, signed a five-year deal at the King Power Stadium with the transfer fee officially undisclosed.

    However, reports say the fee is believed to be about 25 million pounds.

    “It’s a great signing for us.

    “Kelechi is an enormously talented player that has shown a huge amount of promise at every level in which he’s played,” Leicester manager, Craig Shakespeare was quoted as saying on the club’s website.

    Iheanacho becomes the fourth new arrival at Leicester for the new season following the acquisitions of midfielder Vicente Iborra from Sevilla and goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic and defender Harry Maguire from Hull City.

    The player will wear the No 8 shirt and joins fellow Nigeria internationals, Wilfred Ndidi and Ahmed Musa, at the 2016 Premier League champions.

    “It feels good and I’m happy to be part of this team.

    “I know the ambition of the team and speaking with the manager, he let me know what I need to do – to help the team achieve what they want.

    “I was convinced and I’m happy to be here,” Iheanacho wrote on his twitter account.

    He had signed a new contract with City until 2021 at the beginning of last season, but saw his first-team opportunities at the Etihad Stadium curtailed by the arrival of Brazil forward, Gabriel Jesus, in January.

    The academy product still made nine starts and 21 substitute appearances for Pep Guardiola’s team last term, scoring nine goals, but he has now decided on a fresh start.

    In total, he scored 21 goals in 64 games in all competitions since making his debut for City in 2015, while he has scored six goals in 10 appearances for Nigeria.

    Leicester play away to Arsenal in the opening game of the new Premier League season  August 11.