Sunday
6th November 2016,
Premier League, King Power Stadium, Kick-Off 4:30pm |
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Leicester City |
1 -
2 |
West Bromwich Albion |
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0 - 0 |
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Slimani (55) |
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Morrison (52) |
|
|
Phillips (72) |
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|
|
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Managers |
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Claudio Ranieri |
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Tony Pulis |
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Starting XI |
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Ron-Robert Zieler |
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Ben Foster |
Danny Simpson |
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Craig Dawson |
(c) Wes Morgan |
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Gareth McAuley |
(Ulloa 87) Robert Huth |
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Jonny Evans |
Christian Fuchs |
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Allan Nyom |
Riyad Mahrez |
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Darren Fletcher (c) |
Andy King |
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Claudio Yacob |
Danny Drinkwater |
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Chris Brunt |
(Gray 67)
Ahmed Musa |
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James Morrison (Robson-Kanu 90+2) |
Islam Slimani |
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Matt Phillips (Gardner 83) |
(Vardy HT)
Shinji Okazaki |
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Salomón Rondón |
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Substitutes |
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Jamie Vardy |
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Hal Robson-Kanu |
Marc Albrighton |
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Craig Gardner |
(gk) Ben Hamer |
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Boaz Myhill (gk) |
Daniel Amartey |
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Brendan Galloway |
Jeff Schlupp |
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Jonathan Leko |
Demarai Gray |
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Sam Field |
Leonardo Ulloa |
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Kane Wilson |
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Bookings |
|
|
|
Gardner (foul 87) |
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Brunt (kicking ball away 90) |
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Attendance:
31,879 |
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Referee:
Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire) |
Assistant 01:
Stephen Child
(Kent) |
Assistant 02:
Harry Lennard (East Sussex) |
Fourth Official:
Martin Atkinson
(West Yorkshire) |
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Official Matchday
Programme |
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● Albion end
Leicester's 20 match unbeaten home run in the Premier League. |
● Matt Phillips scores his first competitive
goal for the club. |
MATCH REPORT
Matt Phillips ended Leicester's
20-game unbeaten home league run as West Brom clinched a surprise 2-1 win at the
King Power Stadium. The winger cashed in on Danny Drinkwater's error as the
Baggies deservedly became the first side to beat the champions at home in the
Premier League since Arsenal in September 2015. Islam Slimani quickly cancelled
out James Morrison's second-half opener but Phillips' goal ended Albion's
five-match winless streak. Leicester's focus on the Champions League - where
they need just a point from their final two Group G games to reach the last 16 -
has impacted on their domestic form and the Foxes were again lacklustre. Defeat
was their fifth of the season - having lost just three times in last term's
title-winning campaign - and Jamie Vardy was again benched with the striker now
goalless in his last 13 outings after a substitute appearance. The win allowed
West Brom to leapfrog them in the table with Claudio Ranieri's side now just two
points above the relegation zone.
They started on the back foot as
Ron-Robert Zieler, in for Kasper Schmeichel after the goalkeeper fractured a
hand in Wednesday's 0-0 Champions League draw in Copenhagen, tipped Phillips'
low drive wide after just three minutes. The Baggies made an aggressive start,
helped by Leicester's sloppy play, with Zieler rusty and the goalkeeper allowed
Salomon Rondon to charge down his clearance. Much like in their forgettable
stalemate in Denmark,
the Foxes were stifled with Slimani and the recalled Shinji Okazaki starved of
service. With Vardy benched Leicester lacked the cunning to attack the Baggies
as Ahmed Musa and Riyad Mahrez remained on the periphery. While Darren Fletcher
and Claudio Yacob screened the visitors' defence well Leicester were
uncharacteristically subdued for the first half an hour. The Baggies struggled
to create themselves as chances remained at a premium even if Chris Brunt skied
well over after 32 minutes. Zieler continued to live on the edge when he nearly
allowed Rondon to close him down again as the Baggies edged the first half
without making the breakthrough.
It was the first time Leicester
had failed to register a shot on target in the first half since returning to the
Premier League in 2014 and in response Ranieri replaced
Okazaki
with Vardy at the break. But the striker's introduction failed to inspire the
hosts and the Baggies took the lead seven minutes after the restart. The
visitors' pressure had been growing and fine work from the excellent Rondon saw
the ball eventually worked right to Phillips. His cross struck Christian Fuchs
and fell invitingly for Morrison to stoop and glance a fine 10-yard header
across Zieler and into the corner. The lead lasted just three minutes, though,
as the Foxes equalised with their first effort of the game. There was little
suggestion they would haul themselves level so quickly but Slimani's crossfield
pass found Mahrez and the striker wandered into the area unchecked. Mahrez's
cross then found his Algeria international team-mate who timed his run perfectly
to nod in his fifth strike of the season from six yards. The goal reinvigorated
the hosts but the Baggies regained their composure and, after Zieler saved from
Craig Dawson, grabbed the winner with 18 minutes left. Drinkwater seized on a
loose ball on the halfway line but his wretched backpass sent Phillips clear and
the winger outpaced Wes Morgan to dink past Zieler for his first Baggies goal.
Dawson almost scored an instant own goal as Ben Foster claimed his miscued
clearance and Andy King planted a header straight at Foster with 10 minutes
remaining. And despite desperate late pressure Leicester could not force a
second equaliser.
Sporting Life
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