Yahoo News Jordan Blackwell's Leicester City player ratings v West Brom as Hamza Choudhury saves the day
Leicester City took a big step towards promotion as they escaped a battering by West Brom to earn three points and return to the top of the table.
Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy scored in either half to Enzo Maresca’s side back to winning ways, but both goals came against the run of play, with the Baggies dominating. Hamza Choudhury cleared off the line three times to save his boyhood club, with the visitors also hit the bar among a host of other chances.
Claiming the three points sees City overtake Ipswich and sets them up for a potential promotion decider on Tuesday. If Leeds lose to Middlesbrough on Monday night, victory over Southampton the following day will send City back to the Premier League.
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Of the three key players named doubts by Maresca, two were passed fit, with Vardy and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall both in the line-up. Ricardo Pereira sat out though, with Hamza Choudhury coming in. There was also just a second league start of 2024 for Conor Coady, whose inclusion saw Wout Faes pushed out to left-back.
Dewsbury-Hall had been a doubt because of illness, and that perhaps explained his slow start, the midfielder gifting Okay Yokuslu a golden chance with a poor pass inside two minutes, only for the West Brom man to blaze over. That opportunity set the tone for the first 15 minutes as the Baggies dominated.
March’s player of the month Mikey Johnston was at the heart of everything for the visitors. First, he jinked around Harry Winks before firing at goal, only to see Choudhury back on the line and clearing. The Celtic loanee’s dancing feet got him into the box twice more, his first effort saved by Mads Hermansen, the second a whisker over.
After withstanding a bombardment, City then took the lead with their first chance. Faes delivered a teasing inswinging cross that Vardy got a couple of hairs to, forcing Alex Palmer to spill and allowing Ndidi to slam in from a yard out.
City had a chance to double their lead on the stroke of half-time. Vardy was quick to pounce on Yokuslu’s heavy touch and was then bundled over on the 18-yard line, referee Thomas Bramall pointing to the spot rather than for a free-kick. Vardy stepped up but rolled his penalty against the post, the first spot-kick City have missed from 13 they’ve had this season.
If City thought their goal had lived a charmed life in the first half, the second took it to another level. Johnston had City at sixes and sevens again and he dummied for Yann M’Vila’s shot, which Choudhury again read superbly to clear off the line. But the danger wasn’t over there. Grady Diangana was onto the rebound, which Mads Hermansen heroically dived in front of, with the ball then ricocheting to the goal again, this time Choudhury heading off the line.
The chances kept coming. Kyle Bartley headed against the bar from a corner that Diangana just missed the rebound for. Then the ball was rolled across for Diangana to side-foot in, but he placed his effort wide. Moments later, Faes blocked Darnell Furlong’s effort.
But as with the first half, City then scored against the run of play. Abdul Fatawu’s burst of pace saw him beat his man, and the Ghanaian clipped in a perfect cross for Vardy to head down and in.
With 15 minutes to play, West Brom did finally get the goal they deserved, Cedric Kipre’s outstanding pass splitting the City defence to set up Wallace to slide in. It could have set up a nervy final quarter of an hour, but despite West Brom building pressure, City stopped them creating any big chances to secure the three points. Here’s how we scored the players.
Mads Hermansen: It may be lost among the Choudhury clearances, but he produced a heroic save to deny Diangana amid the second-half pinball. On the ball, he was forced to kick long more often, with West Brom pressing high, and he usually ceded possession. There were a couple of good quick throws though to start counters. 6
Hamza Choudhury: He was too slow on the ball to start and was caught out of position too. But then he produced a masterclass in reading danger, making three brilliant goal-line clearances. Buoyed by that, he then raced around making good interventions. 8
Conor Coady: He stepped in well in the first half, and played a couple of nice chipped passes too, albeit not all of his attempts came off. In the second half, he delivered a brilliant cross to set up Vardy, but was well-beaten by Wallace’s run for the West Brom goal. 6
Jannik Vestergaard: The game was played at a fast pace, and so naturally it exposed Vestergaard’s weakness, and he was rounded very easily by Wallace for Johnston’s first-half chance off the line. He wasn’t in position to clear crosses as often as he usually is either. 5
Wout Faes: He looked uncomfortable at left-back initially, not knowing how to sort his feet. But once he did, he crossed in superbly for the opening goal. In the second half, he was better, all of his defensive work was a little messy. 6
Harry Winks: It wasn’t the controlled performance City are used to and so that limited Winks’ impact. He was not as influential on the ball as he can be, and looked tired at points in the second half. 5
Wilfred Ndidi: He was in the right place to slam in the opener, reading the cross well. But otherwise it was a quiet game for the midfielder, who got lucky with a few wild swipes on West Brom players. 6
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: Perhaps still feeling the effects of his midweek illness, it wasn’t the best of games for Dewsbury-Hall. A mistake set up a West Brom chance two minutes in and his touch was loose throughout. He didn’t lack energy though. 5
Abdul Fatawu: He defended diligently as always, but it felt like that was all he was doing in the first half. But when City needed a moment of quality from him in the second half, he provided it, his burst of pace and clipped cross perfectly setting up Vardy. 7
Jamie Vardy: His control let him down often early on, but his alertness won the penalty that just lacked a clean finish. He didn’t lose heart though, even after scuffing one wide just after the break, and was in the right spot to head in. 7
Stephy Mavididi: He was anonymous in the first half, but sparked into life with a stepover and teasing cross early in the second period, only to then go quiet again. He did press well though. 5
Dennis Praet: His 15 minutes on the pitch were all about defending the back post, and he did a very diligent job. Committed stuff from the Belgian. 6
Patson Daka: Even in his few minutes on the pitch, he managed to get a booking, such was the speed at which he was pressing. There were a few boos when he came onto the field. N/A
James Justin: Won a header at a corner with his first touch and helped the defensive effort. N/A
