Jamie Vardy secures point for Leicester after Stoke blow two-goal lead
Stoke 2 - 2 LeicesterHome team scorers
Bojan Krkic 13
Jonathan Walters 20
Away team scorers
Riyad Mahrez 51 Pen
Jamie Vardy 69
Another week, another remarkable Leicester City comeback, and if this time the Foxes couldn’t take all three points after falling two goals behind, the fact of their being away from home, and some way from their best, made the salvaging of a draw almost as impressive as their beating of Aston Villa last Sunday.
A penalty converted by Riyad Mahrez, his fifth goal of the season, and Jamie Vardy, the England striker’s third in as many games, were enough to salvage a point against a Stoke side transformed by the return to action of Bojan Krkic.
Stoke manager Mark Hughes used his programme notes to emphasise the extent to which he believed the return from their first five fixtures had not been a fair reflection on his players’ efforts. Even so, he acknowledged the performance in defeat at Arsenal last week had been poor, and made four changes. A first start for Krkic after almost eight months out injured was expected, as was the return of the fit again Glen Johnson for Phil Bardsley at right-back: less so, perhaps, the inclusion of Republic of Ireland duo Marc Wilson, for Marc Muniesa in central defence, and Jonathan Walters, who came in for the hamstrung Mame Diouf up front.
Leicester City’s manager, Claudio Ranieri, made just one change, handing N’Golo Kanté a first Premier League start in midfield ahead of Marc Albrighton.
There may have been some Leicester supporters thinking Albrighton unfortunate to be left out ahead of Gokhan Inler: while there hasn’t been much to criticise about Leicester’s start to the season, the Swiss international clearly needs time to come to terms with the pace at which the Foxes play the game.
So too did Stoke, judging by the first frantic minutes of the game, when Leicester twice turned their 4-4-2 into 4-2-4 in the blink of an eye. The ease with which Riyad Mahrez turned Erik Pieters also raised eyebrows, and it was the Algerian who drew the first save of the game from the Stoke goalkeeper, Jack Butland.
The response from the home team, however, was outstanding. A superb run down the left by Marko Arnautovic, during which he twice left Ritchie De Laet trailing, concluded with a fine pass into the area for Krkic, running in behind a flat, and flat-footed, Leicester back four, to hit the ball first time past the exposed Kasper Schmeichel.
It was only another seven minutes before poor Schmeichel was again facing a one-on-one situation. This time it was Jonathan Walters who had only the goalkeeper to beat after Wes Morgan’s horribly mis-kicked back-pass. Like Krkic before him, Walters gave the goalkeeper no chance with a composed finish.
It should have been three just before the half hour, Walters, inside the six yard box, somehow entirely missing Johnson’s low cross when any connection would have resulted in a goal.
With Mahrez a peripheral figure, the visitors were lacking creativity, but their work-rate remained high, and they did create occasional shooting opportunities. Butland’s save from Kanté’s drive was better than it may have appeared.
Albrighton replaced Inler at half-time, but it was Arnautovic who, inadvertently but clumsily, pulled the Foxes back into the game by bringing down Danny Drinkwater inside the penalty area five minutes after the break.
Mahrez, whose pass Drinkwater had been running on to, converted the penalty.
A scrappy period followed, ending when Jamie Vardy’s left-footed snap shot drew a solid block at his near post from Butland. Ranieri replaced Shinji Okazaki with the more robust Leo Ulloa, and it was Ulloa who flicked on the long ball which saw Vardy hold off the challenge off Wilson and poke the ball past Butland. It is the first time Vardy has scored in three consecutive Premier League games.
Neither side could find a winner, though Stoke came closest as Geoff Cameron’s header bounced just past Schmeichel’s left-hand post, and the goalkeeper punched away Krkic’s curling free-kick.
Guardian