Stoke 2 - 2 LeicesterJamie Vardy in red card controversy as 10-man Leicester battle back to draw
Home team scorersBojan Krkic 39 Pen
Joe Allen 45 +2:10
Away team scorersLeonardo Ulloa 74
Daniel Amartey 88
Leicester sprang from unprecedented depths of dismay and indiscipline to salvage a draw that they celebrated like a victory. And no wonder. Two-goals down and destabilised by a sense of persecution following the first-half dismissal of Jamie Vardy and the award of a penalty against Danny Simpson, the champions stormed back and equalised thanks to goals by Leonardo Ulloa and Daniel Amartey. The thrilling victory over Manchester City last weekend did not prove to be a turning point in their Premier League campaign, but maybe this will.
This was only the second point that Leicester have gained on their Premier League travels this season but they gained it on an afternoon on which a damning away record risked becoming a costly rap sheet. Indeed, there is likely to be repercussion for the behaviour of the champions, who ended with one red card and six yellows. The most extraordinary sight, however, was of manager Claudio Ranieri being ushered away by Kasper Schmeichel as he tried to confront referee Craig Pawson at half-time.
Ranieri is normally a model of tact when it comes to referees, refusing to discuss their performance on the grounds that their jobs are exceptionally difficult. But here he was visibly outraged by Pawson’s decision-making and made angry representations to the official in the centre-circle straight after the half-time whistle. After being led away by his goalkeeper, the Italian then made gestures at the travelling fans as he and the officials walked towards the tunnel, seemingly inviting the Leicester fans to offer their own assessment of Pawson’s performance. Stewards had to discourage at least one of them from doing so too forcefully.
What had vexed Ranieri and his players, three of whom were booked for dissent in the first half, was Vardy’s dismissal and the subsequent penalty given against Simpson. Vardy was dismissed in the 28th minute for a tackle on Mame Biram Diouf that the referee deemed to be dangerous. The striker lifted both feet off the ground as he dived for the ball in his own half but he had landed by the time he connected with it. It did not pose grievous harm to Diouf but Pawson, who had been criticised in midweek for failing to punish Manchester United’s Marcos Rojo for a two-footed lunge at Crystal Palace, ruled it to have been reckless.
Leicester’s fury intensified 11 minutes later when Stoke were given a penalty after a cross by Bojan Krkic hit the outstretched arm of Simpson as the defender, two yards away from the crosser, tried to make a block. Deliberate? No. Careless? Debatable. Stoke’s manager, Mark Hughes, has complained several times this season of perceived persecution of his team by officials but this was a rare occasion where they got the benefit of a questionable decision. Krkic capitalised from the spot.
Leicester lost their cool after that and it was beginning to look like they would be lucky to end the match with even 10 players on the pitch, as Simpson, Christian Fuchs and Islam Slimani talked their way into Pawson’s book.
To compound Leicester’s sense of grievance, luck started going against them. Stoke doubled their lead just before half-time when Glen Johnson rolled a free-kick to Giannelli Imbula, whose shot struck the inside of the post, bounced off Schmeichel’s back and landed at the feet of Joe Allen, who stroked the ball gratefully into the empty net from close range.
Schmeichel’s return to action after a six-week lay-off with a broken hand was supposed to herald an upturn in Leicester’s fortunes. The Dane had reinforced that theory by making a superb save in the fifth minute, acrobatically blocking a shot from six yards by Jonathan Walters after an incisive Stoke move. That was the trigger for *****-for-tat attacking in which Leicester gave as good as they got– until the loss of Vardy.
The England striker would have at least departed as a goalscorer if he had taken the chance given to him in the seventh minute by a quick and accurate pass over the top of the home defence by Marc Albrighton. But the striker hooked his lob wide. Lee Grant then had to make a good save from a shot by Slimani, who forced him into another stop in the 23rd minute after nicking the ball off the uncharacteristically hesitant Ryan Shawcross. Two minutes later Grant intervened again, this time foiling Vardy after a cute set-up by Riyad Mahrez. Moments later Vardy jumped into the tackle on Diouf and was ordered off by Pawson. Then Leicester started to unravel.
It seemed that the visitors composed themselves at half-time because they emerged with fresh focus. But balancing the scores would be tougher. Schmeichel had to make a fine save to prevent Stoke from going three-goals up, tipping over a header by Walters. Ranieri’s next significant intervention was to make a double substitution in the 72nd minute, and the two new arrivals soon combined to revive hope for the champions. Demarai Gray delivered a cross from the right and Leonardo Ulloa sent a powerful header past Grant. Shawcross thought he had cleared it off the line, but technology determined otherwise. Pawson, no doubt grateful for the help, awarded the goal.
Two minutes from time Leicester’s turnaround was complete, as Fuchs swung a ball into the box and Amartey powered a header into the net from eight yards. It felt like sweet justice to Leicester.
Guardian