Leicester 0-1 Liverpool: Three Foxes Talking Points | OneFootball

Near but so far

A 1-0 defeat, and a record breaking ninth successive home game without scoring, was a fair result, although on another day, the Foxes might have got something out of the game.

A competitive Leicester side held a below-par Liverpool in the first half although Mo Salah missed three presentable chances, the first rebounding from one post to the other. The Foxes had one main chance, Wilfred Ndidi hitting the post through a crowd of players. In the second half, it was backs to the wall defending for LCFC but remarkably a close-range header by Conor Coady looked like the opening goal only for the referee to contentiously blow for a foul on the ‘keeper. The visitors eventually broke the deadlock when substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold rifled in after a goal mouth melee. Leicester players surrounded the referee arguing that he should have stopped the game for a head injury.

It was, then, a decent performance by the Foxes but another defeat, the 23rd of the season, condemns the club to relegation. The lack of attacking prowess was again in evidence and needs to be tackled in the summer transfer window if a realistic promotion campaign is to be mounted.

The referee

I don’t often comment about referees in these posts. It has to be said, though, that Stuart Attwell, not for the first time, had a poor game. Leaving aside the contentious nature of Liverpool’s goal, and the very harsh decision to disallow Conor Coady’s close-range header, his overall game was, I believe, below the standard one might expect from a top-level official. In particular, he needs to be sent on a course in order to better understand what is, and is not, a foul. Better still, a season or two in the lower leagues ought to be seriously considered.

The drop back into the Championship has been a long time coming for the Foxes. In some ways, it is relief for Leicester fans now it has finally happened. The club can redouble its efforts to prepare for next season. Decisions have to be made about which players to keep and whether or not Ruud van Nistelrooy has done enough to convince the hierarchy that he has what it takes to lead a promotion push.

FoL will keep you up to date with all of the news emanating from the King Power Stadium. The rumour-mill has already started. Who should City aim to sell? Will Jamie Vardy end up at Wrexham and Jeremy Monga at Manchester City? Are LCFC really interested in Leeds keeper Illan Meslier?

For now, it is worth noting that this season has been a disaster for the Foxes. However, relegation is nothing new. As a piece in the GIVEMESPORT web-site has pointed out, in the Premier League era, eight clubs have been relegated from the top-flight three times, and four have been relegated four times. LCFC, though, share with West Bromwich Albion the indignity of having been relegated five times and only Norwich, with six, have suffered the drop more often. It gets worse. With demotion in 2025 Leicester top the list for the most relegations from England’s top division. It has now happened 14 times in the club’s history.