Steve Cooper’s team and the League Two team fought to a goalless draw as Danny Ward saved all three penalties in the shoot-out. How we scored the Leicester City players
Danny Ward turned back three penalties to take Leicester City into the round of sixteen, sparing the team from a disastrous Carabao Cup defeat against Walsall, a League Two team.
Following a goalless tie in which City managed just one effort on goal and supporters yelled, “This is embarrassing!” Ward dove to block all three of the Saddlers’ spot-kicks. Oliver Skipp, Conor Coady, and Ricardo Pereira all scored goals to put City into the hat for this Wednesday’s fourth-round draw.
After a winless start to the Premier League, discontent in the fan base would have increased with a loss to a team in the fourth division. Nevertheless, it’s relief rather than happiness that City made it through the 90 minutes given their troubles.
Cooper delivered on the heavy rotation that was anticipated following the eight changes made for the previous round, with just centre-back Caleb Okoli retaining his spot from the draw with Everton. Odsonne Edouard, a summer loan signing, made his full debut among the ten alterations, and Boubakary Soumare made his first start for City since the day the team was relegated.
However, the modifications did not help the game flow, as City struggled to create a clear-cut opportunity or a shot on goal in the first half. In fact, the period’s greatest opportunity went to the League Two side.
With no City players following the runners as they reached the back post, Nathan Lowe darted down the right flank and cut the ball low across the box. Charlie Lakin entered the game and made a first-time 10-yard shot that Danny Ward had to block.
Although there were brief, excellent moments of first-time combination play that did not result in City into the box, Facundo Buonanotte looped a header off target at the other end. All other efforts came from a distance and did not test Tommy Simkin in the Walsall goal. On the pitch, there was no indication of the 56 spots separating the two teams in the league standings.
City’s situation did not improve, and they ought to have given up minutes into the second half. Abdul Fatawu sold Conor Coady short in his own box, Lowe latched onto the ball and teed up Albert Adomah for a shot eight yards out middle of the goal. He spread it out.
City was not lifted by that reprieve. Rather, Walsall increased their pressure, trapping City inside their own half. “Cooper, figure it out!” yelled a segment of the 2,000-person away crowd.
The first opportunity for City came in the 79th minute when Tommy Simkin comfortably saved after Abdul Fatawu crossed the pitch and Buonanotte stooped to head goalward. But in the end, with City under pressure in the last ten minutes, it appeared that the hosts had a better chance of winning late.
When the game went to penalties, the disparity in skill level was ultimately evident. With skill, Ricardo, Coady, and Skipp all scored from their spot kicks, and Ward dove to his right to stop Walsall’s three attempts. He made great saves from the first two and then graciously deflected Liam Gordon’s meek third penalty to secure the win.
Danny Ward: With the ball at his feet, he displayed excellent poise and made a good save to deny Lakin in the first half. Then, after making three saves in the shootout, the first two of which were superb stops, he was the hero of the moment. 8
Ricardo Pereira: He was trying to find forward passes, but he was forced go backwards since the outlets weren’t always there. Additionally, because he was playing in the back three when possession was gained, he was unable to demonstrate his offensive tendencies. He wasn’t impoverished, but he wasn’t his typically flawless technically either. 5.
Conor Coady: He generally marshalled tricky situations well, and he produced a great defensive header early on. However, he was caught in a no-man’s-land for Adomah’s great opportunity, and his long balls to Fatawu were completely ineffective. 5.
Caleb Okoli: One of the few players that appeared Premier League calibre, he was the only player to remain in the starting lineup following the Everton draw. Whether chasing down attackers, winning physical skirmishes, or clearing his lines, the Italian performed all defensive tasks with great ease. 6
Luke Thomas: When he first started out, his touch wasn’t precise enough, and he made too many mistakes. There were not many times when he affected the attack while playing as the advanced full-back. 4
Hamza Choudhury: He made an excellent play by sliding in to intercept or tackle after one of his teammates lost the ball. He was assertive in the press and confident in his ability to move the ball. 6
Boubakary Soumare: He needed to turn the ball on the ball more frequently because he started off slowly and didn’t present himself as an outlet. He tried moving the ball faster as he warmed up, but it didn’t really work. 5.
Abdul Fatawu: He was extremely impoverished for an hour. The Ghanaian even made a defensive blunder that almost cost City as he overran the ball and his crosses and passes failed to find their target. However, he was also the most animated player in the last thirty minutes, eventually outplaying his opponent and giving Walsall some trouble.
Facundo Buonanotte: Although he can play a fluid link-up, at times he tried to do too much, which resulted in his first passes not connecting well and Walsall breaks. At the upper end, too, he made bad decisions, but he persisted and maintained his confidence. 4
Bobby De Cordova-Reid: Of the City attackers, he displayed the most composure in his combination play and outstanding footwork, but he had little impact on the game up front. In the second half, he was taken out of the match. 5.
Odsonne Edouard: There were moments of excellent movement and a fantastic link-up, but the final pass wasn’t played correctly, he wasn’t paying enough attention to opportunities in the area, and he was tackled when he had golden opportunities. This kind of performance won’t put Vardy’s starting position in jeopardy. 4
Jordan Ayew: As a substitute striker, he just didn’t contribute to City’s victory in the way that was required. didn’t put the Walsall back-line in danger. 4
Oliver Skipp: Easily concealed his penalty in his most significant input. Beyond that, not much was seen of us. Not at all
Bilal El Khannouss: In his brief time on the pitch, he produced a couple of excellent through passes. However, it appeared like he veered too much to the right, obstructing Fatawu’s path. Not at all
Kasey McAteer: He was ignored on the left because, by the time he entered the game, City had finally begun to experience success with Fatawu down the right. Not at all
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