After seven frustrating games, Leicester City finally recorded their first Premier League victory of the season after edging past Bournemouth 1-0 at the King Power Stadium.
The visitors started the game strongly and had a few early chances. However, Leicester struck first. James Justin and Buonanotte linked up well on the right flank, and the Argentine flummoxed a defender before slamming the ball into the back of the net. It was a wonderful goal that had Riyad Mahrez written all over it.
Leicester City record a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Bournemouth
The Foxes could have gotten a second goal in the first half, but Jamie Vardy uncharacteristically fluffed his one-on-one. To make things worse, there was another bad VAR call, where an obvious penalty for handball wasn’t given.
It was all Bournemouth in the second half, and they could have had three goals had it not been for poor finishing and a rather lucky offside call. The Leicester backline, led by the impressive Wout Faes, defended well and got a well-deserved maiden clean sheet. A lot of credit should go to Steve Cooper for his team selection and decision-making during the game.
Steve Cooper’s team selection and substitutions were good
For starters, his team selection for this game was spot on. Admittedly, it was surprising to see Harry Winks drop to the bench, but the midfielder has been a bit sloppy with his marking this season, so it was an understandable decision.
Seeing Ricardo Pereira and Abdul Fatawu on the bench again is frustrating, but again, the two do not fit Steve Cooper’s tactics. While Jordan Ayew’s inclusion was the cause of annoyance, the attacker had an excellent game. He won plenty of duels and freekicks and showed a great off-the-ball work ethic.
His substitutions were also good. Despite Bournemouth piling the pressure, Cooper did not make the mistake of going too defensive. All of his changes added much-needed energy and ensured that Leicester remained a threat on the counter. It’s a well-deserved victory for the players, fans, and the manager.
Leicester now have a three-point gap to the relegation zone and will look for another positive result against Southampton after the international break.
