Leicester City will go into the international break with a three-point gap to the relegation zone. The Foxes got the better of Bournemouth in a closely contested match on Saturday afternoon to record their first Premier League victory of the season.
Facundo Buonanotte’s magical strike in the first half proved to be the decisive goal, with Leicester surviving Bournemouth’s relentless push for an equaliser in the second half. Leicester kept their first clean sheet of the campaign in the 1-0 win. While the wait for the victory is finally over, the performance was not great, with the Foxes riding on luck at times. Let’s take a look at the numbers.
Bournemouth’s second-half dominance
The Cherries were by far the more dominant team in the second half. Bournemouth took 12 shots (Leicester had one) and created four big chances. While the Foxes backline, led by Wout Faes, defended extremely well, there was some really poor finishing by Bournemouth. Dango Ouattara missed an absolute sitter, somehow managing to hit the crossbar from point-blank range.
Additionally, despite Bournemouth dominating proceedings in the second half (with 65% possession), Mads Hermansen wasn’t called into action much. He was forced into one good save but was rarely troubled otherwise, making two saves in the game. Steve Cooper also showed courage not to go defensive like he did against Crystal Palace earlier this season. While the Foxes backline adopted a low block, the manager made like-for-like substitutions, ensuring that Leicester remained a threat on the break.
Excellent defensive performances
There were some standout defensive performances by the Foxes players. Faes was excellent and easily the man of the match. The centre-back made two tackles, nine clearances, and three goal-bound blocks. It was not just the backline, though. Wilfred Ndidi and Jordan Ayew had good games in the midfield as well. Both players made four tackles and interceptions and worked hard out of possession. Ayew also held up the ball well and won countless fouls, helping alleviate pressure on Leicester.