KASPER SCHMEICHEL’S decision to choose a long stud probably made all the difference as he denied Fabio Silva a late winner for Wolves.
In a game of few chances, the Foxes had to rely on their world class goalie to earn them a point when he defied Wolves £35million record signing Silva by the slimmest of margins.
Leicester were held to a goalless draw at WolvesCredit: Reuters
Jamie Vardy made his return from injury but is five games without a goalCredit: PA:Press Association
The 18-year-old Wolves kid must have thought he was about to become his side’s match-winning hero when Ruben Neves picked him out following a half-cleared corner.
Silva tried to roll the ball inside Schmeichel’s near post but somehow the great Dab=ne reacted to stick out his left boot and the ball scraped off his studs to divert the ball for a ciorner.
Not even the return of Jamie Vardy managed to break the stalemate in this deadly dull Midlands derby which set few pulses racing until the late final flurry.
Vardy almost made Wolves pay in the final seconds when he rose six yards out to power in a header from Marc Albrighton’s cross but the ball flashed a fraction wide.
However if this was the hors d’oeuvre for the day’s main course clash between Liverpool and Manchester City it was stodgy stuff which failed to whet anyone’s appetite.
Wolves hadn’t opened the scoring in a league match at Molineux since Rayan Ait Nouri fired them in front against Crystal Palace in October.
And they passed up two glorious chances to improve upon that damning statistic inside the opening 15 minutes.
If Leicester have an achilles heel it is their tendency to concede goals at set-pieces and Wolves almost made them pay early on from a corner on the right.
Pedro Neto whipped the ball to the near post and Adama Traore provided the clever backheader flick.
Adama Traore was involved in an intense battle with James JustinCredit: Getty – Pool
The ball landed at the feet of the one unmarked Wolves player Nuno would have wanted it to fall to.
Ruben Neves has scored three goals in his last five games and the new dad’s confidence was soaring after he scored from the spot against Arsenal during the week.
However, for once, even Neves’ power and precision was missing as the Portuguese midfielder wastefully volleyed over from eight yards.
Leicester were finding it hard to contain Pedro Neto on Wolves left and the 20-year-old Portuguese kid weaved between Jonny Evans and Youri Tielemans to leave both of them floundering.
He pulled the ball back to the penalty spot where Adama Traore was waiting to pull the trigger but his shot was brilliantly deflected for a corner by James Justin, who denied him with a brilliant block.
Leicester were having plenty of possession but were doing little with it as Kelechi Iheanacho demonstrated when he shot wildly wide of target after Ayoze Perez had set him up inside the box.
It couldn’t have been easy for Iheanacho knowing a certain James Vardy was waiting impatiently on the bench, having recovered from his recent hernia op but the ball seldom rolled kindly for him.
Meanwhile, like Neto for Wolves, Harvey Barnes was tormenting his marker Nelson Semedo on Leicester’s left.
He sprinted by the bewildered defender to play in Maddison, whose cutback rolled behind Iheanacho rather than in front of him as the Foxes failed to function again.
It was to be the story of a scrappy Midlands derby as both sides fluffed their lines in front of goal despite carving out chances.
Brendan Rodgers’ side missed the chance to go level with Manchester UnitedCredit: Paul Marriott – The Sun
James Maddison was unable to unlock the Wolves defence after his two assists at FulhamCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Rui Patricio fumbled a speculative long-range free kick from Maddison but there was no Fox in the six yard box to benefit.
Wolves, with Leander Dendoncker covering in defence for injured stalwart Willy Boly, were putting their bodies on the line and come back wing-back Jonny bravely blocked Maddison twice while on the ground to deny the England midfielder.
It was the Spaniard’s first game since he suffered a cruciate ligament injury against Olympiakos in August, at the end of last season.
Worryingly for Wolves fans he failed to reappear for the start of the second half as his place was taken by Ki-Jana Hoever.
Neves’ frustration boiled over just before the break when he was booked for taking Maddison’s tackle, to the anger of the Leicester midfielder.
Caglar Soyuncu joined him in Martin Atkinson’s book shortly after the restart for stopping Traore in full flow as he took one for the team.
The game was crying out for Vardy to add some spice to the mix and he duly arrived as Brendan Rodgers made a double substitution just after the hour.
The Foxes talisman was sent on with Marc Albrighton for Iheanacho and Perez while Wolves responded with Fabio Silva coming on for a tiring Willian Jose.
But the rot had well and truly set in.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
