Leicester City 2-0 Sheffield United
Leicester remain in control of their Premier League destiny in the race for a top-four finish – and what a race it is proving to be.
A 4-1 humbling at soon-to-be-relegated Bournemouth last weekend had many critics doubting their chances and feeling.
Yet a 19-year-old debutant by the name of Luke Thomas had the perfect riposte for those Doubting Thomases as they created Premier League highlights and plenty of heart to see off a spirited (if at times, tame) Sheffield United display.
What it all means is that the 2016 champions are back up to fourth with two games to play.
Highlights of the game
At the start of this season, few, if anyone, would have predicted this Premier League encounter would be a top seven clash – let alone with three games remaining!
Even fewer would have predicted that, if the Yorkshire side had won this match, they would be in the hunt for a Champions League spot, despite only being promoted from the Championship last summer.
That was not to happen as Chris Wilder’s team was unable to reproduce the heroics which had seen off Chelsea in the last match (and Wolves and Spurs before them).
Instead, much of the best first-half moments had Thomas at its heart. He was lively from the start and, 10 minutes in, his cross found Ayoze Perez who headed over before the two combined again with Dean Henderson alert to push away a volley from the frontman.
By then, Henderson had also produced a smart save with his foot to deny Jamie Vardy.
Perez was less wasteful a short time later, picking out the ex-Newcastle attacker who took a touch before rifling the ball into the bottom corner through the legs of defender John Egan.
It was Henderson, arguably the best goalkeeper in the top flight this term, who was the main man in the second.
He twice prevented Harvey Barnes from scoring after clever through balls by the hard-working Vardy who was also denied a goal himself by the post.
After being so on top, Sheffield United briefly threatened an equaliser and Kasper Schmeichel had to remind us there were two top goalkeepers on the pitch as he tipped wide an effort from Jack O’Connell.
Just when it seemed they may find a way back into the contest, Vardy again turned provider. And this time, the hosts made no mistake as substitute Demarai Gray drilled home a second 11 minutes from time.
The game was won. The SBOBET Premier League betting odds on the race for the top four are as intriguing as they are close.
Key statistics
This victory means Leicester City have their second-highest ever top-flight points tally – second only to their title-winning season of 2015/16.
It also means they have won back-to-back home league games without conceding a goal for the first time since January 2018.
This is the first time they have kept a clean sheet in four straight home league matches since February 2016, during their title-winning campaign under Claudio Ranieri.
Aged 19 years 36 days, Thomas became the third-youngest player to make his first Premier League start for Leicester City, after Emile Heskey (17 years 56 days v QPR in March 1995) and Stuart Campbell (18 years 357 days v Man Utd in November 1996).
Thomas is also the youngest English player to assist a goal on his Premier League debut since Marcus Rashford for Manchester United in February 2016 (18 years 120 days), and is the 15th English teenager to do so overall.
This was the first Leicester league double over Sheffield United since 1928-29.
Leicester have now won a Premier League game on every day of the week, with this their first top-flight victory on a Thursday since December 1985 versus Aston Villa (3-1).
Only one of Sheffield United’s last 12 Premier League goals was scored away from Bramall Lane.
What’s next?
It all boils down to the final two games of the season for both clubs.
Leicester travel to Spurs on Sunday (July 19) before hosting Manchester United the following weekend.
For Sheffield United, they host Everton on Monday night and then a final-day trip to the south coast to face Southampton awaits.
The only guarantee for the Blades, judging by Wilder’s post-match press conference, is that his side will show more heart next time out.
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