Billy Grimshaw
Title chasing Leicester City had to settle for a 2-2 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion this evening. Andy King stepped into fill the role of midfield enforcer vacated by the injured N’Golo Kante in the major change for City from the Norwich game on Saturday.
The Foxes fought back from a goal down to lead and had the better of the game, but must take only a share of the spoils as goals from Danny Drinkwater and Andy King cancelled out Salomon Rondon’s opener before a fine Craig Gardener free kick restored parity.
The home side enjoyed a bright start, dominating the early exchanges while the men from the Hawthorns sat back and absorbed the pressure. Seemingly from nowhere, West Brom hit the front in the 11th minute. With Leicester on the attack, the ball broke to Darren Fletcher who produced a peach of a pass up-field into the Leicester half. Rondon out-muscled Robert Huth before coolly slotting through the legs of Kasper Schmeichel.
The game continued in the same vein following the goal, with Leicester on top and West Brom looking to counter. Riyad Mahrez looked lively down the right flank and produced a few clear cut chances.
Leicester finally made the pressure count when a Mahrez cross was cleared only as far as Danny Drinkwater and the midfielder rifled a low shot at goal. The strike was deflected off the heels of Jonas Olsson and looped over the helpless Foster to draw the Foxes level.
Tempers were beginning to rise on the pitch, with Mark Clattenburg doing well to keep a lid on things as half time approached. Leicester’s goalscorer almost turned provider in the 36th minute as Drinkwater’s cross was cannoned off the crossbar form a Jamie Vardy header.
The comeback was complete on the stroke of half time, when Marc Albrighton produced a brilliant cross-field pass to Mahrez, with the Algerian delighting the crowd with a sublime backheel flick into the path of the arriving Andy King, who calmly lifted the ball into the net.
West Brom started the second half brilliantly, with Craig Gardner curling in an exquisite free kick from 25 yards after Mahrez was penalised for hand ball on 48 minutes.
It took a miraculous reaction save from Foster to deny Okazaki’s header from close range restoring the Foxes lead almost immediately. Rondon then missed a wonderful chance on 66 minutes to put West Brom ahead, ballooning a cross from 3 yards over the bar.
Chances were exchanged in the final quarter with neither side able to make the decisive breakthrough. Leicester continued to probe as the final whistle approached, with substitute Ulloa coming agonisingly close, but it was to no avail and two points in the title race were lost.
