Alex Iwobi made up for his first half error as Everton came from behind at HT to earn a much needed point against Leicester at the King Power.
A pulsating first half saw three goals, two penalties and an end-to-end encounter that saw the Foxes go into the break 2-1 ahead thanks to a classic Jamie Vardy goal and a rare Çağlar Söyüncü strike. Everton had taken the lead after Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted from the spot after being fouled in the box by Timothy Castagne, before Jordan Pickford stuck to his guns and denied James Maddison’s penalty that went straight down the middle in first half stoppage time.
The second half didn’t quite live up to the first, but Alex Iwobi ensured both sides would go home with a point, firing past Iversen in the Leicester goal after finding himself all alone in the Leicester box.
Here is how the players rated at the King Power:
Leicester
Daniel Iversen – 9 – Made crucial save after crucial save to stop the Toffees leaving the King Power with all three points. Had no chance for the penalty or Alex Iwobi’s goal. You have to question why Brendan Rodgers stuck with Danny Ward as his first choice goalkeeper for so long.
Timothy Castagne – 5 – Gave away a penalty for a needless push on Dominic Calvert-Lewin with just 14 minutes on the clock.
Wout Faes – 6 – Did everything asked of him, constantly dueling with Calvert-Lewin.
Çağlar Söyüncü – 7 – Crucial in both penalty boxes, making 12 clearances and winning 10 aerial duels in a titantic defensive display after popping up with his first goal since October 2021.
Luke Thomas – 5 – Completely lost the flight of the ball for Alex Iwobi’s equaliser, just minutes after being booked for a poor foul on Idrissa Gueye.
Boubakary Soumare – 7 – Kept play moving and made some impressive passes in between the lines.
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Wilfred Ndidi – 6 – Sacrificed for Daka with 30 minutes remaining, game kind of passed him by.
Youri Tielemans – 7 – Made a crucial interception in the build up to Jamie Vardy’s goal, cutting out Iwobi’s pass before Maddison put the England striker through on goal.
James Maddison – 8 – Glided round the pitch, with no Everton player able to get near him. Played the perfectly weighted ball for Jamie Vardy’s first half strike and was fantastic in every aspect of his game apart from being able to take a penalty.
Harvey Barnes – 7 – A constant threat down the left-hand side, but his end product could have been better.
Jamie Vardy – 8 – Scored his first Premier League home goal of the season, with a “Vintage Jamie Vardy strike” and was unlucky not to add a second after his strike cannoned back off the crossbar. Never stopped running and was back to his best, constantly looking to get in behind on the shoulder of the last defender.
Jamie Vardy for Leicester City in the Premier League era:
◉ Most games
◉ Most wins
◉ Most goals
◉ Most assistsA vintage strike from a legend. ? pic.twitter.com/TY8cXVoQkk
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 1, 2023
Substitutes:
Patson Daka (for Ndidi, 61′) – 6 – Offered a threat on the counter, but didn’t really get too involved.
Dennis Praet (for Barnes, 61′) – N/A – Came on late.
Victor Kristuansen (for Thomas, 61′) – N/A – Came on late.
Everton
Jordan Pickford – 7 – Made his first penalty save in the Premier League for four years to deny James Maddison just before the break to keep his side in the game. A save that would prove crucial in earning the Toffees a point. Had his heart in his mouth late on after losing the ball to Jamie Vardy, who was eventually ruled offside.
Seamus Coleman – 6 – The Everton captain was stretchered off just before half-time after a challenge with Soumare. Had dealt well with Harvey Barnes up until that point, winning five of his seven duels.
Even when being stretchered off the pitch, Seamus Coleman was hyping up the Everton fans. ✊#LEIEVE pic.twitter.com/3xtCQcYeG3
— Play Squawka Selector for Free (@Squawka_Live) May 1, 2023
Michael Keane – 4 – Outpaced by Jamie Vardy for the opening goal, turned inside out by the same striker before the Englishman rattled the crossbar and gave away a penalty in a first half to forget for the former Burnley man.
James Tarkowski – 6 – Made some excellent blocks to deny Leicester.
Vitali Mykolenko – 5 – Struggled to get near Maddison.
James Garner – 6 – Hardly involved in the game at all.
Idrissa Gueye – 6 – Made more fouls than tackles and was booked for a poor challenge.
Abdoulaye Doucoure – 5 – Not his usual self.
Alex Iwobi – 7 – Made up for his first half mistake that led to Jamie Vardy’s goal with a crucial equaliser for his side. Got through a lot of defensive work as well as being a creative outlet, winning nine duels, making five tackles and creating three chances.
Dwight McNeil – 6 – Offered little going forward and did not help much defensively with James Maddison running riot.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 7 – Smashed his penalty past Iversen, giving the Dane no chance after being brought down by Castagne. Was impressive in Everton’s build up, but missed a huge chance just before the break.
For the first time since the start of the 2016/17 season at least, both teams registered 3+ Expected Goals in a single Premier League game.
◉ 3.47 – Leicester
◎ 3.3 – EvertonAnd it's the highest combined xG total in that time. ? pic.twitter.com/oSjSFT492b
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 1, 2023
Substitutes:
Nathan Patterson (for Coleman, 45+5′) – 6 – Was given a torrid time by Harvey Barnes after replacing the injured Seamus Coleman.