Kasper Schmeichel joins father Peter in exclusive Premier League club after Leicester’s record-breaking win
It was a result not many expected, but Leicester City thrashed Southampton 9-0 at St Mary’s on Friday evening to temporarily move second in the Premier League.
Southampton’s nightmarish evening saw the home side play 78 minutes with 10 men after Ryan Bertrand was sent off for a reckless challenge on Ayoze Perez in the build up to Ben Chilwell’s opener.
From that moment the Foxes never looked back as they continued laying siege to Angus Gunn’s goal and the 23-year-old ‘keeper was forced to pick the ball out eight more times, as Leicester equalled the biggest ever Premier League win. But this wasn’t the only impressive stat that came from Friday night, so much so that we just couldn’t stick with one for today.
Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel had a relatively straightforward Friday night, facing just three shots on target in keeping a clean sheet. In doing so, the Dane became just the second goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet while watching his team score nine goals.
The other? His dad Peter Schmeichel, who kept goal for Manchester United in their 9-0 win over Ipswich Town in March 1995. Heurelho Gomes is the only other goalkeeper, aside from the Schmeichels to have seen his side score nine goals, but the Brazilian conceded in Tottenham’s 9-1 victory over Wigan Athletic in 2009.
Although Leicester were only able to tie the Premier League’s biggest win record, they did beat the division’s highest away victory – overtaking Manchester United’s 8-1 win at Nottingham Forest in 1999.
In addition to Chilwell’s opener and James Maddison’s free-kick, the remaining six goals came through the combined effort of Perez and leading marksman Jamie Vardy.
Such a scoreline meant a hat-trick was inevitable, but two, now that’s a rarity in a Premier League outing – such a rarity that it has only happened once before.
Perez was the first to complete his treble, it was his second in the English top-flight, the Spaniard’s previous also coming against Saints – but that was at St James’ Park for Newcastle United.
Vardy’s own hat-trick came in the dying stages of the game; Leicester were awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time, which also gave the former England international the opportunity for his side to equal Manchester United’s mega win over Ipswich Town all the way back in 1995.
He naturally converted meaning the Foxes pair matched Arsenal duo Jermaine Pennant and Robert Pires who both netted a hat-trick for the Gunners, with Southampton again being the victims, in May 2003. In a night where all sorts of records were tumbling, Ralph Hasenhüttl mush wish it was a nightmare indeed.
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