Iheanacho scores in Leicester’s defeat as West Ham shock Chelsea

July 01

22:40 2020

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It was mixed fortunes for Super Eagles players in the English Premier League (EPL) as Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho took part in Everton’s 2-1 win over Leicester City at Goodison Park on Wednesday night.

While Iwobi had an average game, Iheanacho scored for Leicester, with Ndidi conceding a penalty for Everton to double their lead.

Everton took a two-goal lead under twenty minutes when Richarlison converted an Alex Gordon pass from close range on the tenth-minute while Gylfi Sigurdsson converted the VAR-awarded penalty six minutes later.

Ndidi, one of the most dependable defensive midfielders in the EPL, challenged for a Lucas Digne free kick but it struck his hand and VAR gave the penalty after a lengthy review.

Leicester City, while enjoying 66% possession, rallied in the the second period and halved the deficit on 51 minutes through Iheanacho’s fortuitous goal. Iheanacho, a halftime substitute, was hit by Mason Holgate’s clearance and the ball landed in the net for 2-1.

Despite a pretty quiet evening for Iwobi, the 23-year-old former Arsenal youngster still managed a 92% pass completion rate and three dribbles before his substitution on 68 minutes.

Leicester, 2015/16 EPL champions, mounted continuous pressure and pelted Everton’s goal with 13 shots as they searched for an equaliser.

Brendan Rodgers’ side remain third on the EPL table with 55 points, one point ahead of fourth-placed Chelsea. The Blues lost 2-3 at West Ham United in a London derby.

Chelsea took the lead on 42 minutes through Willian’s penalty but West Ham responded on the stroke of halftime with Tim Soucek’s goal to restore parity at the interval.

Michael Antonio’s goal gave the Hammers a 2-1 lead early in the second half but Willian cancelled the advantage on 72 minutes with a brilliantly taken free kick.

West Ham however had the last laugh and broke Chelsea hearts with an 89th-minute winner by Andriy Yarmolenko, who finished off a devastating counter attack with a well struck low shot.

In another match in London, Arsenal scored four goals to brush aside relegation-threatened Norwich City 4-0 for a third consecutive win in all competitions. A brace of goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and further goals by Granit Xhaka and Cedric Soares helped the Gunners continue their quest to qualify for Europe next season. They currently lie in seventh position on the league table.