Leicester 1 West Brom 2: Matty Phillips scores winner for Baggies after terrible Danny Drinkwater error

Smash and grab from relegation-threatened Baggies while Leicester’s indifferent start to the season continues

MATTY PHILLIPS capitalised on a terrible Danny Drinkwater back pass to give West Brom a much needed win against champions Leicester City.

After a tepid first half with little on field action, the game sprang into life after 52 minutes, when James Morrison shocked the King Power with the opening goal.

Matty Phillips’s deflected cross came at speed to the central midfielder, who excellently steered a header into the corner of Ron-Robert Zieler’s goal.

But just three minutes later the champions were back in the game, when Riyad Mahrez whipped a great cross to the far post where Islam Slimani was totally unmarked to head in – which surprisingly was Mahrez’s first assist of the season.

Just as the Foxes were taking control of the game, the Baggies were back in front thanks to a shockingly underhit backpass from Danny Drinkwater which fell into the path of Matty Phillips who dinked it over Zieler into the back of the net.

Andy King should have scored a free header on 80 minutes, but the Foxes could not find a way through as the Baggies held on for a priceless three points that moves them up to 11th – while Leicester have now lost five games this season so far, two more than the whole of last term.

FACTS, STATS, GOALS AND LOLS

• Leicester’s players received a rapturous welcome on their return from Copenhagen, where their hard-earned point guaranteed them European football in the new year. One point at home to Bruges or away to Porto, will ensure that’s in the Champions’ League.
• In fact you had to go back to January 12, 1994 to find the Foxes’ last home win against Albion – when Leicester were still a second tier club playing at Filbert Street.
• In contrast, Leicester had a giant poppy on the side of their stadium and groundsman John Ledwidge had cut poppies into his latest eye-catching pitch design.
• Sadly, there were boos when West Brom late-comers, entering the stadium chanted during the minute’s silence, to the annoyance of Foxes fans who booed and shouted obscenities at them.
• Red-faced Ron-Robert Zieler made a speedy half-time change after realising he had put on a poppy-less ‘replacement.’ shirt for the first half. He quickly slipped on the original for the second period.
• Craig Dawson was at the centre of another elbowing controversy. Last week Man City’s Nolito reacted furiously rubbing his forehead into the defender’s face after being smashed from behind by Dawson’s flying forearm. This time Christian Fuchs took a whack on his jaw from the rugged defender.
• Claudio Ranieri’s decision to leave out Vardy backfired as Leicester failed to register a single shot in the first half for the frist time since they returned to the Premier League. Meanwhile, West Brom had five – two of which were on target.
• It was Mahrez’s first Premier goal assist since the Foxes last met West Brom back in March 2016 and Slimani’s fourth goal for Leicester – all headers at home!
• However Matt Phillips set up a frantic finale when he cashed in on a rare Danny Drinkwater blunder to collect the midfielder’s wayward backpass and grab his first goal for Albion.