Jordan Ayew scored a 98th-minute winner as Leicester City produced an astounding comeback to beat 10-man Southampton.
Two down at the break and with boos pouring out of the away end, City turned the game around in the second period. Substitute Abdul Fatawu was at the heart of the recovery, but it was fellow Ghanaian Ayew who got the winner, turning in a corner with practically the last kick of the game.
City had looked like heading for defeat when Cameron Archer and Joe Aribo finished off simple Southampton moves in the first half, putting the Saints on course for their first win. But Fatawu set up Facundo Buonanotte to give City hope, and then Jamie Vardy slammed in a penalty for 2-2, with Ryan Fraser sent off a goal-line shirt tug on the number nine as he tried to tap in.
City pushed for a winner in the final 15 minutes, and it didn’t look like coming. But Harry Winks’ clever corner found Ayew, who bundled a shot under Aaron Ramsdale to spark pandemonium in the away end.
For such a big game, Steve Cooper fielded his most attacking line-up yet, replacing Jordan Ayew with Bilal El Khannouss and playing the Moroccan international in a front four with Buonanotte, Stephy Mavididi, and Vardy. However, it wasn’t City who were on the front foot in the early stages.
A lack of intensity allowed Southampton to take control of the game. City didn’t heed the warning when Aribo thundered a header against the bar after five minutes, and conceded soon after.
Buonanotte conceded a free-kick and the Saints did not hang about, quickly attacking the space the Argentinian vacated, doubling up on James Justin. With the City full-back outnumbered, he could not stop Ryan Manning playing a low cross for Archer to tap in.
City enjoyed a better spell thereafter, creating chances for Wout Faes and Justin from set-pieces, with both efforts off target. But the next goal went the home side’s way.
In their first real attack since Archer’s goal, Kyle Walker-Peters fooled Justin and scampered around to the byline, crossing low for Aribo to finish, the Nigerian not tracked by either of City’s midfielders. City heads slumped and they nearly conceded a third straight afterwards, Mads Hermansen needing to save Flynn Downes’ volley from a long throw.
City, lacking fluency in attack, struggled to create from open play in the first half, but did have one chance a few minutes from the break. El Khannouss turned smartly in the box and curled goalwards, the attacking midfielder seeing his shot bounce off the post.
City needed goals after the break, but they started the second half nearly scoring into their own net, Faes spectacularly heading towards his own goal, with Hermansen instinctively tipping it over. But then came the City comeback.
Vardy had a shot blocked, Buonanotte curled one just wide, but then, with City’s desperation growing, Fatawu was introduced as a right-back. The Ghanaian, whose name had been chanted by the away fans even before he came on, made an instant impact. He sprinted around the back and cut the ball back for Buonanotte to bundle in his third of the season.
Then came drama. Fatawu made his trademark cut inside and curled a beauty from 25 yards onto the crossbar. City kept the move alive and Mavididi crossed to the back post where Fatawu headed goalwards, Aaron Ramsdale somehow keeping it out.
But as Vardy went to poke in the rebound, he was dragged back by Fraser. Not spotted at the time, a red card and penalty were awarded after referee Anthony Taylor was instructed by VAR to check his screen. Vardy hammered in the spot-kick, grabbed the ball and ran back to the halfway line. City had 15 minutes against 10 men to get a winner.
It didn’t look like coming, but as the final minute of seven added ticked over, Winks delivered a corner to the edge of the box and Ayew struck, the ball trundling through the bodies and into the bottom corner. Here’s how we scored the players.
Mads Hermansen: Left helpless for the Saints goals, he then made three fine saves to stop a third, showing great reflexes to keep out Faes’ header and getting down really well to deny Dibling too. He caught a few corners and crosses as well. 7
James Justin: If he was left outnumbered for the first Saints goal, he was beaten all ends up by Walker-Peters for the second, and that’s not going to reduce the calls for Ricardo to start. When he swapped to the left, he had trouble against Dibling too. 4
Wout Faes: Nearly scored a bizarre, spectacular own goal with a diving header, and had to thank Hermansen for bailing him out. He charged forward often, on the ball and off it, to little effect, but did produce one great recovery tackle at the death. 5
Caleb Okoli: He let a few attackers run off his shoulder and in behind, and it felt like his positioning for the two goals could have been better. But when in one-on-ones, he was strong, shielding the ball out for goal kicks often. 5
Victor Kristiansen: There were a couple of rough passes, but also a few clever ones, including for El Khannouss’s first-half shot against the post. Struggled with Dibling when on the back foot, but defended well when he got to be aggressive in the other half of the pitch. 5
Wilfred Ndidi: Took the wrong option or played a poor pass when he had the space and time to do much better. In the second half, he improved, and got involved with some dangerous moves at the top end. 5
Oliver Skipp: He was far too slow on the ball, which meant he either played poor passes or lost possession completely. Gave away free-kicks too and was unsurprisingly subbed at the break. 4
Facundo Buonanotte: Early on, he was poor. His touch was heavy and his foul set up the Saints opener. But he never drops his head. He carried the ball with close control and threat, scored the first goal of the comeback and routinely slipped in nice passes into the box. 8
Bilal El Khannouss: He delivered one excellent free-kick and nearly scored a delightful goal, showing off a brilliant touch to set up his shot against the post. But he also drifted in and out of the game, and lost the ball at times too. 5
Stephy Mavididi: He kept running into trouble and so many City attacks broke down with him, especially in the first half. He had one good moment: the cross for Fatawu’s header that led to the red card and second goal. 4
Jamie Vardy: Slammed in his penalty and continually made good runs around the area to create himself space when there wasn’t much to work with. He looks to be building a nice relationship with Buonanotte too. Could have got his shots off more quickly though. 6
Harry Winks: He moved the ball much more quickly than Skipp, and that helped make City more dangerous, and especially helped them pen Southampton in during the final 15 minutes. He delivered a very clever corner for the last-minute winner too. 7
Abdul Fatawu: Game-changer. On as a right-back, his speed and directness set up the first City goal and caused Southampton no end of trouble. It was his superb play that led to the red card and second too. It will only increase the calls for him to start. 8
Jordan Ayew: He was, for nearly all of his appearance, poor. He kept giving fouls away, was fortunate not to concede a penalty, and didn’t contribute to the attack. But then he struck a winner that will live long in the memory. 5
Bobby De Cordova-Reid: He played a nice pass to set up a deflected Justin cross that nearly find the net, and he contributed to the attack regularly, sometimes fortunately setting up shooting chances with mis-hit crosses and efforts. 6
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