It’s the third month and seventh game of the new Premier League season and Leicester City are still chasing that first taste of victory.
A home clash with Bournemouth offers an excellent opportunity to claim three points, with the Cherries sitting in the bottom half of the table. But that also sees the pressure rise, with fans growing increasingly concerned over where the win is coming from.
The first half could be key. Each home match so far this season, City have gone in trailing. Bournemouth, meanwhile, made a very fast start against Southampton on Monday to race into a 3-0 lead before tiring in the second period. If City can hold off the Cherries in the first half, their pattern of strong second periods could help them to a first victory.
We will be there providing all the key updates on our blog below. Kick-off is at 3pm, with team news due at 1.45pm.
Key Events
- GOAL!!! Superb from Buonanotte!15:16
- City team news – Winks dropped, Ayew in13:45
19:05Jordan Blackwell
Before we sign off
We’ll have plenty more reaction and analysis for you tomorrow. But until then…
- You can read our player ratings here, with Faes and Buonanotte leading the way.
- And you can read Cooper’s post-match reaction here, and why his celebration over a first win was only low-key.
Facundo Buonanotte of Leicester City celebrates scoring
18:31Jordan Blackwell
Low-key celebration?
“I’ve got to build trust here. It’s clear I’ve got work to do in terms of people really believing in me. I’m absolutely fine with that. I know that’s part of the job. That’s my real big motivation because it allows me to show how much I want to get this job right with this set of players who are so committed. Feeling the atmosphere here, and it’s been really good to be honest. I know it’s only today that we’ve won, but I felt the supporters really get behind the team here. We really needed them in the second half. There were times where Bournemouth crossed out for a goal kick and the crowd went up as if to say: ‘Come on, we can do this!’ That really spurred us on.
“It’s great to win, but I know we and I have got a lot of work to do here to really be the team and really be connected, and to become a force. I want to show humility and quietness to get that stage, but it’s going to take a lot of work.”
18:25Jordan Blackwell
Play coming together at times?
“The first half, yeah. To win a Premier League game, you have to leave everything out on the pitch. You have to do every part of the game well at certain moments. First half, we had some really good attacking moves, got players in position from the model of play we’re trying to develop and feel can hurt opponents. When we got that right in the first half, I felt that’s what we did. We opened them up and got into good positions. We scored a good goal and had a chance to score one or two more. I felt like we were right on the edge of being an attacking team today. That’s what we want to be.
“Second half, the plan was to go to get the second. We showed them images at half-time and said that when they get this positioning right, they really can hurt Bournemouth. There were times in the first half where we didn’t quite get it right and turned the ball over in areas where we shouldn’t. But then when we did get it right…
“That was the plan for the second half. But naturally, because we are trying to get the first win, Bournemouth were putting more numbers up the pitch and were going longer, quicker. You have to match the numbers. It’s a natural thing to do. You don’t want balls going over your head and you’re running back. So we ended up lower than we would have liked. But then we did the defending side of the game really well. We showed the heart, soul, and desire to defend but also the intricacies of our tactical defensive ideas. We covered each other well and read the game well. We tried to get control of the game second half. Our attacking moments came on the counter, which wasn’t the plan, but it became that. But defending, I felt on the whole we dealt with that well and were good for the clean sheet.”
18:13Jordan Blackwell
Buonanotte?
“He’s a talented young guy and I’ve been fortunate to work with a lot of players his age of a similar talent. You’ve got to get the right programme for them in terms of when they play and when they don’t, the education programme off the pitch. He’s come to a new country with Brighton, I know he’s been there a little while, but now he’s come to a new part of England with new team-mates. He’s a really talented young guy, he’s got a really good attitude to the game. He’s aggressive and risk-taking on the ball and for a creative player, he really puts in a defensive effort as well. We’re enjoying working with him. We know he can make a difference in games. You see the shot early on, you see the goal, you see the pass for Vards’ chance, which would have been an even better team goal than his.”
18:06Jordan Blackwell
How Cooper feels after first win
“I feel happy for the players and equally happy for the supporters. It was always going to be important to get that first win back in the Premier League. I know supporters and staff who have been here a long time have seen many wins in the Premier League but it was great that it was here and we wished it was sooner. I won’t get those questions at the next press conference. We talked pre-match about how I’m so motivated to get the win for the supporters. Of course in the first few games we could have done things better but we’ve also at times been unlucky and hard done by. Everything went well for us today.”
17:27Jordan Blackwell
Iraola says result ‘not fair’
The Bournemouth boss has had his say:
“It’s a difficult one because we can look at the start, the chances, the corners we’ve had. We feel like it’s probably not fair but at the end they took their chance and we didn’t. We hit the post, the bar, a great save from the goalkeeper from Ryan Christie and we had more than enough chances to score. We are not punishing the opposition when we are playing better and when you are not taking your chances you can lose these type of games.
“I think we give credit to Buonanotte but apart from that we haven’t conceded any other chance. On the other side we have had many more and we have to improve, especially the finishing side because it’s what makes the difference and gives you the points.”
FTJordan Blackwell
Full-time: City 1-0 Bournemouth
The wait for a win is over.
Buonanotte’s goal grabs Cooper his first three points as City boss.
Reaction to come.
90+4 minJordan Blackwell
Over from Unal!
That was the chance for Bournemouth.
A cross goes over everybody and substitute Unal beats De Cordova-Reid to the ball at the back post. He’s stretching and the ball is turned over.
90+1 minJordan Blackwell
Five minutes added
Can City see it out?
89 minJordan Blackwell
Fatawu’s shot blocked… by Edouard
City are still a threat on the counter, and Fatawu has a chance to slip in Edouard. It doesn’t come off but the ball comes back to the Ghanaian, who tries to bend one in. It hits Edouard in the face and bounces away.
Soumare is on for Ayew, who gets a standing ovation.
82 minJordan Blackwell
Two more subs
Fatawu and De Cordova-Reid are on for Mavididi and Buonanotte. Standing ovation for the Argentinian.
78 minJordan Blackwell
City are still a counter-attacking threat
Unlike at Palace, City do have a threat on the counter still, which is good.
With Edouard, Mavididi, Ayew, and Buonanotte still on, there are players to get at Bournemouth when City pick up the ball, even if they are sitting deep.
Mavididi threads a ball through to Edouard but he goes down too easily to try to win a penalty. Nothing given.
72 minJordan Blackwell
Off the bar!
City escape again. Sinisterra dinks in a cross and Ouattara is there, but his header from a few yards out bounces off the crossbar and over.
Fans have been calling for subs and finally they have one. Edouard is on for Vardy.
66 minJordan Blackwell
Goal. Bournemouth equalise. No they don’t!
For 20 seconds, Bournemouth thought they had an equaliser. Then the flag went up.
And now we’ve had a VAR check to confirm it. No goal.
Cook’s free-kick looked like it had floated all the way, maybe taking a nick of Evanilson’s head on the way through. Eventually, it’s deemed the Brazilian did get a touch, and he was in an offside position when he did.
60 minJordan Blackwell
Faes blocks again
City are slowly dropping deeper, and that can’t be a good sign.
Bournemouth work the ball into the box and Evanilson shoots, but Faes is there to get his foot in the way of it.
53 minJordan Blackwell
Danger for City
Kristiansen’s clearance is poor and Bournemouth need just one pass to get into a good position. Christie turns on the ball and tries to find the bottom corner, with Hermansen diving low to parry.
From the corner, Ouattara heads wide when he should do better.
49 minJordan Blackwell
Off the post!
City escape!
A deep free-kick is curled in and Zabarnyi is the only Bournemouth man near it, but he beats Okol in the air and directs a header goalwards, the ball bouncing off the outside of the post and away.
46 minJordan Blackwell
Second half starts
We go again for another 45 minutes at the King Power.
There is a change for the visitors. Ouattara is on for Kluivert.
HTJordan Blackwell
Half-time: City 1-0 Bournemouth
For the first time this season, City don’t go into half-time in a home game trailing. In fact, they’re in front, and deservedly so too. They’ve created the two biggest chances of the half and converted one of them.
They’ve played some excellent, attacking football in there too.
They’ve had a bit of defending to do, but not has much as in other games, and they’ve not allowed the Cherries any real clear-cut chances.
45+1Jordan Blackwell
So close to sensational
Fae hoists a ball up the pitch, Senesi doesn’t read it well and Vardy gets a touch on it to bring it down. With Kepa slightly out of his goal, he hits the bouncing ball from 25 yards and it dips not too far over the net.
We’re into the three minutes added on.
35 minJordan Blackwell
Oh no, Jamie Vardy!
That’s a brilliant move, but an awful finish!
City work out it from the back beautifully with Okoli, Ndidi, Faes, and Justin all involved. The latter then finds Buonanotte inside in space and Vardy peels to give him the option.
The ball is threaded through and Vardy is one-on-one, but he completely shanks his finish with his left foot and it’s well, well wide.
32 minJordan Blackwell
Faes blocks
And not for the first time.
The Belgian fails to connect cleanly as he tries to clear a cross and then has to get his body in the way when Semenyo pokes the ball goalwards. Bournemouth have come back into this.
29 minJordan Blackwell
City struggling at corners
One Bournemouth delivery finds a free man 15 yards out, but it’s met with a mis-hit finish. to spark some pinball before City clear. They got away with that.
The next corner needs Okoli to flick away from near his own goal-line.
24 minJordan Blackwell
Handball shout turned down
City have kicked on since the goal and they’re looking really good. Ndidi and Skipp are winning all of the 50-50s in midfield and that’s allowing them to keep the pressure on. They’re playing on the front foot too.
They’ve just had a handball shout as Mavididi crossed and the ball definitely hit Zabarnyi on the hand. It was outstretched too. But maybe just too close to the ball.
16 minKEY EVENT
GOAL!!! Superb from Buonanotte!
That’s magic! And for the first time this season, City are ahead in a home game.
Justin lofts a ball down the right and Buonanotte is onto in space, with Kerkez nowhere to be seen. That means the Argentinian gets to run into the box and attack centre-back Senesi, and he beats him all ends up, cutting inside and blasting into the roof of the net.
8 minJordan Blackwell
What a goal that nearly was!
Buonanotte gets the ball in his own half and beats one, two, three men to get into space in Bournemouth’s half and lets rip, Kepa parrying the swerving 25-yard drive into the air before claiming.
What a goal that would have been from the Argentinian. It was terrific ball control to dribble away from his men.
7 minJordan Blackwell
Senesi heads wide
Some of the Bournemouth fans think it’s in as Senesi sends a diving header just wide of the post from a free-kick.
City had played the offside trap and replays showed that, had the ball gone in, it would have been called back by VAR. The linesman didn’t flag, but it was clearly offside on review.
4 minJordan Blackwell
Ayew and Buonanotte trading positions
It looked initially that Buonanotte would be the number 10 and Ayew would be the right winger, but they’ve now swapped, with Buonanotte on the right.
Ayew had deserted his post a couple of times early on, leaving Justin with two men to mark.
As for the game, Bournemouth had been dominating possession and nearly got in behind early when Evanilson shoulder barged Okoli off the ball, but City have just had a decent moment, with Ndidi nearly latching onto Justin’s ball.
1 minJordan Blackwell
Kick-off!
We are up and running! Can City get their first win?
- Comments60
14:59Jordan Blackwell
A change of ends
City will be attacking the Kop for the first half. A rarity.
- Comments60
14:57Jordan Blackwell
The teams are out
Kick-off is just moments away. We’re expecting a sea of scarves to go up when When You’re Smiling plays in a second.
14:26Jordan Blackwell
Palace lose to Liverpool
That’s a bonus. One of the winless five remains winless. Jota’s early goal consigns Palace to a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool and they stay behind City in the table.
14:25Jordan Blackwell
Winks dropped for a football decision
We’ve been told that Winks’ place on the bench is not due to an injury. It’s a football decision. So it is officially the first time he’s been dropped for a league game. A big call.
Harry Winks of Leicester City is challenged by Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa
14:13Jordan Blackwell
Academy run ends
Choudhury’s dislocated shoulder means he’s replaced on the bench by Soumare, and it also unfortunately ends City’s academy record. Today’s the first time since December 2018 that they’ve not had a homegrown player in the matchday squad, ending a run of 288 matches.
13:51Jordan Blackwell
One change for Bournemouth
There’s one change for the visitors too, with Kluivert coming in for Ouattara in attack.
13:45KEY EVENT
City team news – Winks dropped, Ayew in
Harry Winks misses out on a Leicester City starting line-up for a league match for just the second time since joining the club with the midfielder absent from the 11 to take on Bournemouth.
Winks started 45 of City’s 46 Championship matches last term, only missing the home win over Watford through suspension, and had played every Premier League minute so far this season. But he falls out of the side, with Jordan Ayew coming in.
That means Wilfred Ndidi will drop back into the deeper midfield positions, alongside Oli Skipp, with Facundo Buonanotte shuffling inside to become the number 10. Ayew will play on the right wing.
With only one change made, it means the same goalkeeper and back four will aim to keep the club’s first clean sheet of the season, with Wout Faes and Caleb Okoli again at centre-back, and with James Justin and Victor Kristiansen selected at full-back. Ricardo Pereira continues his wait for a first Premier League outing of the season.
On the left wing it’s Stephy Mavididi, who will be looking for his fourth goal in five starts in all competitions this season. Jamie Vardy will captain the team up front.
City (4-2-3-1): Hermansen; Justin, Faes, Okoli, Kristiansen; Ndidi, Skipp; Ayew, Buonanotte, Mavididi; Vardy. Subs: Ward, Ricardo, Coady, Winks, Soumare, El Khannouss, De Cordova-Reid, Fatawu, Edouard.
Jordan Ayew warms up before making his Leicester City debut in the 2-1 defeat to Fulham (Image: Adam Davy/PA Wire)
13:20Jordan Blackwell
Games to keep an eye on
City aren’t the only side chasing their first win of the season this weekend. There’s five clubs in that bracket. And there are two more sides who have only won one of their games so far.
Right now, one of the winless quintet, Crystal Palace, are losing to Liverpool at half-time thanks to Jota’s early goal. Here are the other games to keep an eye on today:
- Arsenal v Southampton (3pm)
- Brentford v Wolves (3pm)
- West Ham v Ipswich (3pm)
- Everton v Newcastle (5.30pm)
Caleb Okoli shadows Jean-Philippe Mateta during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Leicester City at Selhurst Park.
13:09Jordan Blackwell
Cooper asks for trust from fans
Cooper asks for trust from the City supporters in his programme notes:
“Results have ben tough for us all to take since our last home game, and I know that has been the same for you too. From the point of view of the squad and the staff, there is great spirit. We are working hard towards a clearly-defined way of playing and a performance level that will bring us the results we need in the Premier League.
“I accept that requires a level of trust on the part of each of you. My confidence in the players, my staff and the gameplans is absolute. I know that eventually we will be rewarded. In the meantime, we need your continued support and energy to help us through, especially at the King Power Stadium. This is a magnificent place to play as a home team when the Leicester fans are in full voice. I know we can count on your backing today.”
Leicester City manager Steve Cooper before the 1-1 draw with Everton (Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
Jordan Blackwell
Where will Buonanotte play?
That’s the key question for determining how attacking the City line-up will be.
If he plays on the right, it could be City’s most attacking line-up yet, if El Khannouss is then selected as the number 10.
If he plays in the middle, it could be that Ayew comes back into the 11 on the right wing, which perhaps wouldn’t quite be as attacking.
But there’s also a possibility Buonanotte could be on the bench, with Ayew on the right and Ndidi at the top of a midfield three with Winks and Skipp. That would probably draw some ire from supporters.
Read our predicted line-up here.
Facundo Buonanotte could start in one of a couple of positions for Leicester City against Bournemouth (Image: Copa/Getty Images)
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