Maurizio Sarri admitted tired Chelsea got “lucky” as they moved to the brink of Champions League qualification with a 3-0 win over Watford, yesterday.
Sarri’s side was booed off after a sloppy first half, but two goals in three minutes from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and David Luiz lifted the mood at Stamford Bridge.
Gonzalo Higuain sealed the victory and third-placed Chelsea are now one point clear of fourth-placed Tottenham after their first win in four games in all competitions.
If the Blues win their last league game of the season at Leicester next Sunday they will be certain to qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top-four finish.
Sarri conceded he was relieved to survive such a poor opening.
“In the first half we were in trouble because we were tired physically and mentally. But Watford lowered their level after that. We were lucky of course,” Sarri said.
“After the first goal probably we improved mentally and were able to play very well for 35 minutes. It’s not easy to play again after a Europa League away match.
“We were not able to think in a simple way. When you are tired you have to move the ball quickly, the ball is not tired, the man is!”
Before heading to Leicester, Chelsea host Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League semifinals on Thursday, with the tie poised at 1-1 after the first leg.
Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hinted some his squads have made their last appearance for Manchester United while insisting the Europa League is the “right place” for his team after a 1-1 draw at Huddersfield ended any hope of a top-four finish.
The result at the John Smith’s Stadium means United will not play in the Champions League next season and could even have a Europa League second qualifying round first leg on July 25 if they finish sixth and Watford beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
“There is the chance you have seen the last of players but I wouldn’t say that about any individual,” Solskjaer, who is set to embark on an overhaul of his squad in the summer.
“We gave ourselves a chance to be in the Champions League, something we didn’t think was possible.
“We had so many opportunities to grab third or fourth. We didn’t and it is probably the right place for us to be next year, the Europa League.”
United are scheduled to play a pre-season friendly against Tottenham in Shanghai on July 25 but there remains a possibility their Europa League campaign could now start on the same date.
It would complicate Solskjaer’s summer plans and the Norwegian admitted he will cheering on City at Wembley if they finish sixth.
“It is not what we want,” said Solskjaer. “Let’s see what happens next week and with Arsenal and in the final with City. That is the reality. The kids will get chances to play games.”
Nigeria and Leicester City forward Ahmed Musa has left Leicester City for Al-Nassr for an undisclosed fee, the Saudi Arabian club has announced.
The 25-year-old was Leicester's record signing when he joined them for about £16m from CSKA Moscow in 2016.
But after just two goals in 21 games, he was loaned back to the Russian side last season.
Musa featured for Nigeria at the recent World Cup finals in Russia, scoring both goals in a win over Iceland.
Leicester City has rejected a £12m bid from Saudi Arabian club side Al Nassr for Nigerian forward Ahmed Musa. Nassr’s attempt to get one of the impressive players from the World Cup has hit a snag as Leicester City have turned down their bid.
Musa was a subject of the bid from Nassr after an impressive 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign where he scored two goals for the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
The 25-year-old caught the eye in Russia with his impressive brace in Nigeria’s 2-0 win over Iceland in a Group D game.
Although is not confirmed why the bid was rejected it is thought that Leicester City is hoping to recoup the £16.6m they spent on him in 2016.
Musa joined Leicester City from CSKA Moscow but the Nigeria international was not able to secure regular football at the 2016 Premier League champions.
After one and half seasons in England, Musa rejoined CSKA Moscow on loan last season.
Musa managed five goals for Leicester City in 33 games.
Substitutes Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud scored as Arsenal twice came from behind to beat Leicester City 4-3 on Friday in a dizzily entertaining opening Premier League game.
Record signing Alexandre Lacazette put Arsenal ahead after only 85 seconds at the Emirates Stadium, before a Shinji Okazaki header and a Jamie Vardy brace saw 2016 champions Leicester go 2-1 and then 3-2 up.
But Arsene Wenger’s double change turned the game, FA Cup final hero Ramsey drilling in an 83rd-minute equaliser and Giroud notching the winner two minutes later with a header that hit the bar and bounced over the line.
“We kept going and the spirit of the team was absolutely outstanding,” said Wenger.
“Overall we could say we were punished on every single mistake by a Leicester team who were very efficient going forward.
“We conceded three goals, yes, but we scored four goals as well and the game was of quality.”
The Ramsey-Giroud rescue act spared Arsenal from a fourth season-opening defeat in five campaigns and enabled Wenger to start the season with victory for only the second time in eight years.
The Arsenal manager faced open dissent from fans last season as his side missed out on a place in the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.
But after winning a record seventh FA Cup with victory over Chelsea, he penned a new two-year contract and his side’s Houdini act against Leicester means that late-season momentum remains intact, albeit only just.
The fans at the Emirates were getting their first glimpse of Lacazette in a competitive game and the £46.5 million ($60.3 million, 51.1 million euros) man needed less than two minutes to find the net.
From Hector Bellerin’s layoff, Mohamed Elneny swept a first-time cross into the box and Lacazette deftly glanced a header past Kasper Schmeichel before spreading his arms to take the acclaim of the crowd.
Within three minutes Leicester were level. Following a short corner on the left, Marc Albrighton’s deep cross was headed back across goal by Harry Maguire and Okazaki leapt to nod a header past Petr Cech.
Arsenal stepped things up, Schmeichel saving from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and home debutant Sead Kolasinac, but they were careless in possession and shortly before the half-hour, Leicester went in front for the first time.
Granit Xhaka’s sloppy pass was picked up by Albrighton and he forged down the left flank before bending a sublime cross into the danger area that Vardy converted.
“We’re gonna win the league!” sang the Leicester fans and they almost had a third goal to cheer when Okazaki’s header from Christian Fuchs’s cross bounced just wide of Cech’s left-hand post.
After Wilfred Ndidi had survived a penalty shout for handball, Arsenal levelled in first-half stoppage time, Danny Welbeck tapping in from Kolasinac’s square pass after Lacazette’s shot was blocked.
Though Arsenal began the second half on the front foot, Leicester created the cleaner chances, Cech rushing out of his box to tackle Vardy and then tipping over a shot by Riyad Mahrez, and after 11 minutes they went in front again.
Again a set-piece proved Arsenal’s undoing as Mahrez’s in-swinging corner from the right was nodded in by Vardy.
Schmeichel thwarted Oxlade-Chamberlain and Bellerin before Wenger turned to his bench in the 67th minute, pitching Ramsey and Giroud into the fray in place of Elneny and Rob Holding.
The ensuing reshuffle left Arsenal with a winger — Oxlade-Chamberlain — at right-back, a right-back — Bellerin — at left-back and two left-backs — Kolasinac and Nacho Monreal — in central defence.
It seemed an unlikely platform for victory, but Ramsey neatly controlled Xhaka’s dinked pass to drill in an equaliser and moments later Giroud’s header from Xhaka’s corner completed a remarkable turnaround.
“We’re disappointed to score three and come away with a defeat,” said Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare.
“But we’re not going to be too downhearted.”
Leicester City have announced the signing of Nigeria starlet Kelechi Iheanacho from Manchester City today.
The 20-year old forward signed a five-year deal at the King Power Stadium for a fee reported to be €28 million, which makes him surpass Odion Ighalo‘s 7-month record as Nigeria’s most expensive player of all time.
Before Ighalo had the honour of being the most expensive Nigerian player, it was previously held by ex-Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel for eleven years after the Blues splashed out €20m to secure his services from Lyn Oslo.
The third and fourth most expensive transfers involving Nigerian players were completed in the last thirteen months by Leicester City who signed Ahmed Musa and Wilfred Ndidi for €19.5 million and €17.6 million respectively.
Taribo West still holds the record for the costliest Nigerian defender in history spanning 20 years following his €12 million switch from Auxerre to Inter Milan in June 1997.
Current Nigerian Transfer Record (Top 21)
1) Kelechi Iheanacho – Manchester City to Leicester City – €28 million
2) Odion Ighalo – Watford to Changchun Yatai- €23.3m
3) Obi Mikel – Lyn Oslo to Chelsea – €20m
4) Ahmed Musa – CSKA to Leicester – €19.5m
5) Wilfred Ndidi – Genk to Leicester – €17.6m
6) Yakubu Aiyegbeni – Middlesbrough to Everton – €16.5m
7) Obafemi Martins – Inter to Newcastle – €16m
8) Isaac Success – Granada to Watford – €15m
9) Emmanuel Emenike – Spartak to Fenerbahce – €13m
10) Brown Ideye – Dynamo Kiev to Westbrom – €12.63m
11) Austin Okocha – Fenerbahce to PSG – €12.4
12) Taribo West – Auxerre to Inter – €12m
13) Brown Ideye – Olympiakos to Tianjin Teda – €12m
14) Victor Moses – Wigan to Chelsea – €11.5m
15) Anthony Ujah – Werder to Liaoning FC – €11.5m
16) Obafemi Martins – Newcastle to Wolfsburg – €10.5m
17) Sunday Oliseh – Ajax to Juventus – €10m
18) John Utaka – Rennes to Portsmouth – €10m
19) Peter Odemwingie- Lille to Lok Moscow – €10m
20) Finidi George – Ajax to Real Betis – €10m
21) Emmanuel Emenike – Fenerbahce to Spartak – €10m
Kelechi Iheanacho proposed move from Manchester City has received a big boost after claims from BBC Radio Leicester that the 20 year old could join Leicester City in few days time.
Radio Leicester City podcast presenters and analyst in the studio all admitted that the move was on.
A Manchester City correspondent also backed their claims when contacted on phone, and he insists the Foxes will be getting a quality player who will no doubt score goals for the team judging by his scoring record.
However they both admit the issue of £25m as transfer fee and the buy back could cause the move to crash, and City are also waiting to have a player lined up as his replacement before sanctioning his move away from the club.
The programme is still available on the site of the BBC for parties interested in listening to the full show, which was recorded and posted on the official twitter handle of the corporation.
Nigerian international, Wilfred Ndidi has made the country proud in Europe with a stunning award in his English club side.
Despite only joining Leicester City in January, Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Oyinye Ndidi has been named Leicester City's 2017 Young Player of the Year.
Ndidi has been very impressive since he joined Leicester City from Belgian side Genk in a deal worth £18m in the January transfer window.
Since joining the Foxes, the 20-year-old has become a crucial part of the team, first under Claudio Ranieri and then Craig Shakespeare.
His fantastic form this season has even seen linked with a big move to Manchester United and Leicester City reportedly scared that they would lose the midfielder to a big English club.
Ndidi has scored two Premier League goals this season in 15 appearances. He has a goal in the FA Cup too and played in two of four of Leicester City’s knockout games in the Champions League.
At Leicester City end of year awards, goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel won Players' Player and Player of the Year at Leicester City awards. Danny Drinkwater won Goal of the Year for his stunning goal in Leicester City’s 3-1 win against Liverpool in March.
Captain Wes Morgan was given the Performance of the Season for his outing in Leicester City’s memorable win over Sevilla in the second round of the Champions League.
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