BEVERLY HILLS, March 14, (THEWILL) –Â When Sheffield United parted ways with their manager Chris Wilder towards the end of the week ahead of their English Premier League fixture against Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City on Sunday at the King Power Stadium, there was nothing they could have known about the trouncing that was to come and they had no inkling of the role Nigeria’s forward Kelechi Iheanacho was going to play in that.
It turned out to be a result they will want to forget as quickly as possible because Iheanacho turned on the style to score a hattrick in a space of 39 minutes with a double assist from danger-man Jamie Vardy to give Leicester the advantage. One more from Spanish winger Ayoze Perez and an unfortunate own goal from Sheffield’s Welsh centre back Ethan Ampadu closed out the 5-nil whitewash.
This flogging of Sheffield, in their first outing under the temporary guidance of under-23s coach Paul Heckingbottom following Wilder’s departure, moved Leicester up to second on the table, two points above Manchester United on 56 points, although the Red Devils hold the advantage having played a game less.
In his first foray with the senior side of Sheffield, Heckingbottom made three alterations from last week’s defeat by Southampton. Chris Basham, Oliver Burke and Billy Sharp all got into the starting 11, with Jayden Bogle and Rhian Brewster dropped to the bench. David McGoldrick was left out of the matchday squad entirely.
Rodgers made his own changes too but decided to keep it simple with only two players affected. With Jonny Evans and Ayoze Perez back from from injury, they replaced Daniel Amartey and youngster Sidnei Tavares, the duo that were part of the side that defeated Brighton Hove & Albion last weekend.
Prior to the match, much of the talk focused on Vardy’s recent struggle for form. The English forward’s scoring efficiency was witnessing a dip in recent times, but he boasted an impressive record in this fixture in the past. Vardy had scored in three of Leicester’s last four meetings with the Blades, including a last-minute winner at Bramall Lane in December last year.
For the Blades, they could not have had a worse season after finishing an unexpected ninth last season under Wilder’s tutelage. But, a paltry 16 goals this season has kept them locked at the bottom of the table and is the fourth-fewest recorded at this stage of a Premier League campaign – after Derby, Aston Villa and Huddersfield.
It was to this battleground that Iheanacho brought his big guns. The Nigerian was seeking a personal record going into the fixture. Having rescued a point against Burnley and equalised in the win over Brighton, a goal on Sunday was going to make it a first for him; it meant he will have scored in three consecutive matches for the first time in his football career. And, for the club, it was going to be five goals in his last eight outings in all competitions.
There were only 39 minutes on the clock when the Iheanacho Show began. He owed it all to the selflessness of Vardy. Another striker, eager to banish the hoodoo of not being on the scoresheet for a while would have damned the consequences and attempted to score himself. But, Vardy realising that his strike partner had a better chance because he had drawn the defense to himself, laid the pass on a plate for Iheanacho to deliver his first of the day.
In the second half, Iheanacho tried to pay Vardy back in his own coin and very nearly helped the English striker get his scoring mode back on five minutes after the interval. Collecting a pass from substitute Marc Albrighton, Iheanacho quickly cut inside and and unselfishly laid the ball off for Vardy, but the striker’s first-time shot was headed off the line by defender Chris Basham.
Aaron Ramsdale, the Sheffield keeper, also stood against Vardy’s goal hunt as what seems to be a dry spell continued for the Leicester number nine. Again, Iheanacho was on hand to brilliantly pick him out in the opponent’s box with a neat through ball. Unfortunately, Vardy shot straight at the goalkeeper, who accepted it with gratitude.
As the more potent force was Iheanacho’s, the two forwards combined again to wreak havoc against the visitors. Vardy turned provider again when he beat the offside trap to latch onto a neat through ball then, displaying his keen sense of positional awareness, dispatched a first-time pass to pick out Iheanacho. The Nigerian took it coolly for a 69th minute brace.
This second assist for Vardy was top-notch in execution and was a vivid illustration of the striker’s vision and impeccable timing such that it was lockstep with Iheanacho’s run, and the goalscorer did not have to break step to latch onto it for the goal.
By the 78th minute, when Iheanacho was completing his show with a hattrick, the Blades had tired of him. And, it was as though he left the best for last completing his display in emphatic fashion. The 24-year-old received the ball 30 yards out from goal and seeing how much free time he was allowed, took aim and drilled a pile driver past a helpless Ramsdale.
This third one was special for different reasons. The Nigerian has now scored in his third consecutive game for the first time, was going to go home with the game ball as per tradition and the goal was Made in Nigeria because Leicester’s other Nigerian squad member Wilfred Ndidi was the one who laid the ball off for Iheanacho, to allow him the opportunity to end his Man-of-the Match performance in tremendous style.
But, as Iheanacho takes his match ball home after his complete demolition of Sheffield, the relegation-bound side take another loss for the weekend. The loss is Sheffield’s 23rd EPL defeat of the season. The last time they displayed such a dismal record was in the 1975/1976. They will not have fond memories of Iheanacho.
