Jordan Blackwell's Leicester City player ratings v Sheff Wed as Vardy flourishes in dominant win

jordan blackwell's leicester city player ratings v sheff wed as vardy flourishes in dominant win

Jamie Vardy of Leicester City celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday at The King Power Stadium

Leicester City took another step towards promotion as they saw off Sheffield Wednesday with one of their best footballing displays of the campaign.

Abdul Fatawu and Jamie Vardy netted first-half goals to earn City a fourth straight victory in the Championship and ensure their top-two cushion remains in double figures. But more than that, City secured the result in style.

There were some terrific passing moves from Enzo Maresca’s men against the relegation-battling Owls, including for Vardy’s goal against his boyhood club. That should keep supporters happy as their team keeps up their charge back to the top flight.

Vardy was starting his first Championship match for City since the draw against the Owls in November. He was one of three changes, with fit-again Jannik Vestergaard and Stephy Mavididi also brought in.

With the rain pouring in the city all day, the pitch was slick for kick-off and City capitalised. Wednesday attempted to play out from the back, and on a slippy surface, first touches had to be spot on. Will Vaulks’ wasn’t, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall nipping in and laying the ball on a plate for Fatawu to tap in his first King Power Stadium goal.

After City’s last home game, Maresca suggested he would walk away from the club if doubts from the stands grew amid groans from the stands at some of the football. There shouldn’t have been any danger of that on Tuesday night, with City producing some terrific play.

It led to chances, with Vardy rounding James Beadle but unable to finish, Harry Winks bending just over, Wout Faes missing the target from close range on the stretch, and Dennis Praet nearly finishing off a superb one-touch move from back to front. Eventually, the second did come.

It was a brilliant move. Faes clipped a delightful ball over the top to Dewsbury-Hall, who had the awareness to cushion a volleyed pass into Vardy first time, the skipper scampering onto it and finishing into the bottom corner. It gave City a two-goal lead at the break for the first time at home this season.

City continued where they left off, with Dewsbury-Hall seeing a goalbound shot blocked a minute after the interval after another intricate City move. The chances kept coming, with Fatawu’s deflected shot saved and Vardy a whisker away from sliding in to convert Praet’s cross.

Wednesday did have the odd spell of pressure, with Mads Hermansen tipping Anthony Musaba’s drive wide and Faes getting into a mix-up that nearly led to an own goal. But otherwise, City were dominant, and they remain in control of the promotion race too. Here’s how we scored the players.

Mads Hermansen: He stayed alert during a quiet first half to deny Gassama and then got fingertips to Musaba’s drive to secure the clean sheet. He wasn’t needed much with his feet, with so much of the play at the other end. 7

Ricardo Pereira: He was defensively diligent and put in a few good blocks when Wednesday did get up the pitch. On the ball, he was solid if unspectacular. 7

Wout Faes: He played some excellent crossfield passes to Mavididi early on and then clipped a delighted ball over the top for the second goal. After the break, he lost his concentration a little, and there was one near calamitous mix-up with Hermansen. 7

Jannik Vestergaard: He was composed under the press to coolly nick the ball away from chasing strikers, while he played a good number of passes through the middle of the pitch too. He was defensively solid as well. 7

James Justin: When he gets the chance to run with the ball and takes it, he looks so good, like the flying full-back Justin of old. Plus, he was excellent going the other way too, and put in some big tackles. 8

Harry Winks: There was an early slip on the wet turf, but otherwise, he put his mistake at Watford behind him with a strong performance. Connected play well throughout and was forward-thinking. 7

Dennis Praet: His press helped for the first goal and he made lots of good runs, all while being tidy on the ball. He created chances too, albeit just over-hit a pass to Vardy for what should have been an assist. He was a little sloppier as the game progressed. 7

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: He was alert to nip in and set up the first goal and did some great work from wide positions to make City a threat throughout, combining well with Mavididi and slipping in Vardy a few times. The first-time volleyed pass to set up the second was superb. 8

Abdul Fatawu: He was where he needed to be, and where Maresca would have wanted him to be, to get his first home goal. He put in a few good crosses too and found team-mates in the box regularly. He was quieter in the second half though. 7

Jamie Vardy: His one-touch lay-offs were excellent and a big part of City’s free-flowing moves in the first half. He was rewarded with a goal against his boyhood club, finishing with composure. 8

Stephy Mavididi: His footwork was dazzling in the first period, a thrill to watch. It led to chances for City too. His own finishing wasn’t at its best and he was a little out of the game in the second half, but he was always exciting. 8

Kasey McAteer: He went backwards too often to the annoyance of the crowd and of his manager too. Maresca was animated in telling him he should go forward. 5

Hamza Choudhury: Didn’t see much of the ball with Wednesday having more possession late on. N/A

Tom Cannon: He was caught offside a couple of times, but looked eager to make the runs and try to get a third goal. N/A

Who was your star man against Sheffield Wednesday? Let us know in the comments section below.

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