Relive the excitement of Ayew’s late strike that led Leicester to a thrilling 3-2 victory. Explore detailed match insights and key highlights from the game.
Introduction:
Frenzied Leicester City scored a thrilling 3-2 comeback from a staggering comeback at St. Mary’s Stadium in a match long full of thrill in the Premier League against Southampton to snatch victory deep into injury time, courtesy of Jordan Ayew’s last-minute strike sealing all three points for his side. For Southampton, it was a devastating blow as they were unable to hold on for what would have been the club’s first win of the season, allowing them to become stuck at the bottom of the table.
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Southampton’s Good Start
Having come into the match in frenetic manner, Southampton didn’t hold anything in terms of urgency in the game. And it paid off in the early going. Only eight minutes into the match, Cameron Archer, who has brought great form from Aston Villa with him, gave the hosts the lead. Archer connected in a way to direct Ryan Manning’s deflected cross past Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
Southampton continued to dominate, and 20 minutes later they more than doubled the advantage. A fine run by Kyle Walker-Peters had opened up the right wing and presented Joe Aribo with a splendid cutback. Aribo coolly slotted the ball past Hermansen, as raptures erupted in the home stands and firmly placed Southampton in control.
The Saints could have just added more to their tally, but fortune was not on their side when this strike hit the crossbar as powerful as that one from Aribo, gave him a second goal for Southampton to be in a comfortable yet precarious 2-0 lead.
Leicester’s Response Begins
Leicester has been quite resilient under Steve Cooper but in the first half, cannot keep a plug on the attacks from Southampton. But after the break, it emerged a different side. Leicester were back at it through Facundo Buonanotte in the 64th minute and this was made possible through some good work from Abdul Fatawu, the Ghanaian winger, as he skillfully dances past two defenders and sets up for Buonanotte who made no mistake from close range.
Such was the aim which brought alive the Foxes, who started looking for an equalizer. Fatawu, who had already influenced the creation of the first goal, almost levelled the scores with a thunderous strike that rattled the crossbar at the 71st minute, making the Southampton defense on their toes.
Turning point: Fraser’s Red Card and Vardy’s Penalty
The game then took a dramatic turn when Leicester were awarded a penalty in the 74th minute after a VAR review for a shirt pull on Jamie Vardy. Southampton’s Ryan Fraser, who otherwise played a good game until that moment, was given a straight red card for the foul. Reduced to 10 men, Southampton’s defense came under immense pressure.
Vardy, as ever dependable from 12 yards, calmly slotted the penalty to level the score at 2-2. The game was quite obviously firmly in Leicester’s hands as Southampton battled on for a draw.
Ayew’s Last-Gasp Winner
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Southampton fought very hard to salvage something from the match. Finally, in stoppages late on their resilience was broken. At 98 minutes, a Harry Winks corner met an unmarked Jordan Ayew. He coolly slotted it into the bottom corner of the net, completing Leicester’s dramatic comeback.
It was a goal at 97 minutes and 34 seconds that ensured it was the latest Premier League winner for Leicester since the campaign of 2006-07. The victory marked the sorry end to the game Southampton dominated.
Even though Southampton lost in a heart-wrenching manner, Kyle Walker-Peters was the standout Saints player. In both of their first-half goals, his creative playing for his side on the right flank defined and controlled the rhythm of the game. His link-up play with Ryan Manning and his ability to get past his marker to create space plagued Leicester City’s defense throughout the match. If Walker-Peters had driven more assists, Southampton would have mightily benefited from this opportunity. Instead, Southampton’s inability to convert their early dominance came back to haunt them at crucial points of the game, and defensive lapses sealed their fate.
Leicester’s Fighting Spirit
Leicester came back from half-time a tougher team as they outplayed Premier League opponents Bournemouth over the closing 45 minutes of this encounter, especially after the game was leveled by Jamie Vardy. Steve Cooper’s side showed huge character coming into the second half after a feeble first half of football. Buonanotte’s goal gave them a lifeline while Vardy’s equalizer completely changed the momentum of the game. However, it was Ayew’s clinical finish in stoppage time that ensured the win and Leicester up to 14th on the table.
Southampton suffers another blow
Southampton will be left down at the bottom of Premier League as this defeat extends their winless run. After that promising start, they could not get through the match and fail to keep up with Leicester City’s comeback in the second half. The red card for Ryan Fraser also was a decisive moment in the match, and Leicester’s pressure was too much for Southampton’s defense.
Conclusion
Leicester City’s thrilling victory over Southampton is an exemplary game of perspiration and insight in the tactical sense. The Saints couldn’t take home the three points as they played out the final minutes of the two-goal lead, and thus, still haven’t won a game this season as Leicester City continues their climb to the top. Jordan Ayew’s stoppage-time winner will surely go down as one of the most monumental moments of Leicester’s season so far.