Leicester City booked their spot in the FA Cup Fourth Round as they earned a comfortable 2-0 win against Championship outfit Wigan Athletic at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts took the lead in the 19th minute as Wigan defender Tom Pearce put through his own net as he attempted to clear Marc Albrighton's low cross. Harvey Barnes doubled Leicester's advantage as he raced onto a clever pass and eventually scored via a deflected finish.
Jamal Lowe thought he had reduced the deficit in the second-half with a powerful finish at the near post but the goal was chalked off by VAR due to a close offside decision as the Foxes progressed.
Story of the Match
Own goal gifts Leicester the lead
The Premier League side predictably started the better and seized the early lead. Albrighton did excellently to race away from the Wigan defence and attempted to find Barnes in the penalty area. However, Latics' defender Pearce got his feet in a muddle and turned the ball past his own goalkeeper and into the net.
Their advantage could have been doubled just a couple of minutes later as Demarai Gray and Barnes combined excellently but the latter could not beat David Marshall with a low effort.
Foxes head into break comfortable
Leicester always looked dangerous and following a crucial save by Danny Ward on Gavin Massey's cross, the Foxes broke at speed with Barnes. The England wideman stayed composed to score, albeit with the ball taking a slight touch off of an outstretched leg.
With just 15 minutes remaining, Wigan thought they had a lifeline through Lowe as he powered in Pearce's brilliant cross at the near post but due to a marginal offside call, the goal was ruled out.
VAR then intervened again as substitute Wilfred Ndidi attempted to steamroller his way into the Wigan penalty area, only to fall on his route to goal. The original decision was no foul, an aspect that remained following a brief check, with the final whistle bringing a close to proceedings.
Takeaways
Centre-half worries for Foxes
Despite their excellent win, there will be troubles for Leicester going forwards considering the injuries they picked up in the game. Both starting centre-backs Wes Morgan and Filip Benkovic had to be substituted through injury, leaving the Foxes with only Jonny Evans and Caglar Soyuncu as conventional centre-backs. Despite Christian Fuchs being an able deputy, it will be interesting to see if the Foxes dip into the market for a signing at the back.
Offsides blunt Wigan attacks
With Leicester boasting one of the best defences in the Premier League, it was always going to be a tough task for Wigan to find the net. One aspect that did not help them though was the sheer amount of times that their forwards failed to make the correct run. The Latics were flagged offside nine times throughout the match, halting their attacks before they had even begun.
Second string Leicester cruise
It would potentially be fair to suggest that Leicester weren't quite at their flowing best during the match but never really looked in any danger of losing the match. The Foxes were comfortable and kept Wigan at arms' length, securing a deserved win.