With nine games remaining in the Premier League this season, Leicester City sit firmly inside the top four and it seems very likely that Champions League football will be played at the King Power Stadium for the second time in the past four years.
So with football currently suspended in England until the April 30th at the earliest, it is a great chance to look back and gain some perspective on how things have changed.
Only six years ago today, Leicester City hosted Yeovil Town in the Championship. Nigel Pearson’s side looked to continue their 17-match unbeaten run in their quest to gain promotion to the Premier League for the first time in a decade.
The hosts lined up with eight players who were all involved in the infamous Premier League title winning squad of the 2015/16 season. Current Premier League top-scorer Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, Kasper Schmeichel, Danny Drinkwater and Wes Morgan all started and formed a core part of Pearson’s Leicester team.
Yeovil take a shock lead
Yeovil were battling against relegation but shocked the home crowd as they took the lead against the run of play. Cardiff loanee, Joe Ralls curled a brilliant left footed free kick past Schmeichel and into the bottom corner to give Gary Johnson’s side the lead.
Leicester should have levelled before the break as Mahrez found space in the box but he blazed his strike well over the bar. A rare miss from the Algerian, who went on to win the PFA Player of the Year award in 2016.
Coming up against Mahrez was Luke Ayling. The right back is now a regular in Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United side who are looking set on promotion to the top flight this season. Ayling has also risen through the ranks in his career which unfortunately can’t be said for his former club. Yeovil are now in the Conference Premier after experiencing three relegations in the past six years.
Wood or Schmeichel?
As time looked to be running out, the Foxes found an equaliser in peculiar fashion. As the ball broke to Drinkwater on the right hand side, he crossed into the six-yard box and it was met by goalkeeper Schmeichel, who had remained upfield after contesting a corner.
The Dane’s header clipped the unde,rside of the cross bar and if goal line technology had existed in 2014 the goal would’ve been his. But luckily, as the it bounced back out of the goal, Chris Wood was there to tap home to make sure the goal counted and the now Burnley striker wheeled away in frantic celebration.
This possible ‘sliding doors’ moment shows the contrast in fortunes of two teams who used to be at the same level. Yeovil dropped through the divisions and are now looking to climb back up the football league ladder once again. Whereas, Leicester continued their momentum, reaching a Champions League quarter-final and have a Premier League title to their name.