Leicester City missed out on the opportunity to move up to second in the Premier League table on Sunday afternoon after they fell to a disappointing defeat at home to Leeds United.

Harvey Barnes had given the Foxes the perfect start 13 minutes in with a well-worked goal from inside the box but the home side were pegged back level just two minutes later after Stuart Dallas' tidy finish.

The game was a lively contest at the King Power Stadium however it was Leeds who would deservedly take the lead  through Patrick Bamford's excellent curling effort before Jack Harrison made sure of the points, rolling the ball into an empty net following a swift counter-attack from the away side.

The result means that Leicester dropped to fourth in the table after Liverpool were able to beat West Ham United on Sunday night, and with teams below them still with games in hand to play, their top-four spot could be under threat in the weeks to come.

Set-Pieces need addressing

It's been a tale as old as time of late but plain and simply, the Foxes need to address their set-piece play, both from an attacking and defensive point of view.

The last time Leicester scored from a set-piece was in December 2019 against Norwich City - albeit that one was an own goal - but it is a record that isn't good enough. Too many times this season the Foxes seem to struggle to even beat the first man from a corner, or fail to  pose a threat from a free-kick.

This was none more so apparent than when a free-kick in an attacking area gave Leicester the chance to find an equaliser, however James Maddison's timid ball into the box was easily cleared away and resulted in Leeds wrapping up the game by scoring a third.

Defensively, the East Midlanders are no better. They've conceded more goals from set-pieces than any other team in the league this season and time and time again seem to get caught out using the zonal marking system.

If they are to seriously challenge for the title and secure a Champions League spot, they simply have to improve.

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Wrong team selection from Rodgers?

There's been many times this season where Brendan Rodgers has made the right call in terms of personnel, however Sunday was not one of them.

As proven with the Everton game, when playing Ayoze Perez as a striker, the main threats of Marc Albrighton are nullified in some ways. With no focal point to cross balls into the box to, Albrighton then struggles to have an impact on the game.

Instead, Rodgers should have explored the option of starting Cengiz Under, or if deciding to stick with Albrighton, a more recognisable striker in Kelechi Iheanacho to combat these problems.

Furthermore, the decision to sub Albrighton for Caglar Soyuncu and revert to a three-at-the-back system seemed to be a relatively defensive move and whilst it worked for a small period, the Foxes ultimately ended up conceding two goals after switching formations.

The Northern Irishman was frustrated by the goals he saw his side concede, and ahead of the Fulham game on Wednesday, it wouldn't be a surprise to see a change of some personnel in the line-up.

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A missed opportunity 

Perhaps the most frustrating part of yesterday's result was that it was a familiar story for the Foxes in the sense that the game was a missed opportunity.

A win for Leicester would've taken them a point clear of Manchester United and into second place however they found themselves on the end of defeat yet again on home soil.

For the large part of the season, it's been an excellent display from Rodgers' side however results like yesterday's could prove costly in the long run.

With games against Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers to come in the league before Liverpool at home, it is imperative that the Foxes achieve maximum points ahead of a crucial game against the title holders which could determine if they are serious contenders for the crown. 

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