Palace Fight Back To Secure Draw With Leicester

Crystal Palace fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 home draw with Leicester City in the Premier League on Sunday, as substitutes Michael Olise and Jeffrey Schlupp cancelled out first-half goals by Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy.

Leicester were in cruise control after two howlers by Palace centre back Joachim Andersen but the hosts looked the more likely winners after a superb second-half fightback.

The result left Leicester 13th in the table on eight points with Palace one point behind them in 14th.

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers was furious after seeing his team throw away a two-goal advantage.

“It is a disappointing result,” he told Sky Sports. “I think we went in front against the run of play but I thought we always looked a threat.

“Throughout the game we didn’t look solid defensively in our final 25 yards of the pitch. So that is something that the international break gives us a chance to reflect on.”

Iheanacho, celebrating his 25th birthday, fired Leicester ahead in the 31st minute when he robbed Andersen of the ball and steered it past goalkeeper Vicente Guaita from the edge of the penalty area.

Another error by the Danish defender allowed Vardy to double the lead six minutes later as he slotted the ball inside the near post after Andersen failed to cut out a Harvey Barnes pass into the area.

The 34-year old Vardy became only the second player to score 90 Premier League goals after turning 30, three fewer than former Arsenal striker Ian Wright.

Olise was instrumental in Palace’s comeback as he netted his first Premier League goal shortly after coming on for Jordan Ayew, and he also had a hand in the equaliser.

The 19-year old, who joined Palace from Championship side Reading during the close season, volleyed home his own rebound from 12 metres after a Palace defender had blocked his initial attempt in the 61st minute.

Incessant Palace pressure bore fruit again 11 minutes later as the visiting defence failed to clear Olise’s cross and the ball fell kindly to Schlupp, who powered a close-range header past Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel.

Schlupp almost scored another against his former club when he headed wide and the visitors were hanging on in stoppage time.

“It is one of those things, I got my first goal against my old club which is what I wanted to do when I came on,” he said. “It is nice to get a goal and rescue a point.

Reuters