Goals from Tyrhys Dolan and Sammie Szmodics helped Blackburn produce one of the shock football scores of the weekend in the FA Cup. Despite Kelechi Iheanacho’s goal, Tyrhys Dolan and Sammie Szmodics took advantage of poor defense to upset the 2021 champions. On Sunday, Brendan Rodgers celebrated four years as a manager at the King Power Stadium, and this defeat represented his 200th game. No one can deny his development in his first two years, which resulted in the club’s first FA Cup success, but this season has been especially difficult. Two wins in their previous nine Premier League games have long ago slowed their progress away from the relegation zone, but reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals would have provided a natural lift ahead of the last push.
Instead, loss by Blackburn, who have been unreliable in the Championship, is just another nail in the coffin of a season the Foxes would rather forget. Rovers were well-deserved champions. They capitalized on every error, and there were plenty of them, to punish the hosts, and they kept their cool as Leicester attempted a late assault, with Daniel Amartey hitting the post. Six changes, including Ricardo Pereira’s first appearance since May 2022 following his return from an Achilles tear, did not dilute the Foxes’ early quality, and they could have been ahead after eight minutes.
Dennis Praet was selfless when given space on the outskirts of the neighborhood and fed Tete, who was refused by Aynsley Pears. But, the rebound dropped pleasantly for Praet, who should have done better than shoot straight at Pears. The Rovers goalkeeper then saved Jamie Vardy’s angled shot, but the visitors were not to be outdone, creating some dangerous situations. Leicester’s wastefulness had emboldened them, and the Foxes’ defensive flaws had only fueled their fire. First, Luke Thomas’ slip gave Dolan a chance, and then Daniel Iversen had to be alert to keep out Szmodics after the Foxes lost the ball, despite the forward’s bad finish.
Blackburn had grown into the game as the Foxes’ threat faded, and the hosts’ sloppy defending was a major source of anxiety. Even a straightforward long ball caused issues, as a missed header by Wout Faes and a miscued one by Amartey allowed Szmodics to set up an unmarked Dolan. The striker was only eight yards out with Iversen to beat, but his low strike was stopped by the goalie. However, it was only a temporary reprieve until another error was punished by Dolan after 33 minutes.
Amartey’s play-out attempt was reckless and ill-advised, as his pass was intercepted by the forward, who arrowed toward the goal and beat Iversen from the edge of the box. If Leicester had been reckless before the break, they’re defending immediately after turned disastrous, as they fell further behind seven minutes into the second half. Just Ryan Hedges’ wayward finish prevented Rovers from extending their advantage after Boubakary Soumare was robbed on the edge of his own box, but Leicester ignored the warning once more.
After a heavy foul on Thomas by Sam Gallagher, the striker raced from the halfway line to find Szmodics on the edge of the box. He still had a lot to do, but he pushed his way past Amartey and Pereira, and his gentle shot rolled quietly into the corner. Another Iversen saves prevented Szmodics from making it 3-0 soon after, as Leicester collapsed.
Rovers were more confident and determined, but the Foxes scored unexpectedly with 23 minutes remaining. For the first time, Harvey Barnes found space and pulled back, allowing Iheanacho to score his now-customary FA Cup goal from close range. Pears also denied the striker as time expired, and Amartey’s header hit the post in injury time.
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