Harry Winks secured a late victory for Leicester, defeating West Brom 2-1 in a thrilling ending to give their coach, Enzo Maresca, a triumphant return to the Hawthorns. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s 72nd-minute header – his sixth goal of the season – gave the top-ranked team in the Championship the lead, and the midfielder later assisted Winks in the fourth minute of added time after Albion’s substitute Josh Maja seemed to have saved a draw.
Maresca, who started his professional career at West Brom and played 47 games there between 1998 and 2000, will have been relieved as there was little between the teams, who both hit the goal frame in the first half.
The referee denied West Brom’s penalty request when Grady Diangana fell in the box, possibly due to being pushed. Albion was slow to respond after goalkeeper Mads Hermansen made a mistake with his pass, resulting in an interception. Brandon Thomas-Asante attempted a shot but it was blocked.
In the 25th minute, the team playing at home came very close to scoring when Cédric Kipré hit the post after Matt Phillips’s corner was deflected by a couple of players. However, Leicester also hit the goal frame when Kelechi Iheanacho’s shot was deflected by Darnell Furlong’s attempt and hit the near post.
After the break, it seemed like there was a chance for some action when Diangana’s shot curved and was accidentally sent over the bar by Wout Faes. However, the game turned into a messy affair with both teams making mistakes in the midfield and the defenses remaining strong.
The situation nearly shifted when Wilfred Ndidi connected with a cross from substitute Abdul Fatawu. However, his header was not strong enough to overcome Alex Palmer, who fumbled before the ball was eventually cleared.
The combination of Ndidi and Fatawu proved to be extremely effective once again in the 72nd minute. Fatawu noticed Ndidi making a run past the West Brom midfield while in the inside-right position, and Ndidi then crossed the ball to Dewsbury-Hall who headed it into the goal from six yards out, beating out Furlong.
Albion tied the game in a messy manner. Furlong’s throw-in was cleared by Faes, but Kipré redirected it back towards the goal. A Leicester defender on the ground unintentionally assisted Maja in scoring his first goal since February 2022.
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However, Leicester utilized a counterattack strategy against West Brom, capitalizing on a long throw-in. Iheanacho made a pass from his own half to Dewsbury-Hall, who then advanced 40 yards with the ball. He successfully drew out Palmer and passed the ball to Winks for an easy goal.
Source: theguardian.com
