August 14, (THEWILL) – On their 2011/2022 season opener, Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy scored a 41st minute thumping first-time strike that was enough for the English Premier League side to beat EPL returnees Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 at the King Power Stadium.
The 34-year-old striker had earlier put the ball in the net but that 15th minute attempt was correctly ruled out for offside and did not count. Vardy could have made up for that in the very next minute but for the defensive alertness of Wolves Conor Coady.
Wolves challenged the Foxes too to seek goals of their own and put Leicester on the back foot but Adama Traore, who was their best player on the day, could not convert when through and sent his effort wide in the one-on-one with Kasper Schmeichel in the Leicester goal.
The misses of goal opportunities having balanced out fairly on both sides, it became Vardy’s responsibility to break the deadlock and once more open the Foxes goal-scoring account for the season. The England striker met Ricardo Pereira’s perfect cross with a brilliant volley that gave Wolves’ Jose Sa no chance.
Leicester went into the break on the back of that lead but Wolves very nearly found the leveller soon after play resumed. Barcelona loanee for the visitors, Francisco Trincao was to get his name on the scoresheet in his Wolves debut, only for a Caglar Soyuncu challenge to deny him the chance.
That was as far as they went to disturb the Schmeichel post even though chances came and went for both sides. Wolves defender Max Kilman missed a couple of half-chances and there was another offside goal by Coady.
Nigerian international Kelechi Iheanacho played about 18 minutes as a substitute but was not able to attain his supersub level, registering no shots on goal or on target. However, Wilfred Ndidi was in good form and kept the defensive midfield position ticking throughout to give Brendan Rodgers side all three points.
Vardy’s goal made him the third of all Premiership players to score in their team’s opening weekend of the EPL. Only Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer, who scored eight each, have more goals in the opening weekend than Vardy.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
