Premier League champions Leicester City were well held by Southampton in a scoreless draw at the King Power Stadium.
It was a hard fought contest, but one which saw Jamie Vardy miss an excellent chance for the Foxes. Charlie Austin had an equally clear-cut opportunity for Southampton, as both sides ultimately failed to find the target in a gritty 0-0 stalemate.
Leicester City
Kasper Schmeichel – 6.5: Made his return to the side and showed composure in difficult moments to secure a draw for the champions.
Danny Simpson– 5.5: Was caught out at times but maintained his concentration to earn his team a clean sheet.
Wes Morgan – 6: The Leicester captain was able to keep Southampton at bay, although he was stretched on a number of occasions.
Robert Huth – 6: Had a header well saved from a long throw. Was solid if not speculator defensively.
Christian Fuchs – 6.5: His wide-play and long throws saw created opportunities for Leicester to score.
Riyad Mahrez – 5.5: A few wayward efforts in what was a largely subdued performance from the winger. Gone Missing.
Daniel Drinkwater – 7.5: The ball-playing midfielder was threatening throughout the contest but failed to find the final ball to put his team ahead.
Daniel Amartey – 6: A solid performance from the central-midfielder, containing Southampton’s goal threat throughout the match.
Mark Albrighton – 5.5: An ineffective, yet hardworking display before being substituted for Demarai Gray.
Jamie Vardy – 5.5: His trademark finishing has gone missing this season. Continues to let himself down with his efforts. Wayward.
Islam Slimani – 5.5: Has yet to fully settle in his new surroundings with the high tempo game played by Claudio Ranieri looking unfamiliar to the striker. A square peg in a round hole.
Substitutes
Demarai Gray – 5.5: The youngster is full of confidence and caused the Southampton defence some problems.
Shinji Okazaki – 5.5: Flashed a header wide after replacing Vardy, but remained largely unseen in the dying minutes.
Leonardo Ulloa – 5: Brought on late and blazed over the bar in the final seconds of the match.
Southampton
Fraser Forster – 6: His imposing frame, combined with impressive reactions, were enough to deny Leicester.
Cedric Soares – 6: The Portuguese international was substituted midway through the first half with what appeared to be a heel issue.
Jose Fonte – 6: The Saints captain was able when called upon to deny the dynamic opposition attack. Defensive Rock.
Sergio Van Dijk – 5.5: An uncharacteristic error went unpunished and he used his brawn well throughout the contest to contain Leicester.
Ryan Bertrand – 7: Was able to contain the threat of Mahrez in what was a strong performance after his recent injury spell.
Oriol Romeu 6.5: The defensive-midfielder is beginning to put together consistent performances, shielding the defence well. Protector.
Pierre-Emile Hojberg – 7: The 21-year-old has quickly adjusted to life in the Premier League with a composed performance beyond his years.
Steven Davis – 6.5: Made his presence felt across the entire 90 minutes as Southampton controlled the ball.
Dusan Tadic – 6: Was looking for the killer through-ball but could not quite craft an opportunity on the day. Was substitued as his team chased the game.
Nathan Redmond – 6: used as a wide-player in previous seasons, the youngster is taking time to adapt to his striking role. Unachieved Potential.
Charlie Austin – 7: Constantly tested the Leicester City defence in what was a bright performance from the forward.
Substitutes
Cuco Martina – 5: The right-back was required off the bench and although he had some interesting moments he managed to defend well.
Shane Long – 5: Brought on late to bring pace into the final stages of the game, but could not craft an opportunity.
James Ward-Prowse – 4: Had an excellent chance to open the scoring late on, but saw his attempt go high and wide.
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