Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Leicester City's trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.
It's the first of a run of huge games against bottom-half side for Brendan Rodgers' men that will decide their Premier League future, with this a true six-pointer amid a very tight battle to avoid the drop.
City head to Selhurst Park sitting just one point outside the relegation zone and with potential to finish the weekend in a wide range of positions. Victory could see them sit 12th by the end of Sunday evening, but a loss could see them drop to 19th.
While City's form in 2023 has been pretty shoddy, it's not been as bad as Crystal Palace's. They are yet to win a Premier League game this calendar year, a run of results that saw them sack Patrick Vieira and bring back Roy Hodgson to oversee their fight for survival. It's the veteran manager's first game back in the dugout this afternoon.
We are live at Selhurst Park to bring you action, analysis, and reaction. Kick-off is at 3pm, with team news expected at 2pm.
Key Events
Kristiansen sub?
“It was planned. He’s not been training so much. He’s got back in the past four or five days. We wanted to give him that 55 minutes to an hour. His groins were really tight and he was suffering. It was great to get him back onto the field again.”
Psychological impact of falling into relegation zone?
“Everything’s in our control. We have a lot of points to play for. We’ve been in the position before and dealt with that adverse moment and got ourselves out of it. We have 10 games to go. The next game’s a massive game. We have two home games against teams we need to be getting points against. We have to focus on ourselves, our performance, which will hopefully take the results. The rest will look after itself.”
Is that effort and spirit enough to keep you up?
“Well, we’ve got 30 points to play for. We have 10 games to go. It’s certainly going to need more that, otherwise you will suffer. We need to be better that that of course. We have shown it, just not consistently.”
31 shots to three - worst in Prem this season. That a concern?
“Absolutely. It’s where the season has been for us, both in terms of attacking and defending. Like I say, there’s plenty of effort and spirit there. The confidence is quite where we want it to be, but the players are working hard.”
Reason for last-minute goal? Souttar caught out?
“We can’t let Ayew turn first and foremost. He comes in and you can’t let him turn.”
Performance?
“It’s a really sore one, that’s for sure. I thought in the first half we defended well but we didn’t play well. We had a couple of moments. Certainly the back four and goalkeeper defended well. At half-time we had to adjust it to gain more possession, and quick possession, and in the first 15 minutes of the second half, we were excellent, we had a good flow, scored a great goal. We had the energy in the team. When they scored the free-kick, I thought it was harsh, first of all. When it does go in, we were unlucky on that. We didn’t regain our rhythm after that, but we were still fighting and we were resilient and it looks like by the end it’s going to be a point. To concede right at the death with no time to come back, it’s a really painful one.”
Full-time: Palace 2-1 City
Mateta's goal at the death wins it for Palace, and City could end the weekend in the relegation zone.
Goal. Palace win it at the death
Palace score with about the last kick of the game.
Ayew spins in a pass to Mateta, who escapes Souttar and finishes past Iversen.
What a moment that could be in City's season.
What a header by Ricardo!
Ayew crosses and Mateta looks like he's going to nod it into the net, but Ricardo gets ahead of him with a flick to put him off and then Mitchell volleys into the ground and over.
Four minutes have been added
City will be happy to take a point as things stand.
Iversen tips around the post
Olise's free-kick goes over everyone but needs tipping around the post from Iversen. There was a shirt tug from Faes on Guehi too that wasn't spotted.
It's been all Palace since the equaliser.
Penalty shout for Palace
Souttar seems to go through the back of Edouard as he tries to turn in the box, but the referee says no.
Meanwhile, Ricardo looks to be struggling. He grimaced as he made a clearance a couple of moments ago.
Game opening up and slowing down
It feels like the energy is low in both teams at the moment, but that also means there's more room to attack into.
Just now, Eze has a shot from range that heads towards the corner, Iversen getting across to palm wide.
Iheanacho on for Daka
The fans chant the Nigerian's name as he comes on for the final 20 minutes.
Souttar gets a cheap yellow
The big defender gets turned by Edouard and rather than let him face Faes in a one-on-one, he drags him back and takes the yellow.
Thomas on
There's been another sub for City. Thomas is on at left-back, with Kristiansen going off.
It may be an injury, or they may just be concerned over him being on a yellow.
Goal. Palace equalise
It'll go down as an Iversen own goal.
They'll be debate over the free-kick, Eze going down easily under pressure from Daka. But it was terrifically hit from Eze from 25 yards, the ball hitting the bar, bouncing down, and then hitting Iversen before rolling over the line.
GOAL!!! Ricardo scores!
City are ahead! What a hit!
Ndidi plays a long raking pass to Castagne, who cuts the ball back to Ricardo to fire into the top corner. It's his first goal in 14 months, and it's the first time in 2023 that City have scored first in a game.
Chance for Maddison!
It's terrific work down the left from Dewsbury-Hall to shrug off Eze, twist Ward inside out and then chip a cross to the back post where Maddison controls. He can't get the power on the shot though and Guaita saves at his near post.
First shot!
Fifty seconds into the second half and City have their first shot of the afternoon, Daka laying off to Castagne, whose effort is blocked out for a corner.
Ricardo on for Tete
There's a half-time sub for City as Ricardo replaces Tete.
Castagne will move forward to the right wing.
Twenty shots to none
Palace's shot count is the highest any side has had in a first half in the Premier League for more than seven years, since Liverpool against City in December 2015.
Half-time: Palace 0-0 City
It's goalless, but that is one of the worst 45 minutes of football City have produced this season.
They may have come closest to scoring with Kristiansen's scuffed cross off the post, but otherwise, it's been all Palace, who have had 20 shots to City's none.
Zaha subbed off
Unsurprisingly, the Palace skipper can't continue. Ayew replaces him.
There will be two minutes added time.
Zaha goes down
That must be a bad one.
Zaha has the ball on the edge of the box and he's about to cross when all of a sudden he collapses to the floor holding his groin. We'll have a break in play while he gets treatment.
It looks like he overstretched as he went to receive the pass to his feet.
Game slowing down
It's still Palace on top, but at least they're not creating chances so readily at the moment.
As things stand, Palace have had 17 shots, City have had none.
Ndidi saves himself
Ndidi's pass to Faes is short and Schlupp picks it up before offloading to Olise. But Ndidi gets back to get in the way of the shot.
From the corner, Edouard squeezes a shot in that Iversen saves comfortably.
Kristiansen booked
The Dane blocks Olise as he tries to play a one-two around him and gets a yellow card. He's got to be careful now, and against a tricky customer.
Maddison out of sorts
This has been so poor from City. It's far too easy for Palace to play through them and get into the box.
On the ball, they're just lumping it forward and hoping Daka's pace causes problems.
As for Maddison, he's barely touched the ball. For the first time in a while, he gets it in the midfield and clips it straight out of play.
