Plymouth Argyle 1-0 Leicester City: Foxes promotion hopes thwarted by Pilgrims

Plymouth Argyle beat Championship leaders Leicester City to their automatic promotion hopes and their very own survival hopes were greatly boosted with a 1-0 victory at Home Park.

Leicester’s Patson Daka had two incredible possibilities to equalize in the primary 20 minutes of the second half, however the hosts defended doggedly with a Foxes team that was becoming increasingly frustrated.

Argyle goalkeeper Michael Cooper did well to disclaim substitute Jamie Vardy within the 87th minute because the visitors didn’t convert late pressure right into a goal.

The Foxes’ defeat – their second successive away defeat following Tuesday’s loss to Millwall – means they continue to be top of the table with 88 points.

They are level on points with Ipswich Town and one clear of Leeds United, and each teams have a likelihood to overtake the Foxes on Saturday when Leeds host Blackburn and Ipswich face Middlesbrough.

Since Ian Foster’s sacking as head coach, Argyle are unbeaten in all three games, taking seven points from nine.

The victory sees Plymouth – under the interim management of sporting director Neil Dewsnip and first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell – move from twentieth to sixteenth place, five points clear of the relegation zone.

Leicester, who discovered about it earlier within the day he shouldn’t be in peril of getting points deducted this season as a result of financial problems – they showed their intentions early on when Daka’s shot was ruled out for offside within the sixth minute, before two minutes later Ricardo Pereira forced a great save from Cooper after a pleasant 1-2 with Wilfried Ndidi.

The Foxes dominated possession however it was Argyle who took the lead with two of their five players back on the pitch following Tuesday’s draw with QPR.

Adam Forshaw’s good pass from midfield took Bundu out on the left wing and the Sierra Leone striker cut inside and located the underside corner as Wout Faes passed him.

Leicester continued to dominate possession, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Harry Winks going close from distance, but struggled to convert possession into meaningful possibilities.

And because the noise level rose at Home Park, the hosts could have taken the lead five minutes before the break when Morgan Whittaker and the impressive Forshaw played a one-two within the box, with the previous firing a shot high over the crossbar.

The hosts began the second half with more intensity, increasing the pressure on the Foxes, but Leicester must have equalized at 10. Correct.

Substitute Dennis Praet headed the ball towards the visitors before Daka wasted one other golden opportunity, slotting home a shot from Praet from 4 yards.

Leicester focused on their very own half for long periods but didn’t make the decisive pass because the hosts put their best foot forward and compelled the Foxes into mistakes.

Vardy gave his all late in the sport when he was tapped, but Cooper faced his line to smother the previous England striker and Argyle held on for a memorable victory that was deafeningly received by fans who now feel they could stay awake after this goal. a tumultuous three months of Foster’s reign during which they fell off the table.

Plymouth Argyle director of football, Neil Dewsnip, told BBC Sport:

“I’m delighted. We knew exactly how difficult it would be.

“We knew we were going to play against an outstanding possession football team, but we had a game plan and luckily it paid off.

“It was our night and I’m delighted that our players worked incredibly hard, harder than they probably realized they could.

“We know it’s not over yet, so in the next three games we will work really hard to get more points.”

Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca told BBC Sport:

“It was a tough week, two losses in a row that we didn’t expect.

“We are nervous, the only good thing is that fortunately it remains in our hands

“We have to take our chances to win our games.

“We are struggling to score goals at the moment, but we have created chances in the box, in the box and outside the box.

“Tonight was one of those games where it didn’t matter which way, we had to win

“But the positive thing is that in the last four games it was still in our hands.”