Kelechi Iheanacho squeezes Leicester past Walsall and into FA Cup fifth round

28-Jan-2023 14:36:39 | The Guardian

For more than an hour Leicester were frustrated with their League Two opponents Walsall gamely providing resistance but Brendan Rodgers turned to his proven FA Cup finisher and Kelechi Iheanacho duly delivered. The striker had been on the pitch for only five minutes, as a second-half substitute, but his deflected strike – his 17th goal in the competition from 23 appearances – was enough to edge Leicester into the fifth round.

Despite dominating possession and peppering in 28 shots Leicester had to wait until the 68th minute for their fortuitous breakthrough. Youri Tielemans, who struck the winner for Leicester in the 2021 FA Cup final, missed a penalty after the break with his effort cannoning off the post. But Iheanacho, who has scored the most goals in the competition since his debut in 2016, again made the difference to provide a timely lift for Leicester and welcome relief from their struggles in the Premier League.