After 43 largely forgettable shots and a penalty shootout looming ominously for both Bournemouth and Leicester, naturally the winner in a low-quality game was a beauty.
The extra-time interval was imminent when the substitute Abdul Fatawu took matters into his own hands, sending a superb left-foot shot curling into the top corner to earn Leicester a spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals. After a blip in their assault on the Championship, this was a welcome boon for Leicester.
Fatawu, the forward on loan from Sporting, collected fellow substitute Kelechi Iheanacho’s pass on the edge of the box, shuffled the ball out of his feet and past Milos Kerkez to buy a peek of the Bournemouth goal before dispatching an unstoppable strike. Fatawu charged off in celebration towards the away fans spread across two stands. Many of the earlier wayward efforts were comical, bordering on slapstick, keeping the ballboys on their toes throughout.
Solanke had an MRI scan on a niggling knee injury on Tuesday, hours before Unal was forced off. “It is a bad day for us,” Iraola said. “To lose two No 9s in the same day is a worry.”
Leicester carry fond memories of this competition, having lifted the trophy three years ago under Brendan Rodgers, and while they will look forward to Wednesday’s draw it is plain their primary focus is securing a return to the Premier League at the first attempt. Enzo Maresca promised changes and made nine of them, with Hamza Choudhury and Jannik Vestergaard the pair to keep
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