Leicester 1 - West Brom 1: Riyad Mahrez strike cancels out Nacer Chadli's free-kick
THE GERMAN surgeon known as ‘Healing Hans’ might have eased the pain for Nacer Chadli but it was left to Riyad Mahrez to relieve Craig Shakespeare’s agony.
Riyad Mahrez scored on 80 minutes to rescue Leicester a point
Chadli returned from footballing exile to fire West Bromwich Albion ahead and pile more pressure on Leicester boss Shakespeare.
But Mahrez popped up with an equaliser 10 minutes from the final whistle to give Shakespeare some welcome relief.
Belgium international Chadli was back in the Baggies team for the first time this season after an appointment with renowned German doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt and responded with a superb opening goal in the 63rd minute, only for Mahrez to cancel it out 17 minutes later.
It felt like an important goal for Shakespeare, whose team were without a Premier League win in five games and face a crunch trip to fellow strugglers Swansea on Saturday.
For Chadli, it was the perfect return after he had found first-team chances limited following his decision to skip the pre-season training trip to Austria.
And it vindicated his trip to see Muller-Wohlfahrt - famed for unusual techniques including the injecting of animal blood – to ease a back injury sustained on international duty.
But it was not enough to give Tony Pulis’s side their first league win since August 19.
Leicester made much of the early running and forced two free-kicks in dangerous areas wide on the left.
Both were drifted towards the far post by the left foot of Riyad Mahrez but the first was poorly directed and the second narrowly evaded Leicester’s players.
West Brom gave the hosts a scare in the 10th minute when Kieran Gibbs found space on the left to collect a Gareth Barry pass.
His cross found Jay Rodriguez at the far post but his touch was heavy and the opportunity passed them by.
Gibbs was the architect of another promising Baggies attack in the 17th minute when he wandered off the touchline to collect a clever chip from Salomon Rondon.
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West Brom earned a point in their trip to the King Power
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Gibbs delayed his cross and picked out Nacer Chadli on the edge of the area but the Belgian, making his first Premier League appearance of the season, connected poorly with a shot that bounced wide of the target.
There was little to inspire either set of fans in a first half-hour that was characterised by the risk-averse play of both sides.
When Albion eventually tried to play they way into a threatening position, Gareth Barry’s poor pass put them in trouble.
Leicester broke through Kelechi Iheanacho and their progress was halted by Jonny Evans foul on Jamie Vardy for a free-kick that brought the first involvement by either goalkeeper.
Boaz Myhill, deputising in goal for West Brom’s injured Ben Foster, made a comfortable catch from Christian Fuchs’ cross.
Myhill was extended further moments later as he pulled off the first save of the game 10 minutes before half-time.
He reacted well to beat away a stinging volley from distance by Danny Simpson, with Vicente Iborra scooping the rebound over the bar.
West Brom threatened again shortly before half-time as Grzegorz Krychowiak hammered a 20-yard shot high and wide.
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Nacer Chadli scored a delightful free-kick to put West Brom ahead
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And Jamie Vardy saw a difficult far-post header for Leicester spin for a corner off Hegazi’s head.
here was drama early in the second half when Vardy chased down a dreadful Hegazi backpass and was body-checked by Myhill right on the edge of the Albion area.
Referee Mike Dean awarded a free-kick just outside the box and resisted any temptation to send off Myhill for denying a goalscoring opportunity, showing the goalkeeper a yellow card instead.
Leicester then squandered a glorious chance to open the scoring five minutes into the second half after West Brom were unlocked by some slick passing.
Marc Albrighton’s cross from the left found Riyad Mahrez unmarked but he lifted a shot over the bar.
Myhill was still struggling from the impact of his collision with Vardy but carried on after two bouts of treatment with untried youngster Alex Palmer the only option on the substitutes’ bench.
Leicester looked the more likely scorers but it was West Brom who opened the scoring in style on 63 minutes through Chadli.
Iheanacho was yellow-carded for a late challenge on Krychowiak and Chadli stepped up to bend the resulting free-kick over the Leicester wall and past a wrong-footed Kasper Schmeichel.
But Mahrez had the last word with a well-struck equaliser to ease the strain on his under-pressure manager.
