Dickov's Spot-Kick Seals Victory For Leicester Over Wolves In 2002
Wolves, now overseen by former Benfica manager Bruno Lage, will arrive on Filbert Way on Saturday 14 August as the Foxes begin their eighth consecutive season in the Premier League. For the visitors, meanwhile, it will be the first season since 2017 without Nuno Espírito Santo at the helm.
Following confirmation of that curtain-raiser encounter, LCFC.com now casts an eye back to a significant clash with Wolves 19 years ago...
Leicester City 1 Wolves 0
Saturday 28 September, 2002
First Division (now Championship)
Walkers Stadium (now King Power Stadium)
A sixth-minute spot-kick from Paul Dickov fired Micky Adams' 10-man Leicester City to a sixth successive home victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday 28 September, 2002. City approached the fixture having won all five of their opening home matches at the newly-opened Walkers Stadium.
Following relegation from the Premier League the previous season, which coincided with their final campaign at Filbert Street, the Foxes were among the favourites for promotion. However, off-field matters meant the 2002/03 season carried a significant degree of uncertainly for the Football Club.
While Leicester did eventually fall into administration in October, the excellence of Adams' side on the pitch ensured a swift return to the top flight as First Division runners-up – second only to Harry Redknapp's equally as impressive Portsmouth outfit.
A key part of that achievement was their early season home form, typified by this hard-fought success over David Jones' Wolves, who eventually joined Pompey and the Foxes in the Premier League by securing promotion through the play-offs.
In the run-up to the encounter, Adams described it as City's 'most difficult one so far' and warned the Blue Army that 'table-watching is a dangerous pastime at this stage of the season'.
Any pre-match jitters were eased early on, however, as Lee Naylor felled Dickov in the penalty area, providing the Scottish forward with the opportunity to score one of his 17 league goals that term. He would ultimately take home the 2002/03 Player of the Season prize too.
With the Foxes down to 10 men in the second half, following a second booking for Turkey midfielder and firm fans' favourite, Muzzy Izzet, Wolves did pose the home side more problems in the latter moments. Leicester also threatened to be their own worst enemy at times.
When an uncharacteristic mistake from England goalkeeper Ian Walker handed the visitors a free-kick on the edge of his six-yard box, a frenzied passage of play somehow resulted in City's clean sheet remaining intact.
A massed wall did its job after Paul Ince touched the ball back for Naylor to drive it at Walker's goal, but Leicester were able to scramble the ball away and maintain a challenge on early pacesetters Portsmouth. Relief for the crowd of 32,082 – Filbert Way's highest-ever attendance in the second tier.
In total, Leicester have won 38 of their 115 clashes with Wolves, dating back to 1906, drawing 34 and losing 43.