A Point Apiece For Leicester & Burnley On Filbert Way
Brendan Rodgers welcomed seven players back into City's starting XI following the 2-0 win at Millwall in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, as Ademola Lookman was rewarded for his second-half strike at The Den with a maiden start for the Club in the Premier League.
It was an eventful opening on Filbert Way. Firstly, Lookman's cross came to Harvey Barnes in the area, but Matt Lowton dived into an essential block. The Clarets looked to counter - and Matěj Vydra was in behind the backline - until Jannik Vestergaard recovered and made a smart challenge.
Youri Tielemans then fired wide, after wonderful skill from Boubakary Soumaré to keep the ball in play, while Jamie Vardy couldn't make substantial contact to Ricardo Pereira's cross from deep on the right flank. On 12 minutes, it was Sean Dyche's Clarets who led at King Power Stadium.
Maxwell Cornet won a corner for the visitors and Ashley Westwood whipped it in. Vardy, covering the near post, didn't make full contact and inadvertently glanced the ball beyond Kasper Schmeichel into his own net. Leicester looked to respond straight away.
Barnes had a powerful effort, from 25 yards out, saved by Nick Pope, before Vardy was challenged at the last by James Tarkowski after being played through by Tielemans. Ricardo then fizzed in a perfect cross into the six-yard area and Vardy was there, but Lowton was there again with an extraordinary block.
On the half-hour mark, City won the ball back quickly from a Clarets free-kick and Lookman raced upfield. Waiting for cover, the on-loan winger eventually tried to thread a pass through to Tielemans. Cornet was there to cut it out and then Josh Brownhill curled a free-kick over from 20 yards.
More drama was to come. The Foxes were back on level terms as Vardy latched onto Tielemans' pass with a first-time finish, drilled into Pope's bottom far corner. The jubilation was short-lived, however, as Dyche's visitors restored their advantage immediately when Vydra's cross was volleyed home by Cornet.
Another heroic block by Lowton, to frustrate Barnes again, came shortly afterwards. Inside two minutes added on at the end of the half, there was controversy as second Burnley goalscorer Cornet played the ball out and pulled up with an injury off the field of play before returning to the pitch and hitting the deck.
After being booked by referee Chris Kavanagh, the former Lyon wideman had to be replaced by Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson ahead of the interval. In the second period, Timothy Castagne was on for the Foxes, taking Ricardo's place.
While Wood poked an effort wide from inside the penalty area, Vardy also missed the target at the other end following Soumaré's tidy through ball. Tarkowski was then there to block a close-range drive from City's No.9.
Tielemans also looked to tuck it into the bottom corner from the angle of the area. Dwight McNeil, though, blocked it.
It wasn't long before Kelechi Iheanacho, one of City's scorers at Millwall in midweek, was introduced from the bench by Rodgers. A swift one-two between Lookman and Castagne on the right channel allowed the former to cross for the Nigerian soon after. However, Tarkowski's block took the sting out.
James Maddison replaced Lookman with 12 minutes of normal time to play, shortly before Tielemans' curler was headed behind by Wood. The pressure paid off, finally, on 85 minutes as substitute Iheanacho slipped Vardy in behind and the 34-year-old did the rest from a tight angle.
It was an incredible touch and finish from the Club's all-time top Premier League goalscorer and it takes his 2021/22 tally up to five. He's now also found the net on 152 occasions throughout his magical nine-year association with the Foxes.
There was one last twist, though. The Lancashire visitors looked to have won it at the very last when Wood nodded Ashley Barnes' header past Schmeichel. Euphoric celebrations were unfolding in the away end, but they were cut short when VAR confirmed Wood had strayed offside. A point apiece.
Major moment
There were many. Jamie Vardy's equaliser, though, was a fitting reward both for his individual performance and the wider team's efforts to rescue a point. It certainly would have been unfair on the Foxes forward for his earlier own goal to be a defining memory of the clash.
It was a typically assured finish from the 34-year-old to make it 2-2 as well, as Vardy latched onto Kelechi Iheanacho's pass, skipped round Nick Pope, and finished calmly into an empty net from an acute angle.
Who impressed?
Former City defender Gerry Taggart, speaking on LCFC Radio's live match coverage, said: "A young man who made his full Premier League debut was excellent today. His defensive work was excellent, his forward play was excellent and he kept probing, kept pushing. His decision-making was brilliant. Ademola Lookman has to have my Man of the Match award today."
Where do we stand?
Leicester remain 12th in the Premier League standings with seven points from six games.
Coming up...
The Foxes fly out to Poland to continue their UEFA Europa League group-stage campaign against Legia Warsaw on Thursday (5:45pm kick-off). They're back on the road three days later, as Crystal Palace are the hosts in the Premier League on Sunday 3 October (2pm kick-off).
All times BST.