Premier League
LeicesterLeicester City1WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers0

Leicester City 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers: Jamie Vardy scores controversial penalty

By Neil JohnstonBBC Sport

Last updated on .From the section Premier Leaguecomments640

Jamie Vardy scores a penalty for Leicester City against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Leicester City have been awarded eight penalties in the Premier League this season

Brendan Rodgers says the admiration he has for his Leicester players "grows by the day" after they saw off Wolves to go into the international break top of the Premier League table.

Jamie Vardy's highly contentious penalty - awarded after Dennis Praet's cross struck Max Kilman on the hand - made it six straight domestic and European wins for the Foxes.

Despite injuries to midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, defenders Daniel Amartey and Ricardo Pereira, new £25m signing Timothy Castagne and Caglar Soyuncu, Leicester have bettered the start they made in 2015-16, when they won the title.

"We couldn't have asked for a better start," said Rodgers, after a ninth win in 12 matches in all competitions this season.

"It's going to be tough to sustain that with the injuries. With the injuries we've got, my admiration for the players grows by the day."

Vardy took his tally for the season to nine goals after sending Rui Patricio the wrong way from the penalty spot, with Wolves' players incensed it was given.

Wolves claimed Kilman had no time to move his hand out of the way of Praet's cross but referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot after consulting the pitchside monitor.

Portugal keeper Patricio saved a second Vardy penalty with his leg before half-time - Leicester's eighth Premier League spot-kick of the season - after Rayan Ait-Nouri brought down James Justin.

Wolves threatened an equaliser after half-time, 19-year-old Wesley Fofana producing an excellent challenge to deny Pedro Neto a certain goal, Kilman fired over from close range, while Kasper Schmeichel made an outstanding flying save to keep out Ruben Neves.

Leicester are one point clear of Tottenham, who beat West Brom earlier in the day to temporarily go top, and Liverpool, who they face at Anfield in their first game back after the international break on 21 November.

Perfect week for Foxes

'Outstanding' Leicester delight Rodgers

Leicester had to dig deep in the second half as Wolves came back strongly but they head into the international break top of the Premier League - as well as Group G in the Europa League.

Three wins have come in the past week, the Foxes hammering Leeds last Monday and, in Europe, Sporting Braga on Thursday before Vardy scored for the fourth successive game to defeat Wolves.

Having qualified for the Europa League group stages by finishing fifth last season, Rodgers' side are handling the busy workload of Thursday-Sunday football with aplomb.

They were hungry chasing the ball and intelligent when they had possession.

Christian Fuchs went close with a low drilled attempt, Vardy forced Patricio to tip his ferocious attempt over and substitute Harvey Barnes was denied a late goal by a deflection.

Schmeichel's save to deny Neves was breathtaking.

Having turned 34 on Thursday, the Denmark keeper remains a key ingredient of this hard-working side and showed great agility to deny Wolves an equaliser.

Strong finish but no reward for Wolves

Nuno praises 'very good' Leicester

But for Schmeichel's wonderful save, Wolves would have headed back to the Black Country with a point.

Neves' shot from the edge of the penalty area was heading for the net before the Dane stuck out a strong hand to divert it away.

Wolves will be upset by the circumstances that led to Vardy scoring his ninth goal in eight games.

Their players surrounded Taylor after he awarded the penalty for Kilman's handball after watching the incident on a screen.

"It's very hard to judge the work of the referee, he saw it on the screen, but it's difficult for us to coach a player and tell him he must put his arms away," said Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

"What we expect from VAR is fair and simple decisions and this is not happening. Until they get it right we will talk about it over and over again."

Wolves started sluggishly but sprung into life after Patricio kept out Vardy's second penalty.

They have made a solid start to the season but the Wolves boss has much to ponder during the international break - not least his side's lack of goals.

They have managed just eight in the top flight - only the bottom four have scored fewer.

'We showed real resilience' - what they said

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers: "The first half we were very good without the football and in the second half we had to show real resilience.

"We have seen that this season, the players are developing and to show that mentality and desire is so pleasing."

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo: "We will keep on improving. All the squad will now basically go for international duty and we hope they return healthy.

"We are always looking for improvements, the players are working very hard and it's up to us to improve them and get them to fine levels of performance."

Best Premier League start - the stats

  • Leicester have won 18 points in their opening eight Premier League games, their best start to a top-flight season and best start to a season since winning 19 points in their first eight games in 2008-09 in League One.
  • Wolves have won none of their four away Premier League matches against Leicester (D2 L2), failing to score in every match.
  • Leicester have won their past six matches in all competitions, scoring 15 goals and conceding just twice.
  • The Foxes have scored seven penalties in the Premier League this season, four more than any other side. They have been awarded eight so far in 2020-21, the earliest in a campaign a team has been awarded that many. The previous earliest was Manchester United last season (16th game).
  • Rui Patricio has saved three of the 10 penalties he has faced in the Premier League.

What's next?

Leicester's first game back from the international break is against reigning champions Liverpool at Anfield on 21 November (15:00 GMT), while Wolves host in-form Southampton on the same day at the same time.

Player of the match

FofanaWesley Fofana

with an average of 8.04

Leicester City

  1. Squad number3Player nameFofana
    Average rating

    8.04

  2. Squad number1Player nameSchmeichel
    Average rating

    7.99

  3. Squad number9Player nameVardy
    Average rating

    7.33

  4. Squad number2Player nameJustin
    Average rating

    7.32

  5. Squad number28Player nameFuchs
    Average rating

    7.28

  6. Squad number8Player nameTielemans
    Average rating

    7.19

  7. Squad number24Player nameMendy
    Average rating

    7.11

  8. Squad number6Player nameEvans
    Average rating

    7.09

  9. Squad number11Player nameAlbrighton
    Average rating

    7.04

  10. Squad number10Player nameMaddison
    Average rating

    7.00

  11. Squad number26Player namePraet
    Average rating

    6.92

  12. Squad number5Player nameMorgan
    Average rating

    6.65

  13. Squad number15Player nameBarnes
    Average rating

    6.65

  14. Squad number33Player nameThomas
    Average rating

    6.48

Wolverhampton Wanderers

  1. Squad number11Player nameRui Patrício
    Average rating

    6.66

  2. Squad number37Player nameTraoré
    Average rating

    6.12

  3. Squad number16Player nameCoady
    Average rating

    5.95

  4. Squad number15Player nameBoly
    Average rating

    5.93

  5. Squad number22Player nameNélson Semedo
    Average rating

    5.84

  6. Squad number8Player nameRúben Neves
    Average rating

    5.82

  7. Squad number7Player namePedro Neto
    Average rating

    5.75

  8. Squad number49Player nameKilman
    Average rating

    5.65

  9. Squad number5Player nameMarçal
    Average rating

    5.44

  10. Squad number32Player nameDendoncker
    Average rating

    5.43

  11. Squad number10Player nameDaniel Podence
    Average rating

    5.21

  12. Squad number9Player nameJiménez
    Average rating

    5.17

  13. Squad number17Player nameFábio Silva
    Average rating

    5.00

  14. Squad number3Player nameAït-Nouri
    Average rating

    4.85

Line-ups

Leicester

Formation 3-4-2-1

  • 1Schmeichel
  • 3FofanaBooked at 81mins
  • 6EvansBooked at 63mins
  • 28Fuchs
  • 2Justin
  • 8Tielemans
  • 24Mendy
  • 33ThomasSubstituted forAlbrightonat 45'minutes
  • 26PraetSubstituted forMorganat 80'minutes
  • 10MaddisonSubstituted forBarnesat 72'minutes
  • 9Vardy

Substitutes

  • 5Morgan
  • 11Albrighton
  • 12Ward
  • 14Iheanacho
  • 15Barnes
  • 19Ünder
  • 20Choudhury

Wolves

Formation 3-4-2-1

  • 11Rui Patrício
  • 15Boly
  • 16Coady
  • 49KilmanBooked at 90mins
  • 22Nélson Semedo
  • 32DendonckerBooked at 41mins
  • 8NevesBooked at 50mins
  • 3Aït-NouriSubstituted forMarçalat 76'minutes
  • 7NetoSubstituted forFábio Silvaat 79'minutes
  • 10PodenceSubstituted forTraoréat 60'minutes
  • 9Jiménez

Substitutes

  • 5Marçal
  • 17Fábio Silva
  • 21Ruddy
  • 27Saïss
  • 28João Moutinho
  • 37Traoré
  • 54Otasowie
Referee:
Anthony Taylor

Match Stats

Home TeamLeicesterAway TeamWolves
Possession
Home50%
Away50%
Shots
Home10
Away8
Shots on Target
Home3
Away2
Corners
Home6
Away3
Fouls
Home12
Away8

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Leicester City 1, Wolverhampton Wanderers 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Leicester City 1, Wolverhampton Wanderers 0.

  3. Booking

    Maximilian Kilman (Wolverhampton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  4. Post update

    Youri Tielemans (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Maximilian Kilman (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

  6. Post update

    Foul by Raúl Jiménez (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

  7. Post update

    Marc Albrighton (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  8. Post update

    Attempt missed. Fábio Silva (Wolverhampton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Willy Boly.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Harvey Barnes (Leicester City).

  10. Post update

    Raúl Jiménez (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  11. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Christian Fuchs (Leicester City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  12. Post update

    Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Maximilian Kilman.

  13. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Harvey Barnes (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by James Justin.

  14. Booking

    Wesley Fofana (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  15. Post update

    Foul by Wesley Fofana (Leicester City).

  16. Post update

    Fábio Silva (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  17. Substitution

    Substitution, Leicester City. Wes Morgan replaces Dennis Praet.

  18. Substitution

    Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Fábio Silva replaces Pedro Neto.

  19. Post update

    Attempt missed. Leander Dendoncker (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Rúben Neves.

  20. Post update

    Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by Kasper Schmeichel.

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Comments

Join the conversation

These comments are now closed.

640 comments

  • Something needs to be done and fast about this ridiculous handball rule,the offside law (Bamford )yesterday and VAR in general.The game of football we grew up with is dying before our eyes.Tackling is almost a criminal offence now.These law makers have probably never kicked a ball at any level and our game is starting to resemble something from The USA,stop start and dissection of everything.

    • Dittonwolf replied:
      Spot on and l.m Starting to lose the love for the game.
      Var is becoming Selective.

  • How has football come to this. A once great game now turned into some clown watching it on a monitor dictating who wins

    • Brexit now replied:
      Beats the usual suspects . Lawro / Keane / Savage etc

  • Gobsmacked that Ref only watched penalty decision in slow motion, VAR is now killing the game

    • U19063229 replied:
      Just a reminder leicester lost 3-0 to west ham 😂😂😂
      without the var and refs they are a relegation team!
      #YNWA

  • Another stupid penalty decision. When will it stop? When every outfield player is wearing a straightjacket? Again, a good match spoiled by this ridiculous interpretation of the handball rule.

  • VARcical - again! how are these supposed profession Refs getting their jobs I could do better with no training - players are not arm less robots - it snatural to run with your arms in addition!!! you don't see 100m sprinters running without using their arms!!

    • U19063229 replied:
      vardy stat pads penalties thinking he's pessi when in fact he is a btec james milner at pens 😂
      #YNWA

  • Hold on, VAR are just checking my comment.

    • Brexit now replied:
      They cannot decide , so its 0 - 0

  • Leicester fan here - terrible penalty decision. Justice was done really by Vards missing the second (correctly awarded penalty). We'll take the 3 points though after a long hard week!

    • mb replied:
      Look at the rules it was a penalty tell me why it wasn't and don't say the player was to near because that is rubbish. Even without the new rules back in the 80s and 90s that would still have been a penalty end of

  • You can complain until the cows come home - but the clowns in FA, UEFA, FIFA - just have their head in the sands... nothing will happen - the game will continue to rot and become evermore a laughing stock..

    • U19063229 replied:
      By cows do you mean maguire, pogba and bruno 😂
      #YNWA

  • Wolves didn't deserve to win this and neither did Leicester. History repeats itself, VAR and inept referees have had a hand in the last three games between these sides and all in favour of Leicester. Wolves denied two wins last season and if that first one was a penalty today then my name's boaty mcboatface. When the ref checked he watched it in slow motion, at real time it was never a penalty.

    • Fan Of Whoever Plays Man Utd replied:
      It was a shame that one of these fine teams had to lose the game, the way one of them lost, makes it only even worse for not only their own fans but fans everywhere.

  • Maybe everyone should boycott the PL.
    Cancel Sky and BT sport subscription.
    Lobby UEFA and FIFA.
    The only thing the PL cares about is money, cut off their income and maybe they might listen to the real fans.
    They don’t care about us or our opinions.

    • U18469747 replied:
      I couldn't agree more my friend

  • Looking forward to good match between two quality teams for it to be totally undermined by idiotic intervention by VAR and officials. Switched it off in disgust and dogs for a walk!!

    • Tequila replied:
      Turned off after VAR pen.Not missed many games in 50 years at Molineux but losing love for the game because of VAR.

  • Yet another match where a dodgy penalty delivered all 3 points to a team that earned a point and no more.

    Not a Wolves supporter or a Leicester hater, just not enjoying watching top flight football going down the tube.

  • I thought that refs, when looking at the monitor, were told to look at handball incidents in real time, not in slow motion. Why did Taylor not do this? Every time Wolves play Leicester we seem to get on the wrong side of a dodgy VAR decision.

    • mb replied:
      Whatever motion you watch it on you see ball hits arm and his arm is in front of him.

  • Var is basically a load of crap Bamford goal for Leeds yesterday nothing wrong with it. The official who chalked it off for Bamford indicating where he wanted the played is an idiot rule needs changing pronto.

  • First penalty VERY dodgy but doesn't excuse a glaring lack of cutting edge and creativity; yet again didn't start to play until 40th minute by which time we should have been two down.

    Second half better but still too much hit and hope a la McCarthy.

    Still missing Jota, Neto not sharp enough today, Podence non existent, Traore enigmatic but not enough game time.

    Ditch the bunker mentality Nuno.

    • U19063229 replied:
      Don't worry Jota has upgraded and will win more trophies this season (UCL,EPL,FA CUP) than wolves have in the past 50 (0) 😂
      #YNWA

  • What is an in-natural position when you’re running? Who runs with their arms by their side? A ball is blasted at less than a metre away and you’re meant to pull your hand away? Watching it in slow motion is pointless and doesn’t reflect the actual situation. I no longer understand the handball or offside rules.Used to be if deemed deliberate it was handball.

    • KingFreddy replied:
      Hands down the back of your shorts, running like you're competing on Takeshi's Castle rather than on a football pitch.

      VAR is utter crap and all teams are coming foul of it. We all bizzarely like it when it works for us though.

  • Leicester played on Monday, Thursday and today and won all three. What is Ole complaint about ?

  • All the pundits hate Leicester. All the keyboard warrior glory hunters hate Leicester. Nobody questions penalties awarded to the (former) 'top six'. But we are top and we are the only club that opposed the £15 pay per view scam.

    • Wombat_LCFC replied:
      two clear penalties.... don't know what all the fuss is about?

      Wolves fans have always been sore losers....they get lots of practice, so should be used to it by now

  • Great to see refs getting it all wrong again, well played ,cant understand how he's gone to the monitor and watches 2 replays in slow motion ,pathetic yet again ,how many more time

  • That's three big VAR decisions in Leicester's favour in three games against Wolves. Wolves were pretty useless today but it's still galling to lose to a dodgy decision.