Late Sarmiento Strike Earns Ipswich Crucial Draw Against Leicester

In a thrilling encounter at the King Power Stadium, Ipswich Town managed to secure a valuable point against Leicester, thanks to a late 89th-minute equalizer from Jeremy Sarmiento. The draw propelled Ipswich to second place, overtaking Southampton, and they now trail the league leaders by seven points.

Despite Leicester’s dominant position in the league since September, the Ipswich supporters, buoyed by Kieran McKenna’s impactful management, enthusiastically sang about winning the Championship as they celebrated the hard-fought draw.

Leicester, led by Enzo Maresca, missed a chance to extend their lead at the top by squandering a 10-point gap. Ipswich, revitalized under McKenna’s guidance, demonstrated resilience in the second half, with substitutes Sarmiento and Omari Hutchinson injecting energy into the team.

The equalizer came in the dying moments of the match when Sarmiento seized the opportunity after Leicester’s goalkeeper, Mads Hermansen, failed to fully block a long-distance strike by Massimo Luongo.

Maresca acknowledged the competitive nature of the Championship, emphasizing the tight race at the top, with Leeds also in contention. Despite the draw, Leicester’s style, influenced by Maresca’s association with Pep Guardiola, showcased an innovative and dynamic approach.

Leicester’s squad featured familiar faces from the previous season, including Ricardo Pereira, James Justin, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, along with the late substitute Jamie Vardy. However, Maresca’s influence was evident in the team’s fluid rotations and diverse playing styles.

Leif Davis’ own goal initially gave Leicester the lead, but Ipswich, true to their style, fought back in the second half. McKenna expressed pride in the team’s conviction to play their way even when trailing. The match ended with both teams deserving a share of the points, reflecting the competitive nature of the Championship.

Match Statistics:

• Possession: Ipswich 45%, Leicester 55%
• Attempts: Ipswich 9 (On target 3), Leicester 8 (On target 6)
• Corners: Ipswich 3, Leicester 8
• Fouls: Ipswich 8, Leicester 6

Lineups: Leicester: Mads Hermansen, James Justin, Jannik Vestergaard, Wout Faes, Ricardo Pereira, Harry Winks, Hamza Choudhury, Kasey McAteer, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Stephy Mavididi, Thomas Cannon

Ipswich: Vaclav Hladky, Harrison Clarke, Luke Woolfenden, George Edmundson, Leif Davis, Lewis Travis, Massimo Luongo, Wes Burns, Conor Chaplin, Marcus Harness, Kayden Jackson

Substitutes: Leicester: Conor Coady, Callum Doyle, Jamie Vardy, Marc Albrighton, Dennis Praet, Yunus Akgun, Wanya Marcal-Madivadua, Jakub Stolarczyk, Ben Nelson

Ipswich: Christian Walton, Dominic Ball, Jack Taylor, Omari Giraud-Hutchinson, Jeremy Sarmiento, Sone Aluko, Cameron Humphreys, Nathan Broadhead, Axel Tuanzebe