Brendan Rodgers has admitted Leicester City couldn’t cope with an “outstanding” Michail Antonio during last night’s 4-1 Premier League defeat at West Ham United, speaking to The Mercury.
It would be easy to frame West Ham’s crushing victory as a cruise given Leicester were down to ten men from the 40th minute following an errant stamp from Ayoze Perez.
The reality, however, was somewhat different.
West Ham were helped, of course, by Perez’s dismissal but they were well on top before then, Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek dominating the midfield battleground and Michail Antonio leading the line like Popeye fuelled by a three-course meal consisting of creamed spinach on a bed of spinach, followed by a spinach soufflé for pudding.
Two outstanding Antonio finishes in the last ten minutes made the right-back-turned-centre-forward West Ham’s most prolific Premier League player. Said Benrahma and the ever-improving Pablo Fornals also found the net as David Moyes’ side stormed to the top of the embryonic league table.
West Ham star Michail Antonio is Premier League’s most in-form striker
“We stayed in the game against a good side but then we conceded the third goal, which made it very difficult for us. Michail has finished his last two goals really well, and puts a shine on it,” Rodgers said after a game in which his side were second best throughout.
“The first two goals were avoidable. We started the game and had to be patient. They were defending in a mid-to-deep position so you have to work them side to side to find the space. When we got through, we carried a threat.
“But the last thing you want to do is present them with goals, and we obviously did that with the first two. If you give the ball away, good teams will punish you.”
For all his potential, Caglar Soyuncu has the odd horror-show in his locker – especially without the sub-zero Jonny Evans beside him.
Harried and hustled into submission by the human cannon ball that is Antonio, the Turkish centre-half endured perhaps the worst night of his Leicester career.
“It was a tough night for him,” Rodgers added. “Michail’s performance was outstanding. He was strong and aggressive – but Cags has had better days. He’ll bounce back.”
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