The Nigeria internationals’ places in next season’s competition is in jeopardy following the Foxes’ defeat to the Blues on Tuesday night
Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho are in danger of missing out on places in next season’s Champions League following Leicester City’s defeat to Chelsea in the Premier League on Tuesday.
The FA Cup winners needed at least a draw to be in control of their qualification destiny, but they bowed 2-1 to Thomas Tuchel’s men at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea went into the fixture hoping to avenge their FA Cup final defeat to the Foxes as well as boost their own Champions League ambitions.
In the keenly contested affair, Timo Werner headed Cesar Azpilicueta’s corner kick past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in the 34th minute, but the effort was cancelled as VAR adjudged the German star handled the ball as he guided it into the net.
Antonio Rudiger put the hosts ahead two minutes into the second half, when Ben Chilwell’s well-taken corner was met by the thigh of the 28-year-old, who was in the right place at the right time to beat goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
Not willing to accept defeat, Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers made an attacking substitution that saw Iheanacho replace James Maddison on the hour mark.
That paid off in the 76th minute as the Nigeria international reduced the deficit for the visiting side. Profiting from a pass from Ndidi, the former Manchester City man knocked the ball calmly into the bottom right corner of Edouard Mendy’s goal.
With that, he became the first player in English top-flight history to score a goal on all seven days of the week within a single season.
7 – Kelechi Iheanacho is the first player in Premier League history to score a goal on all seven days of the week within a single season in the competition. Heaven.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 18, 2021
Moreover, the 24-year-old now boasts 12 goals in 24 outings so far in the 2020-21 campaign. Overall, he is Leicester’s highest goalscorer in all competitions this term with 19 goals – four more than veteran Jamie Vardy.
As a result of that loss, Leicester are now fourth on the log having garnered 66 points from 37 outings so far.
They will drop to fifth should Liverpool pick up an away win against Burnley on Wednesday evening in Lancashire.
The Nigerians have been integral figures in Rodgers’ squad this term, where they broke their FA Cup jinx as well as reached the Europa League Round of 32.
They are expected to be in action when Leicester City welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the King Power Stadium on the last day of the English top-flight season.
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