“Leicester knew the togetherness, the mentality and the character we showed (last season)”, said Snodgrass, “and I think that’s what got us through in the end”. The Tigers now have no permanent manager, have signed no new players despite having a squad of just 13 fit first-teamers, and the division between the fans and the owners has never been larger, however, on the pitch, through sheer determination and togetherness, Hull City’s depleted squad caused the upset of the day.
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“The players have enjoyed themselves today”, Hull caretaker manager Mike Phelan said.
Leicester were starting life without N’Golo Kante, who has joined Chelsea, and were also without the suspended Robert Huth. Five minutes later new signing Ahmed Musa pulled a pass back to Vardy who skied an effort he would have buried last season.
Schmeichel did well to deny Davies but the ball bounced up for both Diomande and Abel Hernandez to turn goalwards with acrobatic efforts.
Leicester equalised with a penalty converted by Riyad Mahrez nearly immediately after the re-start, but Snodgrass restored Hull’s lead for good in the 57th minute with a powerful low shot from inside the area.
Hull then got their noses back in front on 57 minutes with a powerful left-footed strike from Robert Snodgrass after sloppy defending from Leicester and the Tigers held on to record a major upset.
“A few players had to play out of position, but it was a case of just getting through”.
Whether new arrivals are signed off by the unpopular Allam family, or the Chinese consortium now involved in takeover talks, is not important to Phelan as long as they come. They showed a lot of the determination…
Lloris limped off with a hamstring injury in the 36th minute and his replacement Michel Vorm kept the visitors afloat with a fine save on the stroke of halftime, denying Gerard Deulofeu who was sent clear by an bad back pass from Danny Rose.
But Lamela equalised in the 59th minute with a header from Kyle Walker’s cross.
“In the second half, they played better”.
“Lloris got injured and that was a big impact on us”. We must be together, we must play together. “We tried to do our best, our effort was wonderful but it was individual, not as a team”.
With $200 million spent on new players and Guardiola arriving from Bayern Munich to manage an already impressive lineup, City is the hot favourite to win the league this season.
Salomon Rondon’s 74th-minute header earned West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis a 1-0 victory at his former club Crystal Palace.
Etienne Capoue put Watford ahead in the ninth minute, but Nathan Redmond levelled in the 58th minute before Hornets midfielder Ben Watson was sent off.
Leicester begin their campaign away to newly promoted Hull City, while all eyes will be on new Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, whose first league game in English football comes against Sunderland.
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Boro took the lead as Alvaro Negredo nodded the ball over the line from close range but Marten de Roon was forced off with what looked like a hamstring injury before the break.
