Even with his vast managerial experience that stretches back nearly 50 years, Roy Hodgson will struggle to beat this for late drama.
With the 75-year-old’s second coming at Crystal Palace heading for a draw, a goal from the substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta with the last kick of the game handed his side their first victory of 2023 to send the home supporters into raptures.
Hodgson scarcely seemed to be able to believe his luck as he took it all in at the final whistle, with Mateta’s strike and an unlucky own goal from the Leicester goalkeeper Daniel Iversen following Eberechi Eze’s free-kick cancelling out Ricardo Pereira’s opener.
But while the sight of Wilfried Zaha leaving the pitch in tears before half-time after picking up a groin injury meant it was not quite the perfect afternoon for Palace, Hodgson admitted this result could be crucial for their chances of survival.
“I don’t think in my four years here first time that I saw such a high-quality performance,” he said. “The players gave me everything that I asked them to and showed what they are capable of. We have faith in them so they should have faith in themselves.”
For his counterpart Brendan Rodgers, who saw his side slump to a sixth defeat in seven matches, those concerns are mounting. The combination of Mateta’s late goal and Bournemouth’s comeback win over Fulham means the 2016 Premier League champions find themselves in the bottom three once again and facing a crucial meeting against Aston Villa on Tuesday.
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“It’s a really sore one,” admitted Rodgers, whose side mustered only three shots all afternoon compared with Palace’s 31. “There is plenty of spirit but the confidence isn’t quite where we want it to be.”
Only 682 days had passed since Hodgson said his farewells to the Selhurst Park crowd for what we were told was the last time. But despite suffering the first relegation of his career here with Watford just 10 months ago, the former England manager admitted that he never felt old enough to retire in the first place and clearly could not resist the lure of returning to manage his local team at the stadium where he attended his first ever match in the early 1950s.
Despite considerable opposition to the sacking of Patrick Vieira, Hodgson had urged the home supporters to get fully behind the team in their attempt to pull clear of danger and he was given a rapturous welcome before kick-off.
The selection of Eze for his first start in four weeks was a signal of intent from the Palace manager and his players backed that up by bombarding the Leicester goal with 20 shots during the first half, albeit without reward.
Rodgers had been in a positive mood before the international break after ending a dismal run of defeats by drawing against Brentford, but he was concerned with the ease that Palace repeatedly carved open his side.
Only excellent saves from Iversen to deny Cheick Doucouré, Eze and Zaha kept Leicester in this match, with their sole moment of danger coming when a speculative cross from Victor Kristiansen struck the far post. But disaster struck for Palace just before half-time when Zaha went down unchallenged having appeared to badly tweak his right groin and immediately signalled that his race was run.
Leicester began the second half like a side who sensed it could be their day, with Timothy Castagne denied by a smart save from Vicente Guaita three minutes in. But there was nothing the Palace goalkeeper could do when Castagne showed great awareness to tee up Pereira after a quick Leicester break and the half-time substitute drilled the ball into the far corner.
Palace seemed stunned by the sudden wake-up call, although they were not behind for long. Eze’s free-kick cannoned off the underside of the crossbar before striking the unfortunate Iversen on the back of the leg and dribbling over the line. Both sides had chances to take all three points but it was Palace who found a way in the endjust after Tyrick Mitchell somehow blazed over from two yards out.
A brilliant run from Jordan Ayew picked out fellow substitute Mateta and he made no mistake to leave Hodgson and the Palace chairman, Steve Parish, beaming from ear to ear.
