Enzo Maresca leaned over to Carlos Corberan as they passed each other in the corridor outside the media suite at the King Power Stadium and whispered, “Leicester City were fortunate today.” It was a rare admission from the City manager, who usually prided himself on their dominating performances.
In their latest match, City had been let off the hook. The opposition, West Brom, had nearly outplayed them completely. Hamza Choudhury made three remarkable goal-line clearances, Mads Hermansen pulled off two brilliant saves, and Grady Diangana missed a couple of golden opportunities. The balance of chances was heavily in West Brom’s favor, something that hadn’t been seen in City’s previous victories this season.
Corberan graciously acknowledged City’s recent tough luck, admitting they had been unfortunate in their recent defeats. Maresca agreed, recognizing the ebbs and flows of football. Despite the debate over luck, City should have performed better considering their resources.
Maresca’s tactical approach usually limits the impact of luck on their performances, but this time, their usual style of play didn’t work out as planned. City didn’t have the majority of possession, a rarity for them at home this season.
Despite the slice of luck in their victory, Maresca believed it was well-deserved given their previous misfortunes. Promotion now seemed within reach, but Maresca remained focused on the final three crucial games of the season. They needed to maintain their composure and prove they deserved to finish at the top of the table. Another stroke of luck might not come their way again.
