Summary

  • Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live commentary

  • Zaha finishes from Eze through ball; Castagne curls in & Iheanacho rockets Leicester in front

  • Win for Leicester gives them seven-point cushion in top four

  • Crystal Palace have now won one of last seven

  1. 'He has no ego whatsoever'published at 22:33 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    FT: Leicester 2-1 Crystal Palace

    Leicester City

    Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers to Sky Sports on Kelechi Iheanacho: "He's a talented player - when he played Crystal Palace last time, around the Christmas period, he wasn't playing so much and when you are a striker in particular that rhythm of games is important.

    "But over the last few months he's been absolutely incredible. It wasn't just his goal tonight but his workrate, he wants to press the game. He has no ego whatsoever and he works so hard.

    "But the goal he scored was sheer, sheer quality - the touch to come inside and then take it so early, it was a brilliant finish."

  2. 'Second half I thought they were outstanding'published at 22:30 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    FT: Leicester 2-1 Crystal Palace

    Leicester City

    Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers to Sky Sports: "When you go 1-0 down against one of Roy's teams who are very well organised and defend with great discipline, it can be very tough, but I thought we showed real patience in the game.

    "We gave away a poor goal and I said to the players at half-time we just have to stay calm, keep good positioning and just keep circulating the ball at speed and in the second half I thought they were outstanding.

    "Jonny Evans has made a great tackle but apart from that I thought we had good control of the game and scored two wonderful goals."

  3. Postpublished at 22:29 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    Italian Serie A

    The Champions League race in England is pretty good - but it's even closer in Italy.

    Two points separates the teams from second to fifth. AC Milan dropped out of the top four tonight with a 3-0 hammering by Lazio, who are sixth.

  4. 'Iheanacho quality is phenomenal'published at 22:26 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    Leicester 2-1 Crystal Palace

    Leicester City

    Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers to BBC Sport: "It was a very important win for us. It was the third game in nine days so a tough schedule.

    "Going one behind against a Roy team, they're super organised and tough to break down. I thought the players were outstanding. They kept the calmness and control and scored two very good goals.

    "[Scoring early into the second half] definitely helps. It sets us up. It settled us. We could then control the rest of the game.

    "[Iheanacho's goal was] incredible. Great pass by Jonny [Evans]. We told the strikers to find space in between the centre-backs and full-backs. It was a great ball into space. The skill to turn and finish quickly, a wonderful goal. It capped off a great night for him.

    "The top priority for me as a coach is helping players to develop. it's been difficult for Kels because of the style we normally played which was one striker - Jamie Vardy. We had to change it round with injuries, he's come in and been exceptional. Not just his goals. He's so happy to work hard for the team and his quality is phenomenal."

    On any fears of them tailing away like last season: "We spoke about it at the start of the season and put it to bed them. Our performance levels this season have shown that's in the past."

  5. 'Rodgers has given us clear identity'published at 22:26 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    FT: Leicester 2-1 Crystal Palace

    Leicester City

    Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to Sky Sports: "It shows a club like Leicester can keep building, keep progressing and start mixing it at the top of the league.

    "Brendan [Rodgers] has come in and done wonders for us – he’s the absolutely perfect manager for us at the perfect time.

    "He came in when we needed an identity, we needed to find our feet – who were we after this amazing title win?

    "We’ve kind of been in between a counter-attacking team and a possession team and we didn’t quite know exactly what we were and he’s just given us a clear identity, he’s been so clear in his messages of how we wants us to play.

    "I can’t praise him enough for the job he’s done and is doing, and hopefully for many years to come."

  6. 'We know we have a tough run-in'published at 22:21 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    FT: Leicester 2-1 Crystal Palace

    Leicester City

    Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to Sky Sports: "We knew it was going to be difficult. Palace are a difficult side and we always have problems playing against them because they are well organised and if they get their noses in front we know it’s going to be a difficult game.

    "It was just a case of staying calm, playing the way we know we can play, don’t go out and give them another goal and make it a lot harder for ourselves and making sure we stay in the game because we know we are going to create chances with the front players we have.

    "I’m going to be boring and cliched as footballers normally are – we take another game and tonight we enjoy this win and then our focus switches to Southampton. We are not going to get ahead of ourselves, we know there are a lot of games still to play and a lot of points to play for and we have a really tough run-in, it’s just a case of carrying on as we have been doing."

  7. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 22:20 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    #bbcfootball or 81111 on text

    Glad to see Iheanacho playing well and getting a new contract, always seemed like a talented individual but was worried after the past couple seasons he would get sent off to Turkey or Russia and important Leicester have someone else beside Vardy scoring goals regularly!

    Greg

  8. 'He has everything to be a top striker and is showing it'published at 22:17 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    FT: Leicester 2-1 Crystal Palace

    Leicester City

    Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to Sky Sports: "Training with Kele [Iheanacho], you see it every single day. I think it was a case of him finding his feet here at Leicester and obviously having a massive figure like Jamie Vardy in front of you in the system we were playing was always going to be difficult for him.

    "But credit to him in training, every day since he has come in he’s worked so hard, he does all those things in training, he just needed that little bit of luck or that goal to go in for him to give him that confidence, that belief and now you can see his partnership, his link-up work with Vards, it’s a formidable front two and I’m delighted for him and proud of him. Everyone in the dressing room is so happy for him to see his hard work is paying off.

    "Kele is incredibly intelligent when it comes to his finishing – he knows how to shift and shoot so quickly, he’s so good at the particular one where he shifts it and then puts it through the defender’s legs and wrongfoots the goalkeeper.

    "He does it in training all the time. He’s a nightmare in training to be fair. He’s just a big strong lad who can put himself about, he’s fast, he’s got absolutely everything to be a top striker and he’s showing it now, which is great."

  9. 'I thought we might go on to win'published at 22:16 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    Leicester 2-1 Crystal Palace

    Crystal Palace

    Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson to BBC Sport: "I thought for long periods we were going to get at least a point. At half-time I thought we might go on to win.

    "Leicester scored quickly after the break but after that we looked as though we were seeing the game through reasonably well. Kelechi Iheanacho's quick turn and strike is difficult to defend. Objectively I didn't think it was a bad performance. Had we got a good result I don't think people would have begrudged us."

    On whether his players might lose focus with little on the line: "I don't fear that because I know the players. That's not the kind of group we are. I don't think anyone who watched the game could accuse us of not doing out utmost.

    "If we hadn't conceded the goal so early in the second half, our confidence would have been high. The equaliser came too early after half-time. We didn't get enough time to enjoy the fact we were leading. I honestly thought we'd see the game through... but I was wrong."

  10. 'Shift and shoot - I wasn't thinking about anything else'published at 22:10 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    FT: Leicester 2-1 Crystal Palace

    Leicester City

    Leicester match-winner Kelechi Iheanacho to Sky Sports: "It is so, so big, it is a massive three points for us.

    "We were 1-0 down at half-time, we were nervous a little bit but in the second half we changed it around a little bit and got control of the game and got them running and the space kept coming and we got the goal.

    "It will give us a boost into the next game. We have five games left so there is a lot of work to do and we cannot talk about the Champions League until the last game. We need to concentrate on our next game."

    On his goal: "I was in the box and it was on my left foot, I wasn’t thinking about anything else – shift and shoot. When you have confidence in your game it makes you perform really well and it keeps coming and you keep scoring."

  11. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 22:08 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    #bbcfootball or 81111 on text

    After Leicester's win this evening I'd say it's now Leicester and Chelsea's to lose for 3rd and 4th spots.

    Alan

  12. Postpublished at 22:06 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    Leicester 2-1 Crystal Palace

    Leicester have picked up 19 points from losing positions in the Premier League this season, a figure only Manchester United can better (28).

  13. Postpublished at 22:05 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  14. 'So, so massive. A great three points'published at 22:04 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    Leicester 2-1 Crystal Palace

    Leicester City

    Leicester City matchwinner Kelechi Iheanacho to BBC Sport: "It could be [the best form of his career]. There's so much to improve in games so I'll keep going, keep doing my best.

    "It's a massive three points and a great goal. I wasn't thinking of anything except shift and shoot. It could have gone anywhere.

    "It's so, so massive. A great three points. We really needed it.

    "We changed it around in the second half, got them running and kept control of the ball.

    "We can't say we're' not thinking about the Champions League but we need to focus on the games. After that we can celebrate and concentrate on the Champions League [if they qualify]."

    On battling with Jamie Vardy to be the club's top scorer: "That's not what we talk about. As a team we work for each other, it doesn't matter who scores the goals. Vardy is a team player - he keeps assisting me. There are still five games to go. He'll score more goals."

  15. Postpublished at 21:58 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    Leicester 2-1 Crystal Palace

    Leicester deserved that win, I'd say. They had 13 shots to Palace's four.

  16. Postpublished at 21:55 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    Leicester 2-1 Crystal Palace

    Leicester have 62 points after 33 matches, matching their final Premier League points total of last season.

    They have won 19 games. The only time they have ever won more matches in a Premier League season (23) they won the title.

  17. FULL-TIMEpublished at 21:53 British Summer Time 26 April 2021

    Leicester 2-1 Crystal Palace

    It's all over. It's a big, big win for Leicester and it gives them a seven-point cushion in the top four with only five games to go.

    Leicester.Image source, Getty Images
  18. Postpublished at 90+4 mins

    Leicester 2-1 Crystal Palace

    The corner came to nothing and we're into the final few seconds. Leicester have a free-kick.

  19. Postpublished at 90+2 mins

    Leicester 2-1 Crystal Palace

    Halfway through injury time. Jamie Vardy runs into the box and is forced wide but wins a corner off Joel Ward.