Leicester City’s head coach Enzo Maresca has been faced with a selection headache as all four of his strikers are fit and available for the first time this season. With Maresca’s system requiring just one main striker and only two spaces on the bench for forward replacements, one of the four will have to miss out. In their recent match against Middlesbrough, it was Patson Daka who started, while Jamie Vardy and Tom Cannon were on the bench and Kelechi Iheanacho didn’t make the matchday squad.
The situation was ironic considering the reverse fixture against Middlesbrough earlier in the season, where Iheanacho started and Vardy, Daka, and Cannon were on the bench. Cannon had just returned from an injury during that match and was included on the bench due to other injuries within the team.
At the beginning of the season, Vardy and Iheanacho were rotated to keep them fresh, with Daka not getting much playing time. However, injuries to Vardy and Iheanacho gave Daka an opportunity to shine. Now that all four strikers are available, Maresca faces the challenge of choosing the right combination for each game.
Vardy has been in good form recently, scoring five goals in his last five games across all competitions. Daka has also shown his goalscoring ability with three goals in his last three games, although he missed a free header against Middlesbrough. Iheanacho has proven he can go on a run of goals, scoring four in four consecutive appearances earlier in the season, while Cannon impressed with three goals in his first two starts.
Each striker brings different qualities to the team, and Maresca will have to consider the style of play he wants for each match. Heatmaps of the players’ touches on the pitch provide insights into their playing styles. Vardy and Daka have been active in the center circle and opposition penalty boxes, while Iheanacho is more involved in general build-up play. Cannon’s heatmap from a match against Huddersfield Town shows that he is most active close to the opposition’s penalty box.
When it comes to touches per 90 minutes, Cannon and Vardy average around 30 touches, while Daka has slightly more at 36. However, Iheanacho is significantly more involved with 52.6 touches per game. In terms of touches inside the penalty area per 90 minutes, there is a similar distribution among the four strikers.
Cannon is the most prolific when it comes to shots on goal, averaging 3.75 per 90 minutes. Daka follows closely with 3.07 shots, Iheanacho with 2.94, and Vardy with 2.42. Vardy and Daka primarily take shots from inside the penalty box, while Iheanacho often takes shots from outside the box.
Vardy has the highest shooting accuracy percentage, with 56% of his shots on target. Cannon follows closely with 55%, Iheanacho with 50%, and Daka with 46%. In terms of converting big chances, Vardy is the most ruthless, followed by Daka, Cannon, and Iheanacho.
In their upcoming match against Leeds, who have kept eight clean sheets in their last 11 games, Maresca will have to carefully choose the attacking combination that can break down their defense. The selection of substitutes from the bench will also be crucial for making an impact during the game.
Fortunately for Maresca, he now has all four strikers available to him, providing him with plenty of options for his team’s attacking lineup. The competition for starting spots will only push each striker to perform at their best and ensure that Leicester City has a formidable attacking force going forward.