Steve Cooper’s search for a first Premier League victory as Leicester City manager continues, following a frustrating 1-1 home draw against bottom-of-the-table Everton.
The result, played out in miserable weather conditions, leaves Leicester with just three points from a possible 15, and Cooper will undoubtedly view this match as a missed opportunity to kickstart the season.
Leicester’s troubles began early when Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye found space on the edge of the box and fired a shot past Mads Hermansen, giving the visitors a 12th-minute lead and silencing the King Power Stadium crowd.
Despite dominating possession, with 59% of the ball, Leicester struggled to carve out clear-cut opportunities, much to the increasing frustration of their fans.
It wasn’t until the second half that Leicester managed to level the score, with Stephy Mavididi pouncing on a loose ball from a Harry Winks corner to score his second goal in as many games.
Yet, this was one of just two shots on target for the Foxes in what was otherwise a lacklustre display in a crucial fixture.
One player whose performance will raise concerns for Cooper is summer signing Bilal El Khannouss, who failed to make an impact on his full Premier League debut.
Bilal El Khannouss Fails to Impress on Full Leicester City Debut
Under pressure to inject more creativity into his side, Cooper handed El Khannouss his first league start, a £21 million summer signing.
This saw Oliver Skipp relegated to the bench, with Wilfred Ndidi dropping into a deeper role to accommodate the young Moroccan alongside Harry Winks.
El Khannouss, brought in to help shoulder Leicester’s creative burden, struggled to impose himself before being substituted after 56 minutes for Facundo Buonanotte.
Leicestershire Live didn’t hold back in their post-match assessment, giving the 20-year-old a rating of five out of ten. Their verdict read: “Perhaps not helped by the excitement around him, it was an underwhelming full debut for the £20m man.
“He was always looking for a forward pass, and there were a few nice threaded balls, but there were too many occasions where he tried an audacious pass too quickly, and nobody in blue was ready. He looked a little lightweight at times too.”
Statistics Behind El Khannouss’ Disappointing Display
Making the leap from Belgium’s top flight to the Premier League is no easy task, and El Khannouss found it difficult to get up to speed.
According to Sofascore, the attacking midfielder managed just 23 completed passes during his 56 minutes on the pitch, achieving an 83% pass accuracy from 35 attempts, with 43 total touches.
Although he did make two key passes, El Khannouss lost possession ten times and won only 50% of his duels. His struggle to adapt was further highlighted by the fact he registered just one tackle throughout the game.
Given his underwhelming performance, it seems unlikely that El Khannouss will feature in the starting lineup against Arsenal in Leicester’s next league fixture.
However, Cooper may well opt to give the youngster another chance to gain experience in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup match against Walsall.