Jamie Carragher picks out Leicester City’s ‘obvious’ choice as new relegation verdict give The former Liverpool and England defender has been analysing Jordan Ayew’s 98th-minute match-winning goal and what it means for the Premier League relegation battle.
Leicester City have already opened up a “gulf” to Southampton that will be difficult for the Saints to overturn, former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher believes.
City’s last-gasp victory at St Mary’s on Saturday means there’s now eight points between the sides. Steve Cooper’s men sit 14th on nine points, while Southampton languish in 19th with just a solitary point to their name so far. For Carragher, that’s significant, even just eight games in.
Indeed, Opta’s latest projections give City a 28 per cent chance of being relegated. Meanwhile, their data believes Southampton have a 96 per cent likelihood of returning to the Championship.
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“That is a massive result for Leicester at this early stage,” Carragher said on Sky Sports. “That creates an eight-point gulf between the two teams. Southampton are one point at the bottom, they’re now on nine points. That’s a huge gap to make up if you’re Southampton.”
Carragher was analysing City’s winning goal, with Jordan Ayew meeting Harry Winks’ corner and squeezing a shot into the bottom corner. He felt Southampton’s poor marking, with all of their players in the six-yard box and none on the edge of the box made the choice “obvious” for the City midfielder.
“It’s Harry Winks on the ball, a right-footer, it’s going to be an out-swinger,” Carragher said. “It’s going to be very difficult for him to get the ball in there (the six-yard box). It’s always going to come away from the goal.