Match ends, Leicester City 0, Southampton 0.
LeicesterLeicester City0SouthamptonSouthampton0
Champions Leicester City's struggles in the Premier League continued as they were held to a draw by Southampton.
The home side almost went behind when Charlie Austin went close with two headers and hit the post with a shot.
Austin was also through on goal in the second half but an ambitious chip was saved by keeper Kasper Schmeichel.
Jamie Vardy had Leicester's best chance after a poor backpass but he was tackled by Oriol Romeu, who also blocked two follow-up shots.
The Foxes have now won only two of their opening seven leagues games, collecting eight points.
Relive all the action and reaction to Sunday's games
Two sides of Leicester
Leicester are now unbeaten in 19 Premier League home games since a defeat by Arsenal in September 2015 but that record would have been ended if Southampton's finishing had been more clinical.
The Foxes had gone into the game following another impressive win in the Champions League - 1-0 over Porto on Tuesday - but they failed to replicate that form, with the visitors having the better chances as the home side managed just one shot on target.
Vardy had the type of opening he relishes when he ran on to Virgil van Dijk's poor backpass but he tried to round keeper Fraser Forster and gave Romeu enough time to get back and tackle him.
The two shots in the aftermath from Islam Slimani and Vardy, who has failed to score in six games, were also blocked by the Southampton midfielder.
An effort that came from a clutch of bodies following a Christian Fuchs cross almost crept in at Forster's near post and Shinji Okazaki nodded just wide but, whether it was because of their Champions League exertions in midweek, the Foxes rarely carried the threat that won them the top-flight title last season.
Southampton earn point after tough week
Southampton's build-up to the game had been overshadowed by assistant manager Eric Black being named in a Daily Telegraph investigation into corruption in football and a seven-hour delay in their return from a Europa League tie in Israel on Thursday.
But manager Claude Puel made seven changes for the game at the King Power, and they started strongly as Austin had one header saved and glanced another wide before seeing an acute-angled shot coming back off the far post.
Austin had scored five goals in four games going into the match and should have added to that tally when he was through on goal in the second half only to go for a difficult chip over Schmeichel, which was saved.
Their main concerns at the back came from their own mistakes, especially Van Dijk's weak backpass, but they comfortably kept their sixth successive clean sheet in all competitions.
Man of the match - Oriol Romeu
What they said:
Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri: "I'm very happy because Southampton deserved to win. They played better. We conceded too many chances to score a goal.
"I recognise they played better than us. Fortunately we finished with a draw from the match."
On playing Champions League games in midweek: "Everything is a new experience. Now I have to decide whether to give a rest to players."
Southampton boss Claude Puel: "We had the possibilities to win the game. It is a little disappointing at the end of the game because I thought we could have won.
"It is positive for the future. It is important for the squad to take confidence."
The stats you need to know
- Leicester have won just eight points from their opening seven games - the joint-second lowest return by a defending Premier League champion (Chelsea had eight points at the same stage in 2015/16).
- Leicester have had two goalless draws in seven Premier League games this season - as many as they did in the entire 2015/16 campaign.
- The Foxes failed to score for just the second time in their last 27 matches in all competitions.
- Southampton are unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions, keeping six clean sheets in the process (W4 D2).
What next?
Leicester City's next game takes them to manager Ranieri's former club Chelsea for the 12:30 BST game on Saturday, 15 October. Southampton host Burnley at 16:00 BST the following day.
Line-ups
Leicester
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Schmeichel
- 17Simpson
- 5Morgan
- 6Huth
- 28Fuchs
- 26MahrezBooked at 54mins
- 4Drinkwater
- 13Amartey
- 11AlbrightonSubstituted forGrayat 66'minutes
- 19SlimaniSubstituted forUlloaat 78'minutes
- 9VardySubstituted forOkazakiat 66'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Hernández
- 10King
- 15Schlupp
- 20Okazaki
- 21Zieler
- 22Gray
- 23Ulloa
Southampton
Formation 4-1-2-1-2
- 1Forster
- 2Cédric SoaresSubstituted forMartinaat 27'minutes
- 6José Fonte
- 17van Dijk
- 21Bertrand
- 14Romeu
- 23Højbjerg
- 8Davis
- 11TadicSubstituted forLongat 71'minutes
- 22Redmond
- 10AustinSubstituted forWard-Prowseat 83'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Yoshida
- 4Clasie
- 7Long
- 13McCarthy
- 15Martina
- 16Ward-Prowse
- 32Olomola
- Referee:
- Martin Atkinson
- Attendance:
- 31,563
Match Stats
Home TeamLeicesterAway TeamSouthampton
- Possession
- Home38%
- Away62%
- Shots
- Home9
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home1
- Away5
- Corners
- Home3
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Leicester City 0, Southampton 0.
Post update
Attempt missed. Leonardo Ulloa (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Daniel Drinkwater.
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Attempt blocked. Oriol Romeu (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Offside, Southampton. James Ward-Prowse tries a through ball, but Shane Long is caught offside.
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Offside, Leicester City. Christian Fuchs tries a through ball, but Leonardo Ulloa is caught offside.
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Foul by Nathan Redmond (Southampton).
Post update
Daniel Amartey (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City).
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Attempt missed. Cuco Martina (Southampton) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Substitution
Substitution, Southampton. James Ward-Prowse replaces Charlie Austin.
Post update
Virgil van Dijk (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Leonardo Ulloa (Leicester City).
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Foul by Nathan Redmond (Southampton).
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Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City).
Post update
Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Robert Huth.
Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Leonardo Ulloa replaces Islam Slimani.
Comments
Join the conversation
Southampton by far the better side. More chances and could and should of won it 2 or even 3-0. So the BBC Sports reporter say it was a draw because Leicester are struggling. Exactly the same as last week when Saints beat West Ham 3-0. Never any praise for Southampton from anyone at the BBC
I'm a Leicester fan, I'll praise Soton. Better team, should have won.
This is pure evidence that the premier league is over rated and not anywhere near the best league in the world. What a total bore, would rather have watched the washing machine going through its cycles.
Your local university probably do a course in 'finding the off button'. I suggest you attend.
Boring teams, boring mid-table fixture
Says a cornish bloke. The irony.
For what it's worth mate, I hope Southampton go on and 'do a Leicester' as it doesn't look like Leicester will 'do a Leicester' again this season.
Little teams like yours and ours are the lifeblood of English football, not the support switching big teams and their fans.
"No repeat of last season's fluke for Leicester"
I think 3 defeats in 38 games would suggest it was no fluke!
We overachieved, absolutely, but it wasn't luck.
I'm surprised the article didn't mention how they'd sold all their best players again.
But who can forget Chelsea last season they were the worst in PL history and as for Liverpool FC still also rans since 1990 yes 1990!
So far we've played 7 games, including Man Utd, Arsenal & Liverpool. In a 'standard' season we would have said we would lose to those 3 teams. So that leaves 4 games which we have won 8 points - I wouldn't call that struggling.
Lifelong LCFC fan.
Up the Saints ;@)