Leicester City manager Steve Cooper praised Wilfred Ndidi for his outstanding performance in their 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
The Nigerian midfielder, deployed in a more advanced role, provided two crucial assists as the Foxes secured a hard-fought point.
Ndidi set up Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi to put Leicester ahead twice, but Crystal Palace’s Jean Mateta struck twice to ensure the hosts salvaged a draw. Despite the result, Leicester are still searching for their first win of the season.
Cooper was quick to commend Ndidi’s versatility and resilience, especially in light of his recent international commitments. “He did quite a lot of that last season from the analysis I did,” Cooper remarked regarding Ndidi’s advanced positioning.
The Leicester boss acknowledged the strategic decision to push Ndidi further up the field, noting that his wealth of Premier League experience was crucial to the team’s setup.
“We have the players to make decisions on certain profiles for certain games in certain positions. Wilf delivered. He’s had a long week travelling, and we considered resting him, but we felt we needed his experience, and luckily it showed.”
While Leicester continue to struggle for a win, Ndidi’s performance offered a silver lining, with Cooper hopeful that the team can build on the midfielder’s strong form in the coming matches.
The Foxes will look to end their winless run in the next fixture as they aim to climb the Premier League table.
