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On Par With Ex-Manchester United Star: Why This Leicester Man Deserves More Chances At The Club

Shinji Okazaki of Leicester enjoys his moment with his team-mates

Finally, Leicester cruised to their 1st emphatic victory over an equal match this season on matchday 9, and the victory reminded the world of how they shredded teams apart in their fairy-tale title-winning campaign of last term. The 3 – 1 victory over a Crystal Palace side that had lost just thrice before the visit to the King Power Stadium came about as a result of some changes in the starting lineup.

Ranieri chose the trio of Slimani, Musa and Okazaki to lead the attack, and goals from the Nigerian and Japanese put the hosts in a commanding lead with 27 minutes to go. The performance of the latter earned him many positive appraisals as he took his league tally to 6 goals in 42 games for Leicester City. Drawing level with Kagawa as the all-time top Japanese scorer in the EPL as a result.


Shinji Okazaki’s work rate and ability to pop up important goals underline why he should be a more regular first team player once again this term. Saturday’s victory saw the defending champions extend their unbeaten run at home to 20 games, and the contributions of the Asian star played a huge role in sustaining the record.

This term, the 7th Japanese to ply his trade in EPL has been limited to 6 league appearances, creating 2 chances and scoring a goal. 328 minutes of playing time in the league are too little for a player known for his abilities to create something virtually out of nothing when given the chance. Okazaki played the whole 90 minutes against Palace at the weekend, and it was by far Leicester City’s best performance since their title defence kicked off.

Last season – his first in the EPL, he played 36 league games creating 19 chances and scoring 5 goals in the process. Okazaki established an amazing partnership with Jamie Vardy upfront, and both men combined their pace and finishing abilities to trouble defences on the counter attacks.

This season, Leicester City have struggled in the final third, scoring just 11 goals in 9 outings, but as Ranieri might have discovered following the Palace game, having a player like Okazaki regularly in action could be key to get back on track after a dismal start to life as reigning champs.

The 30-year-old was all over the place the whole game, and despite Leicester City enjoying lesser possession and shots, he made most of the few opportunities presented them. That was the winning formula last season, and playing Okazaki more regularly could yield considerable level of success in this campaign. He sure deserves more first team chances at Leicester City, it’s what the team needs if they are to make anything out of their EPL title defence.

He has settled well into the premier league style of play upon hitting the ground running when he first arrived last term, and there should be no reason why this term shouldn’t be his ultimate breakthrough campaign in front of the goal. Shinji Okazaki just need the chance to prove his quality once again. And it must be given to him.