Back again for day 5 (I think) and it’s a little heartbreaking that I couldn’t pick a goal from today or yesterday because the Premier League wants to take breaks for the FA cup. I sounded like a hater right there, but wouldn’t you rather me have a fresh take on a newly minted goal? no? Okay, we’ll work with what we got and present this gem from last year as Riyad Mahrez and Leicester City shocked the world with this goal and their crazy 5000 to 1 odds to win the Premier League last year.
This goal when I saw it in real time on the one and only NBCSN, was a one man show that I can still enjoy to this day. It took all of the 5 star skill moves, and 4 star weak foot Riyad Mahrez had to pull off those dance moves on Azpilecueta of Chelsea. I was still in shock that Leicester took that entire game to Chelsea and didn’t blink or flinch that entire season, even when people said they would fall off. Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez are to thank for that.
We start this breakdown with the ball being across the pitch on the left side 10 yards away from the box and a pass is going to Marc Albrighton, who is already looking up and seeing his options across the field. There are two players salivating at making an open run onside and all Albrighton has to do is line up the pass to whoever he chooses.
As the ball is rolling back and Albrighton is looking up, he charges the ball in mid roll and smashes a pass with the inside of his right foot toward the far post where Mahrez is licking his chops to receive and take it to Chelsea’s whole squad. As the ball is flying high in the air toward him, Mahrez looks so cool and calm and doesn’t break concentration with the ball as he directs himself to the exact spot he needs to be.
When the high arching ball finally comes toward his foot he calmly sits the ball down perfectly with his right foot, which was done exactly how they teach it on the training ground, he slides it to his left, while shifting his weight with it to then begin the onslaught. Parental Advisory here.
Mahrez shuffles the ball back, and then forward, leaving the defender back a step and giving him room. You think he stopped there? Hell no, he just shuffles back to make sure he puts the defender in the blender and makes a smooth margarita out of him, and he stops and gently rolls the ball forward with his left foot, giving him another open shooting lane and fires a super finesse shot towards the top left of goal with only the goalie looking like “The mad rapper” at his teammates as he sees the ball hit the back of the net, then bounce back out toward him. It looked like when a guy gets dunked on in the NBA, and the ball hits him in the head after it’s flushed through the net.
Mahrez shuffles the ball back, and then forward, leaving the defender back a step and giving him room. You think he stopped there? Hell no, he just shuffles back to make sure he puts the defender in the blender and makes a smooth margarita out of him, and he stops and gently rolls the ball forward with his left foot, giving him another open shooting lane and fires a super finesse shot towards the top left of goal with only the goalie looking like “The mad rapper” at his teammates as he sees the ball hit the back of the net, then bounce back out toward him. It looked like when a guy gets dunked on in the NBA, and the ball hits him in the head after it’s flushed through the net.
Too bad Leicester City had the biggest off season party their city has ever had, and this season they are fighting against relegation, while the team they did so dirty in this game are 39 points ahead of them this season. Life is fast yo.