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Foxy Figures: Statistical breakdown of Leicester’s Kelechi Iheanacho

A statistical look at the club’s new no.8.

Iheanacho leads the charge against Borussia Moenchengladbach
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

I think it is safe to say that most of us are excited about the Foxes newest signing Kelechi Iheanacho.

In his first preseason match, he assisted Jamie Vardy’s second goal and then we collectively held our breaths when he went down injured. Thankfully the forward has shaken off the knock and should be ready to go come Friday against Arsenal. So why should we be so excited for a guy that only scored four goals last season? Well, let’s first start with where he scores them.

All smiles after the pair score their first goal together
Michael Regan/Getty Images

From twenty appearances with Manchester City last season, he managed four goals from thirteen chances created. All four goals were scored in or around the six yard box.

Iheanacho’s goals last season
Squawka

One of the quality traits you may remember from the title winning season was how many goals Leicester scored from inside the box. It was a total of 65 the Foxes managed to put in the back of the net from inside the box. Two of the three came from Danny Drinkwater, with the last being that wonder goal Jamie Vardy scored versus Liverpool.

Goals scored in the title winning season
Squawka

Last season goals were a bit more hard to come by.

Teams had figured out our strategy and probably as a whole the squad underperformed, but the past is the past. Leicester scored a total of 48 goals last year, managing to score nine from outside the box.

That is almost twenty percent of our goals from outside the box, which is a massive increase from the six percent the previous season. While I love a Wilfred Ndidi screamer like the rest of us, having another player capable of finding his way into the box and scoring goals will give the club a huge advantage.

Goals scored last season
Squawka

The next great thing about Kelechi is he has a killer left foot, which will compliment City nicely. In the Premier league he’s scored twelve times over the past two seasons. Nine of those have come from his left foot. Last season Leicester’s forward players scored eleven goals with their left feet. Riyad Mahrez lead them all with five while Vardy scored three, Shinji Okazaki two and Ahmed Musa one.

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leicester City - Pre-Season Friendly Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

I think Iheanacho will turn out to be a fantastic signing for the club. He may start the season on the bench, but once he bags the winner against Arsenal on Friday, expect to see him in the starting eleven.