Leicester 0-0 Wolves highlights, report & stats: VAR rules out Leander Dendoncker goal as Wolves held in Premier League game
Wolves saw a potential winner from Leander Dendoncker ruled out by VAR as they had to settle for a 0-0 draw against Leicester at the King Power Stadium.
The midfielder's second-half strike was chalked off after replays showed a handball by Willy Boly to ensure a 0-0 draw at the King Power Stadium.
It was the only serious incident of a forgettable game between two sides expected to challenge for Europe this season.
Wolves, returning after a 6,370-mile round trip to Armenia, showed no effects of their Europa League travels and with some better finishing from Jota could have won.
Leicester struggled to find any rhythm and better will be expected from Brendan Rodgers' men.
Rodgers chose Caglar Soyuncu to fill the gap at the back left by Harry Maguire's £80million exit to Manchester United, but he had little to worry about in a forgettable first half as the sides nullified each other.
While Leicester dominated possession they rarely threatened as James Maddison misfired and Jamie Vardy was starved of decent service.
But the former England striker was presented with an opening almost by accident after 38 minutes. Maddison's mis-kick fell for Youri Tielemans and he fired a fierce ball across the six-yard box, but Vardy failed to get a touch.
The visitors had begun the second half with renewed vigour and thought they had taken the lead after 51 minutes when Dendoncker rifled in from six yards after his initial header from Joao Moutinho's corner hit Boly.
But with Leicester waiting to restart, VAR disallowed the goal after replays showed the ball struck Boly on the arm. The decision seemed negligible and Wolves were still fuming when Jota dragged wide.
Reprieved, Leicester pressed without troubling Rui Patricio until he saved Harvey Barnes' speculative effort with eight minutes left as the teams opened their Premier League campaigns with a point apiece.
Leicester 0-0 Wolves Opta stats
- Leicester have won their opening Premier League match of a season just once in their last 11 attempts (D5 L5) – against Sunderland in 2015-16.
- Wolves have drawn their opening game of a top-light season nil-nil for the first time since 1951-52 under Stan Cullis.
- Wolves had failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their previous 15 away league games before today – a run stretching back to a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace in October 2018.
- Each of the last two occasions in which a side have faced no more than one shot on target despite having less than 30 percent of possession in a Premier League game have been Wolves – against Leicester today and against Arsenal in April 2019.
- Leicester didn’t have a shot on target until the 83rd minute in this game courtesy of substitute Harvey Barnes – this is thelr latest first attempt on target in a Premier League games since May 2018 vs West Ham (86th minute).
- Leicester have failed to score in each of their last three games – this is only the second time a Brendan Rodgers side has done so, after a run of three games with Swansea City in November 2011.
- Jamie Vardy failed to attempt a single shot in a home Premier League game in which he started for Leicester for just the seventh time – the last occasion was also against Wolves in August 2018.