There wasn’t much to shout about for Leicester City as they were hammered 4-0 by Newcastle United.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side were well beaten in the north east as a brace from Jacob Murphy and goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak made for awful viewing from a Foxes perspective.
The likes of Conor Coady struggled for the Foxes while there was also confusion from Leicester fans as to why Bruno Guimaraes wasn’t dismissed.
For all of the negatives, there was still something to smile about and the performance of one Leicester player is good news going forward.
Bilal El Khannouss the bright spark in disappointing Leicester defeat
Since Van Nistelrooy’s arrival, Bilal El Khannouss has been a regular in the starting XI.
Brought in for £21m from Genk in the summer, El Khannouss was seen as a raw talent ready for the first team but needed time to settle in England.
El Khannouss was singled out by Van Nistelrooy after scoring in the 3-1 win against West Ham United this month and the Morocco international was once again a bright spark against Newcastle.
His forward-thinking style of play meant he was always looking for a progressive pass forward and he impressed those watching on again.
| Bilal El Khannouss stats vs Newcastle |
| Minutes played – 82 |
| Touches – 51 |
| Passes completed – 31/39 (79%) |
| Dribble completion rate – 2/2 (100%) |
| Key passes – 1 |
“Bilal El Khannouss was the only decent player from #LCFC today,” wrote one fan.
“He didn’t see much of the ball, but he showed some good moments. He is continuing his development and adapting to the league, step by step.”
A second said: “El Khannouss is adapting to the league remarkably well, and his progress has been exciting to watch as he grows into a key part of the team. It might be a bit early to say, but i genuinely believe he’s set to stay in the Premier League for years to come.
Ruud van Nistelrooy admits he tried to sign Bilal El Khannouss at PSV
It’s not surprise to see El Khannouss being given a run in the side after Van Nistelrooy admitted that he had his eye on him at PSV.
At 20, El Khannouss still has the world at his feet and will only get better and the Foxes boss previously stated he had been a long time fan of the star.
He said: “We were very aware of him at PSV, but we also knew he was a bit out of our league, his transfer. It’s different in the Premier League. I was happy to see his development and his talent. He’s showing that, and in training.
“There’s still so much potential with his age, physically and technically. Being able to produce assists and goals, that’s where he’s a special talent for his age group. For Leicester City, he’s someone we have to look after and develop and make him better every week.”