EPL: Wilfred Ndidi relegated with Leicester City after home defeat to Liverpool

By Wale Mustapha

Vice captain of Nigeria, Wilfred Ndidi, and his Leicester City teammates have suffered an immediate return to the EFL Championship following a 1–0 home loss to Liverpool in the English Premier League (EPL) on Sunday.

The defeat at the King Power Stadium sealed Leicester’s relegation with five games still left in the season. The Foxes remain on 18 points, mathematically unable to catch 17th-placed West Ham United, who have 36 points.

It’s the second relegation in three seasons for Leicester, who bounced back last year by winning the Championship. However, their return to the top flight was short-lived, marred by a disastrous start to the campaign in which they failed to win any of their opening six fixtures.

The poor run led to the sacking of then-manager Steve Cooper after 15 matches, with former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy brought in as his replacement. But the Dutchman was unable to turn the team’s fortunes around.

Leicester went into Sunday’s clash with a damning record — the first team across England’s top four divisions to lose eight consecutive home games without scoring. That run extended to nine against title-chasing Liverpool, with substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold scoring the only goal of the match.

The relegation now casts uncertainty over the futures of several key players, including Ndidi. The Nigerian midfielder, who has remained a consistent presence despite the club’s struggles, is reportedly on the radar of several Premier League and European clubs.

With the summer transfer window approaching, it may be only a matter of time before formal offers arrive for the former Genk star, whose experience and versatility could attract top-flight suitors.