Leicester City’s Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi (L) vies with Chelsea’s Brazilian-Italian defender Emerson Palmieri (C) during the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Leicester City and Chelsea at King Power Stadium in Leicester, central England on June 28, 2020. (Photo by Tim Keeton / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by TIM KEETON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Former Manchester United defender  Rio Ferdinand has faulted Wilfred Ndidi for the goal that knocked Leicester City out of the English FA Cup.

Leicester City conceded for the first time in the competition this season as they lost  1-0 loss to Chelsea at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.

Substitute Ross Barkley scored the decisive goal after Ndidi failed to closed down the England midfielder quickly.

Ferdinand who was speaking from his punditry role with BT Sports said Ndidi saw the danger and should have reacted quicker by picking up Barkley before he volleyed home the winner.

“The gap between the centre-backs starts to develop. When that happens, when that big gap comes, the big job is for Ndidi, who has had great reviews for how he’s played over the years, and rightly so.

“Once you see the gap between the centre-backs when the ball’s wide, his job is to drop in, drop in here and be that guard in there. If you keep your eye on Ndidi here, and look how many times he looks over his shoulder to see where Barkley is.

“One look, two looks – when he looks there – he has to drop in there and cover the run from Barkley. He knows he can get in behind Ndidi because he’s not looking.

“Jonny Evans, one of my old team-mates, sees this but he’s marking his man – Tammy Abraham – once he sees it he’ll come over to try and cover. But once this happens at this level, it’s too quick, the quality is too good, it’s a great cross and the timing eliminates defenders out of it.

“Barkley sees the space, darts into it, great ball, great finish. Bad defending from Ndidi and the midfield.” He said.

This was the first time that Leicester had conceded a goal in this season’s FA Cup, making them the last of the 123 sides to participate in the competition proper in 2019-20 to concede a goal.

Leicester have also lost each of their last five quarter-final matches in the FA Cup – with each of the last three being against Chelsea (also 2012 and 2018).

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