Record-Breaking Foxes Seal Swans Win
Matt Grimes' 20th-minute opener for the hosts at Swansea.com Stadium was overturned after half-time, with Jannik Vestergaard's first goal for the Club levelling matters before the break. Abdul Fatawu's maiden Leicester City goal made it 2-1, with the Ghanaian powering the ball into the top corner, before a composed finish later on by substitute Kelechi Iheanacho.
Leicester have won 11 of their 12 Championship matches this term and have now also broken their own all-time record for consecutive away wins, surpassing the five-match winning run on the road during the second-tier title-winning season of 2013/14. With second-placed Ipswich Town's visit to Rotherham United being postponed due to adverse weather conditions in South Yorkshire, City are five points clear of the Tractor Boys. They're also 11 points ahead of Leeds United in third place.
This game, though, represented a real test for the Foxes, coming up against a Swans outfit who had won four in a row. Manager Enzo Maresca made five changes to the XI which sealed a 2-0 victory over Stoke City before the international break. Ahead of kick-off, City’s players wore Show Racism The Red Card t-shirts to support the EFL’s Together Against Racism campaign, before a moment of silence took place in South Wales to remember the innocent victims of events in Israel and Palestine. Each set of players were also adorning black armbands during the game in tribute to all those affected by the escalating conflict.
Once the match began, Leicester’s first opportunity came eight minutes in when a move starting with Mads Hermansen in goal ended with Harry Winks curling over the Swans’ net at the other end. Possession swung from one side to the other early on, but it was in fact the home side who led 18 minutes in when Grimes lashed a left-footed volley into the bottom corner from outside the box. That was the first time Leicester had trailed in a league fixture since 2 September.
City immediately took control and pushed for a leveller. They had to wait for it, though. Stephy Mavididi danced into the box and rolled the ball invitingly across goal, but Jamie Vardy couldn’t get there in time to finish at the far post. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, on the other hand, nodded straight into Carl Rushworth’s grasp after enterprising play from Wilfred Ndidi on the right channel. On the stroke of half-time, their efforts were rewarded as Mavididi – a constant threat for the visitors – burst down the left. His cross was headed towards goal by Ndidi, with the ball ricocheting off Jamal Lowe’s thigh and then being bundled into the net by Vestergaard. That was the Dane’s first-ever Leicester goal and a fitting moment for the man who has fought his way into the XI with an array of excellent displays this term.
Swansea remained a danger, however, and Hermansen did exceedingly well to tip Liam Cullen’s blazing arrow onto the crossbar. Harry Darling also sent a header looping over the net for Michael Duff’s Swansea outfit. The Foxes were in front just after the hour in any case. Dewsbury-Hall’s cross was left smartly by Ndidi, teeing up Fatawu to rifle it into the top corner. The game had been flipped onto its head and Maresca’s men were eager to stamp their authority on it. Vardy couldn’t plot a route around Rushworth later on, before Ndidi scuffed wide and Mavididi’s curler flew off target too.
Swansea weren’t about to allow Leicester return to the East Midlands with all three points without a fight, however. A heroic block from Wout Faes halted Jamie Paterson’s powerful drive before Lowe also found Vestergaard in his way. Joshua Key then stole the ball away from substitute Yunus Akgün just before the Turkey international could let loose at the other end. It was becoming a helter-skelter affair. Hermansen then leapt across his line to divert Lowe’s shot away from danger.
Iheanacho, Vardy's replacement for the latter stages, made sure of the points with three minutes to play. The Nigerian latched onto Ricardo Pereira's perfect through-ball, clipping it beyond Rushworth for his sixth goal of the season. Leicester City had to fight for it, but this was another satisfactory afternoon for the 1,953 travelling fans. Top of the table and on a seven-game winning streak, it gets better and better for the Foxes. Sunderland are next up on Filbert Way on Tuesday.