Maresca: We Found A Way
- Leicester City defeated Queens Park Rangers 2-1 at MATRADE Loftus Road on Saturday
- Harry Winks scored a late winner for the table-topping Foxes after Stephy Mavididi’s opener
- Manager Enzo Maresca gave his verdict on the away performance and result in the capital
- City have become just the second team in second-tier history to win 13 of their opening 14 games
Equalling a Club record of nine consecutive league wins, set almost 10 years ago, the Foxes remain top of the Sky Bet Championship, becoming just the second team in the division's history to win 13 of their first 14 games – and the first in over a century.
The goals came from Stephy Mavididi and Harry Winks, the latter a sensational late strike after the hosts were reduced to 10 men – Andre Dozzell shown two yellow cards in quick succession having earlier equalised for the Hoops.
“It’s one more game,” the Italian said, providing his assessment after full-time. “It’s always tough, it’s never easy. Today I think the game was quite good. We controlled the first half and the second half, and even when we conceded a goal, we were probably in control of the game.
“But then in the second half we didn’t start in the right way for the first five or 10 minutes and then I think we completed deserved it.”
The red card proved a turning point, but it was far from easy for Maresca’s men to fashion a second goal, requiring a moment of magic from England midfielder Winks in front of the 2,764 travelling Foxes fans. A seventh successive away victory sees City move onto 39 points from a possible 42.
“When it was 11 vs. 11, it was exactly the game we expected and then the game changed completely when they had 10,” the 43-year-old said, explaining the tactical decisions ahead of that breakthrough. “We needed to do something different, but that was the game.
“Sometimes when the opponent is with 10, it can be more difficult because they sit there and they don’t move, because they know they have 10.
“But even with that, it’s a matter of being patient, moving them from one side to the other side, again, until we found the right space and solution. We also tried to change the structure a little bit, bringing Ricardo [Pereira] inside and Cesare [Casadei] in behind the striker.”