Birmingham Victory Sends City Clear At The Top
Devastating counter-attacking play was City's weapon of choice at St. Andrew's Stadium, with Stephy Mavididi surging down the left channel to apply a deft clipped finish to Abdul Fatawu's through-ball on 10 minutes. Although the Blues levelled almost immediately through Jordan James, in the 21st minute, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall restored Leicester’s lead soon after, bulldozing through the centre to skip past home goalkeeper John Ruddy and finish well. Mavididi’s second of the night and seventh of 2023/24 – a deflected rocket five minutes into the second half – gave Enzo Maresca’s side breathing space. They ultimately needed it, too, as James halved the arrears with 16 minutes of normal time to play, but the visitors held on.
The flying Foxes, though, dug in deep to hold out for their fourth win on the bounce and their 18th of the season – from 22 league matches. This latest triumph puts them on 55 points – three clear of Ipswich Town in second place and 13 ahead of the play-off picture in the second tier. After a short trip across the Midlands, just the one change was made to the XI which defeated Millwall last Wednesday, with James Justin returning and replacing Conor Coady. Fireworks and flames greeted the players onto the pitch in the Second City – adding to the sense of occasion for Leicester's latest Championship outing.
Straight from the off, Leicester won possession and hurried upfield, with Blues skipper Dion Sanderson hurling himself in the way of Patson Daka’s early strike inside the area. In truth, it was Birmingham on the front foot though. First Mads Hermansen scooped up James’ long-range drive. The Dane was there again minutes later to stick a leg out at Siriki Dembele’s close-range hit. Krystian Bielik’s header – from a long Marc Roberts throw-in – needed tipping over the bar. City’s woodwork was rattling next up as Wayne Rooney’s hosts poured forwards, swamping the final third. Justin will have been relieved to the see the ball cannon back off his own post after it pinged off his leg, seemingly on course for the back of the net.
The home side’s adventurous start presented opportunities for the Foxes, however. With Blues players stranded in Leicester’s half, Maresca’s men flew forwards. Fatawu was away, roaring towards goal down the middle. Mavididi was there too, just off his left shoulder. The two Foxes linked up perfectly, with Mavididi receiving the ball with just enough time on his hands to lift it first time past John Ruddy, leaving the Blues ‘keeper with no chance of stopping it bounce over the line. The locals will have felt hard done by, but they were toasting an equaliser four minutes later. Considered build-up left James unaccompanied in the box, with the Birmingham man slotting into the far bottom corner. It had been an electric start at St. Andrew’s.
Ruddy did exceedingly well to get a fingertip to Dewsbury-Hall’s scooped cross on the left from the restart, snatching the ball away from Daka, loitering at the back post. The match was really going some and another Foxes breakaway led to their second – 20 minutes in. Ricardo Pereira won the ball on the edge of his own box and, before anyone in blue could respond, Fatawu was galloping forwards again. It was a quicker release this time from the Ghanian. Dewsbury-Hall had two defenders for company and distance still to run, but he had the edge on them. Ruddy scampered off his line, but as the Leicester Academy graduate got into the box, he feinted a shot, skipping past the ‘keeper instead, and calmly dispatched it into a gaping net.
City were clicking into the gear, with Dewsbury-Hall going particularly well in attacking positions. The midfielder spun on the spot on the left side of the area, later teeing Daka up in the middle. The in-form Zambian, though, sent it over the bar. Mavididi curled wide at the end of a lengthy move for the visitors with four minutes of the half remaining. Into the second half, it was the same story. Birmingham pushed up again and again – and Leicester capitalised. Dewsbury-Hall released Mavididi on the left channel and the former Arsenal man did the rest. It took a deflection along the way, but the finish from City’s No.10 was always destined for the back of Ruddy’s net. With the score at 3-1 on 50 minutes, it was so nearly 4-1 seconds later. Dewsbury-Hall commuted the ball forwards and found Fatawu on his right, but he knocked it inches wide of the far post.
Just shy of the hour, Blues stirred, with Jannik Vestergaard darting in front of Jay Stansfield’s shot at goal from six yards out. Another breakaway saw Dewsbury-Hall slip it over to Mavididi, charging in from the left, but he ended up carrying the ball for too long and arrowing it into the side netting. Fatawu also blazed off target on the opposite channel after an inventive release from an enterprising Wilfred Ndidi. Daka’s low drive then skidded wide with the former RB Salzburg man latched onto Dewsbury-Hall’s cutting ball. A test of Leicester’s mettle arrived on 74 minutes. The ball pinged around the Foxes area for an age and eventually landed at James’ feet, inviting the Welshman to poke it past Hermansen. Game on in the rain.
It was open at the end, demanding focus from City. When Fatawu dashed into the 18-yard box, his heavy touch turned into an impromptu pass for Tom Cannon, recently introduced from the bench. The ex-Everton forward, however, couldn’t keep his first-time effort down in front of the 2,654-strong away end. It was getting desperate at the death. Hermansen clawed away a deep cross. Faes dived in to prevent Koji Miyoshi from picking out the bottom corner. Winks booted clear without a second’s thought. Midway through five added minutes, City’s chance for a fourth came and went. It was threaded football from Maresca’s men, resulting in Winks putting Cesare Casadei in on goal. The Italian had time to contemplate his effort, but it flew the wrong side of Ruddy’s near post. It wouldn’t come back to haunt the Foxes. Three points clear.