Foxes Fall To Fulham Reverse
Goals from Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi, either side of Wout Faes' equaliser, saw the Londoners claim all three points in a tight affair in the capital and condemn City to a first defeat of 2024/25.
A rainswept Craven Cottage on the banks of the River Thames was the venue for Leicester's maiden away match under the management of Steve Cooper and, after a positive performance in the second half of Monday's draw with Tottenham Hotspur, there was optimism within the Foxes camp that they could back it up in London. Naming an unchanged XI, new signings Oliver Skipp and Jordan Ayew both made appearances from the bench, bolstering options for Cooper's new-look side moving forward.
Leicester were forced to withstand a barrage of early pressure from the hosts, who looked intent on starting on the front foot having lost their opener at Manchester United a week earlier. A combination of smart Mads Hermansen saves and wayward Whites attempts saw Cooper's men evade a less than ideal beginning on the road; the Dane's stop from a rasping Adama Traoré drive a particular highlight.
And when Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Facundo Buonanotte broke free for the first time, he teed up Bobby De Cordova-Reid, on his return to west London, to make a smart run towards the Fulham box, unleashing a strike that home captain Bernd Leno had to parry behind. Faes headed narrowly wide from the resulting corner as City showed glimpses of their attacking prowess.
But it would be Marco Silva's side who seized the initiative on 18 minutes. Smith Rowe received Traoré's pass, showing a turn of pace to glide into the box and lift the ball beyond Hermansen. In truth, it was the goal that Fulham's dominance deserved, but there was plenty of time to get back into this one.
That's exactly what Leicester did shortly before half-time. Buonanotte's corner was powerfully headed home by Faes, whose celebrations, and indeed those from the travelling Foxes faithful, were initially cut short by an offside flag. Bemused by the decision, City had to wait to celebrate again, with a check at Stockley Park then leading to referee Darren Bond consulting with the VAR screen and awarding the goal. Game on.
Rodrigo Muniz remained a threat, however, and his header could have seen the Whites regain their lead before the break, but for another Hermansen stop, diving across to prevent an instant response to the leveller.
All to play for in the second 45, Muniz was gifted an even better opportunity from Faes' loose pass, and teed up by Traoré, he blazed over the crossbar from close range. A let off for Leicester, Muniz soon headed off target, as did Kenny Tete, with the City goal suddenly leading a charmed life.
While Fulham had enjoyed the better, and more frequent, chances, the game looked finely poised heading into the final 25 minutes. That was until Iwobi used his pace to drive into the area before managing to squeeze a left-footed effort past the outstretched Hermansen.
The introduction of debutants Ayew and Skipp, plus Stephy Mavididi, added extra impetus to City's attacking play, now searching for a route back into the contest once more. A trademark Abdul Fatawu run and left-footed shot from the right whistled past the far post, before his international team-mate Ayew's central free-kick sailed over the top.
Time was running out and once Fatawu volleyed wide, it looked like it just wasn't going to be Leicester's day. There would be one final chance in injury-time, when Ndidi struck through a sea of bodies in the penalty area, but Leno got down to save the deflected shot and confirm City's fate.