City Defeated By Forest On Filbert Way
Ryan Yates' 16th-minute opener was cancelled out by Jamie Vardy before the interval but a second-half brace from former Foxes striker Chris Wood ultimately sealed the points for the in-form visitors. There was optimism among the Blue Army when Steve Cooper’s XI was announced, with an attacking edge to the apparent tactical approach. Ricardo Pereira was in to make his first Premier League appearance of the campaign, while Harry Winks and Abdul Fatawu were rewarded for their impacts at Southampton last weekend. On a roll with two wins on the spin, anticipation was in the air on Filbert Way. With no City fixture falling within the traditional remembrance period, the Club made the decision to pick this occasion as the one to stage their own Royal British Legion events. A magnificent stadium-wide poppy display was joined by an emotive sounding of The Last Post before kick-off. The fixture is also the closest home matchday to what will be the sixth anniversary of a tragic accident which claimed the life of our beloved Chairman Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, along with Kaveporn Punpare, Nusara Suknamai, Eric Swaffer, and Izabela Lechowicz on 27 October, 2018. Ahead of a private ceremony on Sunday, this was an evening which also offered Foxes fans an opportunity to remember those we lost.
After a stirring rendition of When You’re Smiling and each side taking the knee – in acknowledgement of the Premier League’s No Room For Racism campaign – it was time for the action as two East Midlands foes went toe to toe on Filbert Way. City’s start was initially encouraging. Facundo Bounanotte had an early sighter blocked by Murillo. Wilfred Ndidi nodded Vardy’s cross wide too. An inability to clear the danger, though, allowed Forest to take the lead after 16 minutes. The ball eventually dropped to Yates on the edge of the area, an invitation for him to glide a low drive into Mads Hermansen’s bottom right corner. It had dented Leicester’s momentum, but they were able to wrestle back some control before the interval, as Vardy applied the close-range finish to Harry Winks’ superb square delivery from the left channel. Filbert Way rose to its feet in acclaim of a familiar goalscorer and the Foxes once again had a foothold. That parity was nearly lost in Forest’s next assault, mind you. Murillo’s poke was deflected to where Nicolás Domínguez was lurking at the back post. The Argentine had time to consider his volley, but so too did Hermansen, spreading his body to make an astonishing point-blank stop to defy the visitors. The Dane’s services were required again just after the half-hour, diverting Callum Hudson-Odoi’s long-range rocket behind.
Before the break, Abdul Fatawu launched an audacious hit over the bar from 30 yards, before Stephy Mavididi nodded the industrious Buonanotte’s cross wide. City’s No.10 went close again in added time, curling a promising-looking hit narrowly the wrong side of Matz Sels’ far post from the angle of the box. It had been an encouraging half for City. Less than two minutes into the second half, however, the home side were behind again. It was Wood, formerly of Leicester blue, who did the damage. He spun on the spot inside the box and drilled it low into the corner to give Hermansen no chance of reaching it. Moments later, referee Craig Pawson waved away the appeals as Vardy hit the deck after a collision with Nikola Milenković in the penalty area, while Buonanotte blazed wide. The game flashed before City’s eyes on 56 minutes. First Hudson-Odoi rattled the post to Hermansen’s left, before Elliot Anderson sent the rebound round the opposite one, nearly putting matters behind Cooper’s men early into the second period. Matters did escalate in any case on the hour-mark. Sels’ long punt forward was nodded up into the air by Wout Faes, enabling Wood to lob Hermansen with a header of his own, putting the visitors 3-1 up. Somehow, it wasn’t four on 69 minutes. Murillo hacked the ball through the six-yard box and Yates was there, but he skied it over the bar.
It turned into a frustrating ending for City too, having to withstand Forest pressure instead of being able to mount their own attacks in search of a route back. They were fortunate on a few occasions too, namely when Jota Silva skidded low and wide for the visitors. Yates' header, two minutes from time, had the post shaking once more as well, while Taiwo Awoniyi thrashed the side netting. Forest, with manager Nuno Espírito Santo watching from the stands, would ultimately see out the game. Leicester must now dust themselves down ahead of a Carabao Cup tie at Manchester United on Wednesday, before Portman Road is the setting for their next Premier League outing against Ipswich Town next weekend.