Stalemate For City's Under-23s At Holmes Park
The starting line-up for City’s 11th league game was skippered by Hamza Choudhury, who just hours earlier had agreed terms on a new contract, which will see him remain at the Club until 2022.
New faces into the side included Swiss stopper Eldin Jakupović, Alex Pascanu, Tyrese Shade and Admiral Muskwe, who was making his first appearance from the start of the season.
The visitors, meanwhile, called upon the services of France international defender Eliaquim Mangala as one of their permitted overage players.
An uneventful first half featured half chances for Choudhury and Fousseni Diabaté, while Jakupović was on his toes to keep out an Adrián Bernabé free-kick from distance.
The 34-year-old Foxes stopper was called upon again just before the break, as Benjamín Antonio Garré’s curler forced him to get across and make a fingertip save.
Following the restart, young defender Josh Knight was unfortunate to send a header from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s corner over as Leicester tried to assert more authority on the game.
However, they could have fallen behind in the 55th minute when the referee penalised Choudhury for a foul on Nabil Touaizi in the visitors’ 18-yard box.
Touaizi stepped up from 12 yards, but his low, central effort was comfortably saved by Jakupović, keeping Leicester’s otherwise youthful side level with their guests on the scoresheet.
Two second half substitutes, one for either side, will, on reflection, maybe consider that they should have won the game in the latter moments.
First, it seemed to open up for Callum Wright on the edge of Manchester City’s penalty area, but the former Blackburn Rovers striker’s effort whistled wide.
Within seconds, the visitors advanced and it came to Ian Carlo Poveda, who tried to curl it over Jakupović and into the top corner. However, his audacious effort went over the bar too.
It ultimately proved to be the last passage of play of note as both sides shared the spoils in Whetstone.
Who impressed?
The Club’s 2017/18 Academy Player of the Season, Connor Tee, was introduced in the 58th minute and his arrival sparked an increase in attacking endeavour from the Foxes.
Tee, 18, is enjoying a his first year of Development Squad football this term and his 32-minute display on this occasion will improve his chances of starting in future.
Where does it leave us?
The Development Squad are unmoved in Premier League 2 Division 1, remaining in seventh place with 15 points and a goal difference of +4 after 14 matches.
Coming up…
Next Thursday, Sparta Prague B visit Holmes Park for a Premier League International Cup group stage encounter with the Foxes, live on LCFC TV (7pm GMT kick-off).
The details…
City: Jakupović, Johnson, Elder, Choudhury (c), Knight, Pascanu, Shade, Dewsbury-Hall, Loft (Ughelumba 75), Muskwe (Wright 45), Diabaté (Tee 58)
Subs not used: Davies, Kaba Sherif
Attendance: 469