EFL: Important day for Leicester and Birmingham
Leicester City 2 - 1 Birmingham City
The Foxes overcame a stubborn Birmingham City side and took all three points at the King Power on Saturday afternoon. They have now moved a little closer to a Premier League return.
In the game, Dewsbury-Hall scored the first goal for the Foxes in the first half. However, Mads Hermansen made a terrible mistake and deflected the ball off Jay Stansfield, causing an own goal. With just a few minutes left in normal time, Stephy Mavididi scored a header, securing the win for the hosts.
This sent the home fans wild. They are starting to dream again of a Premier League return after a few dropped points.
Championship news and stories can be found here
Just as the win against Norwich City earlier this week marked a return to form, this was a match that followed a script that Leicester fans saw regularly during the earlier stages of the season.
The home side had 68% of the possession, took 19 shots, put 9 on target, and won 10 corners. Their players ultimately stayed calm and patient. In the end, the pressure paid off and they grabbed a thoroughly deserved late winner.
This was potentially a pivotal day in the fight for promotion to the Premier League.
The victory gives Leicester 88 points from 40 matches and sees the Foxes return to the top of the table. With both Ipswich Town and Leeds losing, the Foxes now lead their rivals by one and two points respectively.
They also have a game in hand on both of them. There are now only six matches left for Leicester, the next coming on Tuesday evening against Millwall in London. The following Friday, they will visit the south coast to take on Plymouth Argyle.
What are the fans saying?
Great win for @LCFC on Saturday.
— European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) April 8, 2024
More reaction coming up on https://t.co/WxVvUbbilr https://t.co/gNgV6838rQ
Daniel, a Leicester Season Ticket holder, said: "There was a lot to like about the performance against Birmingham City. The away side was seldom able to impose themselves on the match, and their goal came out of nowhere. It felt like the defenders were assured. It was also great to see the midfield was ticking, and the wingers were causing plenty of problems throughout the match."
Tom was stood behind the goal when the winner in. He simply said: "Great day. Great run. Let's see it through to the end now.""
Jamie Thompson, a Birmingham fan, was happy with some aspects of this performance. He added: "I am fairly happy with the performance that we put out against the Foxes. It was always going to be hard but the players proved they have it in them to avoid relegation and potentially progress next season. Keep Right On!"
JP, a Birmingham fan, told us: "It's been a strange season. In terms of this match, it was also a strange afternoon. When playing against teams like Leicester, it's important to accept that they will have a lot of the ball and that key moments may not always go your way."
The story of Birmingham's season in two European Super Football stories.
The two articles below perhaps indicate what a strange time it has been for Birmingham City. They have seen four managers come and go for various reasons. Stability is very important for them going forward. It's hard to believe that for a few seasons, they were a regular fixture in the Premier League. They even won the EFL Cup in 2011.
Birmingham City have announced the appointment of Wayne Rooney as their new manager.
The 37-year-old former England captain has joined the Championship club on a three-and-a-half-year deal. He succeeds Blues head coach John Eustace, who was perhaps controversially sacked after 15 months in charge.
EFL: Wayne Rooney appointed Birmingham City manager
January 02, 2024
Birmingham City decided to part ways with manager Wayne Rooney after a brief stint of only 83 days leading the Championship club.
