Abdul Fatawu Screamer Sets Up Leicester’s Impressive Win Over Birmingham

Abdul Fatawu’s stunning early extremity and Ricardo Pereira’s precocious effort gave Leicester a hard-fought but deserved triumph complete Birmingham successful nan Championship. Fatawu’s superb decorativeness lit up a crippled of precious fewer chances, arsenic these 2 Midlands rivals slugged it retired nether nan lights astatine nan KP Stadium.

Chris Davies’s side, who came into nan title unbeaten successful nan 2nd tier, improved arsenic nan lucifer betwixt 2 of nan league’s astir fancied clubs wore on. But pinch Jay Stansfield ruled retired they struggled to create capable to problem Martí Cifuentes’s side, earlier nan Leicester substitute pounced pursuing 16-year-old Jeremy Monga’s memorable assist.

Both teams went into nan lucifer successful encouraging form, taking maximum points from their astir caller outings successful a title famed for its unpredictability. A daze midweek Carabao Cup conclusion by Port Vale appeared to person dented Birmingham’s assurance early on, however, though Davies’s players applied nan aforesaid suffocating property truthful beloved of his mentor Brendan Rodgers.

There was a convention debut for Lewis Koumas, aft his indebtedness move from Liverpool, but nan absence of Birmingham’s attacking talisman Stansfield done wounded did not punctual a tactical alteration of plan, pinch Leicester being harried whenever they were successful possession. Thanks to nan style Cifuentes wants to implement, that was for nan astir portion of nan opening exchanges.

Survival was nan Spaniard’s superior ambition while successful complaint astatine QPR. Having succeeded Ruud van Nistelrooy aft Leicester’s descent into nan 2nd tier, it is now astir revival.

With only 8 minutes gone, Fatawu rifled successful nan opener. Some hesitant defending from Ethan Laird caused disorder successful Birmingham’s rearguard, successful move allowing nan teen Louis Page to gaffe nan shot to nan Ghana international, who casually trim wrong earlier smashing it into nan apical area of nan net.

Abdul Fatawu (left) scores Leicester’s opening extremity successful nan eighth minute. Photograph: David Davies/PA

Birmingham yet began to build immoderate hit midway done nan first half but they still struggled to decently trial a rearguard marshalled by Jannik Vestergaard.

If nan visitors person a weakness, it is failing to create nan number of clearcut opportunities Davies would like. One appeared to person presented itself midway done nan first half erstwhile nan shot fell kindly astatine Tomoki Iwata’s feet connected nan separator of nan box. But, alternatively than shoot, nan Japanese midfielder elected to effort to walk instead. It summed up their activity aft Fatawu’s extremity – plentifulness of committedness but very small threat.

What Birmingham had not shed, however, was their hesitancy. Immediately aft nan restart, Christoph Klarer was forced to retrieve from an untimely gaffe to forestall Jordan Ayew from having a clear tally astatine nan goalkeeper Ryan Allsop.

The visitors improved arsenic nan nighttime wore connected but Pereira made nan points safe successful nan 88th minute, aft profiting from good activity by his chap substitute Monga.

The win, Leicester’s 3rd successful 4 matches, lifts them to 3rd successful nan table, while Birmingham dishonesty seventh.