Leicester City vs Nottingham Forest. Premier League.
The King Power StadiumAttendance32,202.
Match report and free highlights as Leicester City secured a derby victory over Nottingham Forest thanks to two goals from James Maddison and one apiece from Harvey Barnes and Patson Daka; Leicester leapfrog Forest to leave them bottom
Tuesday 4 October 2022 07:15, UK
Leicester City won their first game of the season with an emphatic 4-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest that takes them off the bottom of the Premier League table and leaves their East Midlands rivals there instead.
Two first-half goals from James Maddison either side of Harvey Barnes' curled effort soon lifted the gloom that has surrounded Leicester's season - and in stunning style. Patson Daka then capped it all by coming off the bench to score with a deft flick in the second half.
Brendan Rodgers had gone into the game under considerable pressure but Leicester's superior quality was evident from the outset and the focus is now likely to shift to Forest boss Steve Cooper whose rebuild is crumbling following a fifth consecutive defeat.
With these teams propping up the Premier League table going into the game, there was an uneasy edge to the first top-flight derby between the two since the turn of the century. There was an awareness among everyone that defeat would only darken the mood.
Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha was in attendance, using his programme notes to rally the home support, viewing this as an opportunity to start afresh. Rodgers had talked of a reset for his confidence-shot squad, a chance to rediscover themselves.
That was how it played out from the kick-off as chances flowed. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall inexplicably missed the target with a header after wonderful work from Maddison. Jamie Vardy, restored to the team, might have done better with two good openings.
When Taiwo Awoniyi was put through on goal by Morgan Gibbs-White, that was Forest's chance to punish the home side and change the mood inside the stadium. But the striker struck the foot of Danny Ward's post and within minutes the game was away from Forest.
Jesse Lingard's poor clearance fell kindly for Maddison and his shot deflected off Scott McKenna past Dean Henderson and into the net. Moments later, Barnes, who had tormented Neco Williams from the start, curled the ball into the corner sparking cathartic celebrations.
The way that confidence flooded back into the Leicester players should worry any supporters of sides thinking Rodgers' team are relegation candidates. The quality remains. The magnificent Maddison showed that when he whipped in a free-kick to make it three.
The Leicester playmaker has now scored nine goals in his last 11 Premier League appearances and even provided the assist for Daka after the interval. As strange as it might seem given the recent travails of this team, Maddison might just be in the form of his life.
"He has been the star of the show," said Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football. "On paper, he is playing on the right of midfield or right wing, but he has been playing centrally where he is at his best and playing between the lines where there is acres of space."
What that space says about Forest is another matter. Perhaps it is to be expected that this new-look side should struggle for cohesion but eight games into the season and after a two-week break more was expected than this. It was a troubling performance.
The away support were vocal in their support during the second half - defiant even. But the cheers came from the home fans at the final whistle. On the night their team could not afford to lose, Leicester won well - very well. Inspired by the magic of Maddison.
"It has been too long to be honest," Rodgers told Sky Sports. "We should have won before now and we have had some tough games. But I thought we were excellent tonight with our intensity in the game and our pressing.
"There was pressure on us, especially after the last time we played Forest. It is a great night for the players and it is brilliant for the supporters. I said beforehand that it was a season-changing game if we could get a result here and push on. I thought they were excellent.
"We have got some technically gifted players and guys who are tactically very good but you cannot win matches without a desire and a mentality to defend.
"This season, that had not been there consistently but tonight we did that. We kept our first clean sheet which is very important."
"We are going through difficult moments you normally look at in pre-season and we are having to go through that process in the most difficult league in the world. It's tough at the moment, I won't shy away from that," said Cooper.
"I'll believe in them until the end. I refuse to be really critical of them in the dressing room because this is such a tough challenge with a new group. We are finding out about that in the toughest league in the world. I will never say they are not good enough as that will have a negative effect. But at same time we need to be much better.
"This is a fresh challenge for us. Some of the guys have only met each other these last couple of weeks. That's the realism of the situation and something we have to deal with. At the moment we are getting punished because of periods in games where we are not a team and key moments as well.
"I completely understand the situation and the question and respect it 100 per cent. But my concern is we have lost another game for this club, not my own situation because I care more about the club more than my personal circumstances. I refuse to criticise the players as a group as it is a fresh challenge."
Leicester travel to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday at 3pm before Nottingham Forest host Aston Villa on Monday Night Football at 8pm - live on Sky Sports Premier League.
