In the end, the highly anticipated match between the two teams involved in the famous “Wagatha Christie” case turned out to be solely about the 22 players on the field. The hype surrounding the game was exaggerated and it was clear that the absence of Jamie Vardy due to injury meant there would be no showdown with Birmingham manager Wayne Rooney. It was also obvious that Leicester is the favored team for promotion to the Premier League, as noted by the Sky Sports cameras present at the game.
Leicester, who have now won twice as many league games as they did last season, are three points ahead at the top of the Championship. Enzo Maresca’s comments about there still being a long road ahead are becoming less believable. Stephy Mavididi and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall both scored goals to secure a victory over Birmingham, who managed to score twice through Jordan James in an entertaining but ultimately predictable match. Since taking over as manager of Birmingham in October, Rooney has only recorded two wins out of eleven games.
The match had barely begun when the fans in the stands began exchanging insults. The home supporters were chanting Rooney’s name, which was quickly countered by the away fans chanting Vardy’s name. However, Vardy had not played in the past month due to a knee injury. In his place, a trio of Abdul Fatawu, who is on loan from Sporting, Mavididi, who joined the team after their relegation, and Patson Daka, were responsible for scoring.
Mavididi excited the crowd at home with his celebration after scoring in the ninth minute. The goal was remarkable for multiple reasons. In just 13 seconds, Leicester went from almost giving up a goal after James Justin kicked a poorly aimed clearance that hit the post, to Mavididi scoring at the other end after being set up by Fatawu. Mavididi then climbed onto the advertising board in front of the Tilton Road stand and crossed his arms, causing some angry reactions from the locals. Fatawu soon joined him, and Harry Winks tried to calm things down by pulling his teammates away from the home fans. The referee, David Webb, gave Mavididi a yellow card.
Rooney expressed no grievances. He acknowledged the intensity of the game, commenting, “There’s definitely emotion involved.” He recounted a past experience at Anfield where a phone was thrown at his head, narrowly missing him. He appreciates the freedom for players to celebrate without the interference of VAR. While driving home, he listened to the Chelsea game and noticed that no one celebrated due to waiting for VAR to review the play.
Fans from both teams engaged in a predictable exchange as they cheered on their respective teams during the highly-anticipated match. The game was full of ups and downs in the beginning, with Wales’ dynamic midfielder James scoring the equalizer with less than 15 minutes remaining. His goal was an impressive one, as he skillfully placed the ball into the far corner after a clever combination between Siriki Dembélé and Ivan Sunjic, who delivered a pass to James inside the penalty area.
Leicester quickly took the lead once again, taking advantage of Birmingham’s high defensive line. The play began near Leicester’s 18-yard box, where Ricardo Pereira, who was signed for £22m from Porto five years ago, stole the ball from Juninho Bacuna, who had scored the winning goal for Birmingham in their previous match against Cardiff. This time, Fatawu released Dewsbury-Hall, who skillfully maneuvered between Birmingham captain Dion Sanderson and center-back Marc Roberts before getting past John Ruddy and expertly scoring into an open net. The away fans in the Gil Merrick Stand responded with a taunt directed at Rooney, asking for the score.
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Mavididi scored his second goal four minutes into the second half. While James scored another goal with about 20 minutes left, it seemed unlikely that Birmingham would make a comeback. Rooney’s main goal is to help Birmingham, currently ranked 17th and six points above the relegation zone, secure their position. On the other hand, Maresca’s job seems less challenging as Leicester, who will face the last-ranked team Rotherham on Saturday, have a comfortable 13-point lead over third-placed Leeds.
Maresca expressed his happiness, but reminded that it’s only December and there are still many games ahead.
Source: theguardian.com
