Leicester 2, Stoke 1, positive and negative points, player ratings and match report, championship match

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Marti Cifuentes picked the team as close to a perfect lineup as possible. The only question was the use of Jordan James. He was once again played out of position as the best man in his double turn. Oliver Skipp and Harry Winks played in defensive roles but are still a good line-up for such a match.

We also discussed the basics of Marti Cifuente’s playing style and approach. Patson Daka should be the player to pick. He increases the opponent’s defense with his runs.

Leicester started the match positively and took the lead from the start. Abdul Fatawu, Stephy Mavididi and Patson Daka showed excellent pace. Their poise was impressive, forcing Stoke to focus more on defensive matters than going forward.

Leicester had a strong presence and in the 23rd minute it all exploded. Stephy Mavididi made a beautiful shot from distance. It found the net and tested ex-Leicester man Viktor Johansson in the Stoke goal. However, he was never able to get his hands on those beautifully placed fireworks. Leicester were 1-0 ahead.

Stoke had to push for an equalizer, but Leicester took advantage of a great opportunity in the 44th minute. Abdul Fatawu delivered a beautiful pass to Patson Daka. The Zambian international found the net for the first time in almost a year. Leicester were 2-0 up when the half-time whistle blew.

Three points 🙌#LEISTK | @BCGame pic.twitter.com/xexh9XPesM

— Leicester City (@LCFC) November 22, 2025

Leicester never managed to build on their two goals in the first half. The second half started poorly with Stoke scoring after just 48 minutes of play. A Bae Jun-Ho header from the center of the penalty area into the bottom right corner.

Stoke came on and fought for their second goal. Leicester had a few counter-attacks, but it never really looked like this would end with more Leicester goals. Stoke were close to the equalizer. The best Leicester player on the pitch, Asmir Begovic, showed class. He saved everything today.

Bouba Soumare came on for Oliver Skipp in the 72nd minute. Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Silko Thomas and Hamza Choudhury were also on the field today and helped Leicester gain three new points.

Good fighting and hard work this time yielded a good reward. Leicester took all three points from this tough match against an in-form and confident Stoke team. It was nice to see Leicester doing what was necessary to win this crucial match.

Leicester are tenth in the table and will play against Southampton on Tuesday. But the gap to a play-off position is only one point, and 6 to a direct promotion place. We were happy with Marti’s setup this time. However, someone needs to address the usage error with Jordan James. The team is suffering because they are not playing him in his best role.

• Positives
  • Patson Daka on the scoresheet, great to see him score again, wonderful
  • Asmir Begovic shows his class, a great game and a very positive performance
  • Stephy Mavididi shows that he can turn on a coin and score goals from anywhere
  • Stable defending, keeping focus until the end, great to watch
• Negatives
  • If you keep playing Jordan James out of position, pivot and play James a little deeper
  • Luke Thomas and Ricardo Pereira were not involved enough and did not push forward enough
  • Too many yellow cards

Line-up:
Begovic 8, Pereira 5, Thomas 4, Vestergaard 6, Faes 6, Winks 6, Skipp 5, Daka 7, Mavididi 7, Fatawu 5, James 6 Subs: De Cordova-Reid, Thomas, Soumare, Choudhury

• Leicester City, man of the match

Match statistics (H/A)

• Possession: 44/56
• Shots on target: 2/5
• Angles: 0 / 10
• Errors: 16/11

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