 |
| Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's Brace Powers Leicester City to Ninth Win in 10 Championship Matches, Regaining Top Spot |
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall displayed his brilliance with a double strike, propelling Leicester City to a 2-0 victory over Preston North End and reclaiming their top spot in the Championship. This triumph came after being temporarily dethroned by Ipswich due to their victory over Hull.
Dewsbury-Hall's first goal arrived as a result of his sharp left-footed finish, initiated by Ali McCann intercepting a Wilfred Ndidi pass, inadvertently directing it into Dewsbury-Hall's path. The midfielder capitalized on the opportunity, slotting the ball past Preston's goalkeeper, Freddie Woodman, to break the deadlock. His second goal came later, as he fired a shot into the roof of the net after Woodman had initially denied Kelechi Iheanacho's attempt.
Leicester City's manager, Enzo Maresca, handed Conor Coady his league debut in place of the suspended Jannik Vestergaard, and it proved to be a comfortable introduction as Preston opted to absorb pressure and look for counter-attacking opportunities.
Despite enjoying 75% of possession, Leicester struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first half. Their closest opportunity came when Stephy Mavididi delivered an excellent pass to Dewsbury-Hall, only to be thwarted by a remarkable block from Liam Lindsay.
The second half saw Leicester continuing to dominate possession. Ndidi had a chance early on but headed over the crossbar, while Dewsbury-Hall's long-range effort narrowly missed the target.
Preston's best chance came when Duane Holmes unleashed a powerful 25-yard shot, but Leicester's goalkeeper, Mads Hermansen, pushed it past the post. This was Preston's sole effort on target.
Dewsbury-Hall's opener was followed by a well-executed combination with Ndidi, setting up Iheanacho for an easy finish from close range. This left Preston facing a second consecutive defeat, following their 4-0 loss to West Bromwich Albion.
Leicester City now finds themselves two points ahead of Ipswich and is gearing up for another home match against Stoke City on Saturday.
After the game, goalscorer Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall remarked, "We knew what sort of game it was going to be... Once we got the first goal, it opened up a bit more, and then we could show more of what we're like."
Preston's manager, Ryan Lowe, acknowledged Leicester's quality, saying, "They have got a player in Dewsbury-Hall who shouldn't be playing at this level." Despite the loss, he commended his team's effort and resilience against formidable opponents.
إرسال تعليق