How we scored the players as Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s red card proved damaging as Andy King’s men fell to a third straight defeat, Jay Stansfield scoring a second-half winner
Jordan Blackwell
17:05, 07 Feb 2026Updated 17:59, 07 Feb 2026
Referee John Busby shows a red card to Bobby De Cordova-Reid of Leicester City(Image: Leicester City FC via Getty Imag)
Another first-half dismissal cost Leicester City as they fell to defeat at Birmingham in their first match since their points deduction.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid received a straight red card for an unnecessary challenge midway through the first period with the score at 1-1.
City fought gallantly to hold Birmingham at bay, but Jay Stansfield’s second-half finish consigned them to a third straight defeat.
With Caleb Okoli’s sending off last weekend, City are not making life easy for interim boss Andy King, nor for themselves as they bid to climb out of trouble following their six-point sanction.
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Their loss saw them slip a place in the table, and they remain outside the bottom three on goal difference alone.
Two of the four deadline-day signings came straight into the line-up, Jamaal Lascelles and Joe Aribo making their first starts of the season, as well as their maiden City outings.
But the changes didn’t end there, King swapping five of his 11, including in goal, where number one Jakub Stolarczyk was replaced by Asmir Begovic.
The big question coming into the game was how City would respond to the points deduction. Would they wilt or would they be galvanised? The first three minutes at St Andrew’s suggested the former.
Captain Ricardo Pereira showed a total lack of urgency in possession and was robbed by Ibrahim Osman, who streaked away and placed the ball through Begovic’s legs. That’s 25 Championship games in a row in which City have conceded.
A nervous few minutes followed but City did then begin to find their feet, De Cordova-Reid going close, the Jamaican latching onto a loose pass, his prod saved by James Beadle.
Midway through the half, City were level. Setting up for a long throw, Luke Thomas went short, Stephy Mavididi crossed, and the clearance fell to Abdul Fatawu. In a flash, he brought the ball down on his chest and rasped a shot through the bodies and into the net. It was a superb hit.
But City didn’t push on. Instead, Birmingham came to life. Ben Nelson had to block a goalbound shot, Phil Neumann had a headed goal ruled out for offside, possibly incorrectly, and then Begovic had to make an excellent save to flick up a hand and deny Carlos Vicente.
Already struggling, City made life tougher for themselves. De Cordova-Reid dived in unnecessarily on Osman on the touchline, catching the winger’s Achilles with his studs. For the second straight game, City were shown a first-half red card.
At the interval, City brought on Harry Winks for Mavididi to solidify their midfield, and it worked. They kept Birmingham at bay, the only chance in the first 20 minutes of the second half a Jhon Solis effort tipped over by Begovic.
But with all of Birmingham’s possession, City could only hold out so long. They afforded Marvin Ducksch too much space to slip a pass in behind to Stansfield, who ran off the back of Winks and finished low into the far corner.
Divine Mukasa and Dujuan Richards were brought on for their debuts, but at no point did City look like getting an equaliser. It’s another game without points. Here’s how we scored the players.
Asmir Begovic: He looked shaky with the ball at his feet early on and he was beaten through his legs for the first, but he made two excellent saves thereafter, racing across to deny Vicente and then tipping over Solis’ swerving drive. Nearly had a howler in added time. 5
Ricardo Pereira: He showed a total lack of urgency and alertness in his huge error for the opening goal, and he looked nervous for a little while afterwards. But he improved significantly in the second half, shutting Osman down. 4
Jamaal Lascelles: Really strong, and that’s promising given he’s not started a game in over 18 months. He won headers at set-pieces, passed calmly and closed down Ducksch well to stop one potentially dangerous moment. 7
Ben Nelson: He got his positioning spot on for the most part, meaning that he was in the right place to clear loads of crosses, even if it was sometimes awkward. A solid outing from the young centre-back, despite the scoreline. 7
Luke Thomas: Vicente’s sharp touches made him too quick for Thomas at times, but he did reasonably well against the Spaniard. A lot of crosses came in from his side, but he was outnumbered out there after the red. 5
Oliver Skipp: It’s difficult to pick out many moments where he made a positive impact on the game. He chased without effect and didn’t get stuck in as often as City needed him to. 4
Joe Aribo: Pretty good. He was combative and got himself really involved in the early stages, if looking a little ungainly in possession. He then went quiet before a nice turn and through ball in the second half. He looked tired just before he came off, and didn’t close down well enough for the second Birmingham goal. 6
Bobby De Cordova-Reid: Whether it’s a harsh red card, it’s a totally unnecessary challenge to make in that area of the pitch. He gave the referee an opportunity to dismiss him and that has proven costly. 3
Abdul Fatawu: It’s brilliant technique to bring the ball and lash the shot through the bodies to get the goal. It’s about the only positive moment he’s had in the game, but there are few other players in the City team having positive moments as big as that. 6
Patson Daka: He pressed well in the first half and forced Birmingham into some uncomfortable passes. But he didn’t shut the angle down correctly in the second period. On the ball, he offered little. 5
Stephy Mavididi: In the moments where he got on the ball, his feet were quick and he held off defenders well, allowing City time to breathe in the 15 minutes just after the red card. Perhaps harshly subbed in the reshuffle at the break. 5
Harry Winks: It felt like he defended the edge of the box well to start with, but Stansfield made the run off his back for the winner. Used the ball well in rare moments of possession. 5
Bade Aluko: He looked a little gangly, but he did the work he needed to to stop Birmingham adding a third. 5
Divine Mukasa: He had a couple of nice touches that subtly showed the quality on the ball he possesses. But he wasn’t really involved. 4
Dujuan Richards: Not in the game at all. He didn’t look like he knew what to do to press out of possession. 4
Jordan Ayew: Not a goal threat and didn’t offer an outlet in moving City up the pitch. 4
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