Leicester City defeated Birmingham City 2-0 in the Championship clash at the King Power Stadium
22:10, 29 Aug 2025Updated 22:11, 29 Aug 2025
Birmingham City reporter for BirminghamLive and the Birmingham Mail
Demarai Gray of Birmingham City looks dejected(Image: Matt West/Shutterstock)
Birmingham City fell to their first Championship defeat of the season on Friday night after going down 2-0 to Leicester City.
Recently relegated Leicester eased past Blues with goals from Abdul Fatawu and Ricardo Pereira either side of half-time to leapfrog them in the early standings.
Leicester came out the traps quicker and took the lead inside eight minutes. An infield pass should have been intercepted by Ethan Laird but the makeshift full-back was too concerned about Fatawu and allowed Louis Page to pick up the loose ball.
Page found Foxes dangerman Fatawu who cut inside and produced a devastating finish into the top corner.
The first half was almost a non-event after the goal. It wasn’t that Blues couldn’t find the spaces, the problem was that every time they did they slowed the tempo at the exact moment when they needed to speed things up.
Blues began the second half in jittery fashion with Christoph Klarer very nearly gifting a goal to Jordan Ayew. Klarer just about toed the ball to Ryan Allsop before Ayew could pounce and prod into the gaping goal.
The visitors soon created a chance and it arrived via the wing wizardry of Demarai Gray. Gray was carrying an arm injury but he drifted in from the left and found the head of Bright Osayi-Samuel to nod over the crossbar.
Blues’ best chance of the second half arrived with 12 minutes remaining. Demarai Gray’s free-kick hit the wall but it fell kindly to Laird only for Foxes stopper Jakub Stolarczyk to thwart the full-back from close range.
Chris Davies made attacking changes to try and get Blues on level terms but they were caught short at the back and the killer blow arrived from Pereira two minutes from time.
Jeremy Monga tricked his way down the Foxes’ left before crossing for fellow substitute Pereira to poke home in front of Keshi Anderson.
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Ryan Allsop 6
The goalkeeper couldn’t do anything about either goal. He was generally good on the ball, albeit he did take an unnecessary touch to put Neumann under pressure at one stage in the second half.
Bright Osayi-Samuel 6
Got forward well down the right in the second half and had a good chance to score a far-post header but couldn’t take it. Osayi-Samuel will be frustrated that both Leicester goals were created down his side.
Phil Neumann 5.5
Neumann was occasionally found wanting in possession at the King Power. The German hasn’t looked so imperious in his recent games.
Christoph Klarer 6
Fortunate to toe the ball away from Ayew at the start of the second half after taking a risk at the back. Klarer battled Leicester’s talented forwards and ventured into areas that he wouldn’t ordinarily want to play in to do so.
Ethan Laird 5.5
Laird was one of two Blues players culpable for Fatawu’s goal. He really should have stepped in and intercepted the pass but he dallied and Blues were punished.
The right-back wasn’t completely overawed by Fatawu and grew into the game after half-time. He missed a good chance late on before Leicester’s second.
Ethan Laird of Birmingham City is challenged by Abdul Fatawu of Leicester City(Image: Getty Images)
Tomoki Iwata 6
Leicester got bodies in and around Iwata to make it difficult for the midfielder and his passing wasn’t as crisp as it could have been. Played in defence for the closing stages as Blues went for it.
Paik Seung-ho 5.5
Paik has taken some of the blame for Fatawu’s goal after allowing the winger inside onto his stronger left foot. The midfielder wasn’t as sharp in his movements as he usually is.
Demarai Gray 7*
Even with an obvious arm injury, Gray was Blues’ most effective player on the night. He created Blues’ best moments and was harshly booed on his Leicester return.
Willum Willumsson 4
The game never felt right for Willumsson and he struggled to impose himself in and out of possession. It was no surprise that he was hooked first by Davies.
Lewis Koumas 6
The Liverpool loanee played in the number 10 position and wasn’t able to get on the ball anywhere near as much as he would have wanted to.
Kyogo Furuhashi 6
Kyogo was completely out of the game in the first half but he did at least offer some kind of threat after half-time. He volleyed one effort over the bar and charged down Leicester’s defenders to force the issue.
SUBS
Keshi Anderson (for Willumsson, 67) 6
Showed a few neat touches and combined with Laird down the left without really threatening to fashion a chance.
Marvin Ducksch (for Kyogo, 77) 6
Added some physicality to the Blues attack but it’s clear he isn’t up to speed yet.
Tommy Doyle (for Koumas, 77) 6
Tried to conjure something up and looked eager to make an impression after a slow start to his Blues career, but the game was already getting away from them.
Lyndon Dykes (for Neumann, 85) N/A
Not used: Beadle, Cashin, Cochrane, Gardner-Hickman, Leonard
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