Under-23s Keep Premier League 2 Hopes Alive With Arsenal Win

Steve Beaglehole’s men had gone without victory in all competitions since early December but Josh Knight’s 20th minute header and a superb solo effort from Layton Ndukwu just before the hour-mark got them back on track.

The Foxes, who conceded a late consolation goal through Gunners skipper Ben Sheaf, temporarily moved up to 10th place in the league table ahead of the Premier League Cup trip to Nottingham Forest on Friday evening. 

City took the game to Arsenal straight from kick-off in Whetstone with both Admiral Muskwe and fellow winger Ndukwu showcasing their eclectic talents on either flank with Raul Uche proving to be a useful outlet up front. 

After a period of sustained pressure, the resurgent Foxes shifted up the gears on 19 minutes with Ndukwu’s free-kick being turned onto the crossbar, via a deflection off Cohen Bramell, by visiting goalkeeper Hugo Keto. 

From the resultant corner, the hosts registered their dominance on the scoresheet with Ndukwu curling an exquisite cross onto Knight’s head to hand City a deserved lead in front of a sizeable contingent from the Blue Army. 

It got better for Steve Beaglehole’s men after the restart with Ndukwu, a constant threat for the hosts at Holmes Park, cutting inside on the right flank before firing a superb curler beyond Keto into the top corner from 20 yards. 

After a patch of pressure from the visitors, however, Steve Gatting’s men pulled one back at the death with captain Sheaf arrowing it beyond Daniel Iversen from the right wing - but it was too little too late for the Gunners. 

Major moment 

It is a phenomenon which has often eluded City this year but they finally scored the opening goal of the match to assert their dominance over Arsenal and to give them a springboard to go on and secure all three points. 

After 20 minutes of neat interplay in the middle of the park, Leicester grabbed the first goal of the afternoon through Josh Knight, who leapt highest to get a crucial touch onto Layton Ndukwu’s in-swinging corner. 

Both Steve Beaglehole and Ben Petty, the Under-23s’ management team, have stressed the importance of getting off to a good start after a succession of frustrating defeats in both the league and the Premier League Cup. 

Knight’s header ultimately proved to be an appetiser for what was to come with Ndukwu going on to fire in a superb second beyond visiting ‘keeper Hugo Keto for the Foxes to book all three points for the first time in 2017. 

Who impressed? 

After scoring such an crucial goal for his side in the first half, young centre-back Josh Knight went on to deliver an assured and confident display at the heart of City’s defence to make sure of the result. 

Coming in alongside captain Elliott Moore, Knight has been a peripheral figure for Steve Beaglehole’s side at times this season but did his chances of featuring more often no harm at all at Holmes Park on Sunday afternoon. 

Tasked with managing England's Danny Welbeck, Knight had his hands full for almost 70 minutes until the ex-Manchester United striker was replaced by 17-year-old hot shot Eddie Nketiah towards the end.

But, despite the task at hand, Knight was a rock at the back for the hosts and proved to be a stable anchor which allowed Leicester to foray forwards into the Arsenal half with relative each throughout the match.

Where does it leave us? 

City momentarily climbed off the bottom of the Premier League 2 table, before other results came in, and they could rise to 9th if they add to this victory with another three points against local rivals Derby County in March. 

However, victories for both Reading and Derby, over Manchester United and Liverpool, have made their task notably harder and means the Foxes returned to the bottom on goal difference at the end of play on Sunday. 

CITY: Iversen, Johnson, Moore (c), Knight, Pascanu, Ndukwu (Dewsbury-Hall 78), Hammond (Debayo 50), Kaba Sherif, Watts, Muskwe, Uche (Mitchell 66). 

SUBS NOT USED: Yates, Wood. 

GOALS: Knight 20, Ndukwu 52. 

ARSENAL: Keto, Johnson, Bramall, Da Silva, Olowu, Sheaf (c), Malen, Nelson, Welbeck (Nketiah 69), Dragomir, Willock. 

SUBS NOT USED: Huddart, Mourgos, Kamara, Da Graca. 

GOAL: Sheaf 88. 

REFEREE: Joseph Johnson

ATTENDANCE: 604