Leicester City's Season Review: February

The second month of 2021 began with a trip to the capital to tackle relegation threatened Fulham on 3 February. City had suffered a shock home reverse against Scott Parker's men in November, but arrived in west London determined to put things right. 

As the fixtures crunched together, manager Brendan Rodgers made four changes to his starting XI, with Ricardo Pereira, Çağlar Söyüncü, Hamza Choudhury and Kelechi Iheanacho coming in. It worked, too, as the Foxes delivered a dominant performance against the Cottagers. 

It took the visitors just 17 minutes to assert themselves on the scoreline as James Maddison whipped in a delicious cross for Iheanacho to nod beyond Alphonse Areola in the Fulham net. Just before the interval, it was 2-0 to Leicester, who scored a brilliantly-worked second.

The Foxes went from one end of the pitch to the other with lethal speed and precision as Iheanacho fed Maddison before the England midfielder slotted it into the path of James Justin to round the goalkeeper and convert from close range. The second half, meanwhile, was an uneventful, but comfortable, affair.

A goalless stalemate at Wolverhampton Wanderers for the second year in a row, on the other hand, saw Leicester settle for a point at Molineux on 7 February, before Brighton & Hove Albion visited Filbert Way in the fifth round of the Emirates FA Cup three days later.

Despite overcoming the Seagulls in style back in December, Rodgers' men had to be resilient in the cup as the South Coast outfit frustrated their hosts for long spells. Indeed, the match looked likely to head into extra-time - the last thing City needed - with the scores locked at 0-0.

However, with seconds to spare, Leicester took a short corner and Youri Tielemans crossed it into the area. There was Iheanacho to plant a header past Christian Walton to send his side into the quarter-finals. Justin, though, was rocked by an ACL injury which would keep him out for the rest of 2020/21.

Another three days later, reigning Premier League champions Liverpool were in town. A fraught encounter saw the Reds take the lead in the second half, through Mo Salah, but the Anfield outfit were stunned late on by a three-goal, seven-minute salvo from the Foxes.

Maddison's free-kick evaded everyone in the box for Leicester's leveller before Jamie Vardy and Harvey Barnes added their names to the scoresheet to inflict a damaging defeat on the visitors from Merseyside and inject new life into City's 2020/21 efforts.

The following Thursday, the Club's first team players and staff flew out to the Czech Republic to resume their UEFA Europa League campaign at the Round of 32 stage. Czech champions Slavia Prague were the opponents and a small allocation of home fans were permitted to be in attendance. 

Barnes, Maddison and Tielemans all had opportunities for the Foxes, while Slavia also threatened, but a tense first leg tie would end goalless at Sinobo Stadium. The two sides would meet again just a week later, but City had a Premier League visit to Aston Villa to navigate first.

Another side to have won at King Power Stadium earlier on the in season, Leicester once again made amends in the reverse fixture as Maddison and Barnes both hit sweetly-struck efforts early on in the second city, before Bertrand Traoré narrowed the arrears early in the second period.

It was a result which left Rodgers' side third in the top flight standings, but European football was now back on the agenda as Slavia headed to the East Midlands on 25 February. Forced into making changes, most notably losing Barnes to injury, the Foxes would suffer a 2-0 defeat on Filbert Way.

The month would end with further disappointment, too, as Tielemans' opener against Arsenal at home was overturned by David Luiz, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pépé for Mikel Arteta's Gunners. An unbeaten March, though, was just around the corner for the Foxes.