Maresca: An Important Victory
- Leicester City triumphed 3-2 over Birmingham City on Monday and remain top of the Sky Bet Championship
- Stephy Mavididi netted twice, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall also on the scoresheet
- Manager Enzo Maresca referenced the defending work in the closing stages as crucial to claim three points
Stephy Mavididi’s opener set the Foxes up early on, before a Jordan James leveller was quickly dealt with by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Mavididi completed his brace to put daylight between the teams, but James’ second of the night made it a nervy finish at St. Andrew’s Stadium on Monday evening.
Leicester stood firm, however, to record an 18th Sky Bet Championship victory and extend the lead at the top of the table to three points.
“Like every game, it was very difficult,” Maresca assessed after full-time. “Especially in the first 15-20 minutes, we struggled a little bit but then it was much better. Overall, I think we deserved to win completely, 100 per cent.
“We created chances, we missed and when you don’t take the chances, it’s always difficult. In the end we had some complicated minutes. You cannot be disappointed because you know the opponent are also there to win the game so it’s normal.
“We could score more goals for sure, but at the end they don’t want to miss, they want to score. Sometimes it happens. After we conceded the second goal, I really like the way the team behaved altogether, defending, trying to get the three points which in this moment is very important.”
Quick-fire City goals launched from blistering counter-attacks have been a rare sight this term but Maresca acknowledged the need to adapt when required, in order to triumph in the Second City.
The Italian explained: “I think we scored at Southampton away in the same way with Stephy and we scored at home the other day with Pat (Patson Daka) and a long ball from Mads [Hermansen].
“We don’t like to use counter-attacking but sometimes you need to use it. We’ve scored 90 per cent of our goals playing in a different way but when we need to use it, we use it. It’s the way he (Mavididi) has to continue until the end.”
The games keep on coming for the Foxes and it’s Rotherham United up next at King Power Stadium this weekend. The final fixture before Christmas, it’s an opportunity to extend the four-game winning stretch.
“Now we have almost finished the first half of the season,” the 43-year-old reflected. “We have one more game and it’s important to win games. We need to win again (on Saturday) and we’re going to try and refresh the team if we can and go again for the three points.
“We as a club, as a team are happy, they (the supporters) are happy. Especially after relegation they completely deserve this. They have to understand that this is not easy because when you are relegated, the year after is not easy. It’s a new journey, a new project, but we are going in the right way.”