Maresca ‘Very Happy’ With Cup Progression
- Leicester City defeated Birmingham City 3-0 at King Power Stadium
- The Foxes are now through to the fifth round of the Emirates FA Cup
- Manager Enzo Maresca saw an improved second-half display from his side
- He handed debuts to two Academy prospects during the victory
It took some time for the Foxes to ease into their free-flowing rhythm, but there was no stopping them after the break as they cruised to victory courtesy of goals from the returning Jamie Vardy and Dennis Praet, either side of Yunus Akgün's first for the Club.
Speaking following full-time, the Manager also referenced the Foxes Academy graduates in the matchday squad, with Brandon Cover handed his senior debut from the start, alongside the impressive Ben Nelson in defence, and Arjan Raikhy coming on for his First Team bow.
“I’m very happy,” the Italian reflected. “Especially for all the young players we had in the squad, eight from the Academy. I think it’s nice and an historic night for the Football Club. I don’t know if it’s happened before.
“We knew about our players; it’s just about giving them the chance in the right moment. We know very well that Ben Nelson is ready, he’s ready to play with us. He played a fantastic game, but also there are more players like Brandon, Arjan in the second half, Wanya [Marçal] and Kasey [McAteer].”
The Foxes did not have it all their own way at King Power Stadium and were indebted to a string of saves from young ‘keeper Jakub Stolarczyk to keep the visitors at bay in the first 45 minutes. Marc Albrighton then combined superbly with Vardy for the opener, which led Leicester to a comfortable success over their Sky Bet Championship opponents.
The 43-year-old explained: “We didn’t play well in the first half, we struggled, and the second half was much better. We just adjusted some things. Probably in the first half we were moving without any purpose but that is normal.
“Dennis was inside, Yunus was inside, Brandon was inside, Wanya was inside and Callum [Doyle] and Ben. They are all players who, in this moment, there are not used to playing with us. But he (Stolarczyk) was fantastic.
“We had a chance to win in the second half because of our ‘keeper. If we didn’t score early, we would continue in the same way trying to score, but it was a fantastic assist from Marc and a good goal from Jamie.”
City, winners of the competition for the first time in 2021, await news of their fifth round opponents, with the draw set to take place on Sunday afternoon. Focus will quickly turn back to the league however, with Swansea City due on Filbert Way on Tuesday.
Maresca added: “It’s a nice competition and one that always surprises. You can see that from the results from this afternoon.”