Leicester City

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Leicester City boss Marti Cifuentes spoke to BBC Radio Leicester after the Foxes' goalless draw with Coventry City.

"I'm a bit disappointed not to get the three points, especially at home. But we got some answers and definitely, in terms of the performance, steps forward in many areas," he said.

"We need to keep improving, no doubt about it. We need to be more consistent.

"In the first 15 or 20 minutes it was difficult to break through the high press and they were very aggressive - we need to get better in those scenarios. But in the last 15 minutes of the first half ad the first 15 or 20 of the second, we were quite good and we could break through them.

"They are a good team, but perhaps we just missed this last edge in the last third.

"We had the situations [to score] and I'd be much more worried if we weren't creating those, but in football if you don't score the chances you don't get much."

Leicester City full-back Hamza Choudhury praised Marti Cifuentes for their good start to the season after the new Foxes manager was recruited deep into pre-season.

The Foxes are fourth in the Championship after only losing once in five games - a 2-1 defeat by Preston after a late winner from Milutin Osmajic.

"I think we can use them [the international breaks] as little checkpoints. Especially after it being a big summer and a big transfer window," Choudhury told BBC Radio Leicester.

"Looking back, it feels as if we have made a really good start. It hasn't been the easiest of starts to a season, but the gaffer has done a really good job in settling everyone down, and getting down to work."

Cifuentes was appointed on the 15th of July, which meant the time he had with the squad before the first fixture was just under a month.

"Pre-season is arguably the most important time of the season," Choudhury added.

"Even more so for a new manager, for his new ideas, he wants to get that into the team and practise it in a few games before the season starts.

"It is such an important time he missed, credit to him and his staff."

Listen to Choudhury's full interview and more Leicester City content on BBC Sounds.

Leicester City boss Marti Cifuentes said he feels that Saturday's game against Coventry City is a 'great opportunity to grow and improve', as he looks ahead to the M69 derby game.

"It is always special to play those derbies. For us, what is most important is that we are playing at home, which we feel it is a great opportunity to keep growing and keep improving, because there are many things we want to improve," he said

Leicester's opponents come into the fixture on the back of an unbeaten start to the Championship season.

"We are going to play against a team who is doing really well, but winning derbies is always special for the fans and ourselves, so that means that everyone should be ready to do the extra miles tomorrow," Cifuentes said.

"They are a good team, who have been good at what they are doing for the last year, more or less, since Frank Lampard took over.

"They are really stable, really good, and they have a good team. But for me, the most important thing is that we are dominant through our way and our philosophy.

"The fact that I see the team training with the belief despite the fact that the start has been far from perfect, encourages me that there is more to come from this group of players."

Charlie Slater
BBC East Midlands Today

Leicester City stalwart Hamza Choudhury said the Foxes have got "a job to do" against local rivals Coventry City on Saturday.

Just 25 miles of M69 motorway separate the two clubs who, after years playing in different divisions, are now sparking new life into an old rivalry based not just on geography but promotion ambition too.

"Derby games are always good to play in, they're the ones you look forward to", Choudhury told BBC East Midlands Today.

"I think it almost died down a bit because we didn't play for them for so many years, so it almost got bypassed, but the two meetings two seasons ago reignited it. We're looking forward to it and we've got a job to do it."

Image source, PA Media

Leicester City squeezed past Coventry City in their season opener in 2023 only for the Sky Blues to return the favour later in the season.

Now, with the Championship campaign still only a matter of weeks old, just one point and two places divide the pair in the push for promotion, which Choudhury said is Leicester's only goal.

"The stature of the club, the players along with the manager means there's no hiding from it and promotion is what we expect," he said.

Leicester will seek to end Coventry's unbeaten start to the Championship season when the Sky Blues head to the King Power on Saturday lunchtime (12:30 BST).

While the Foxes have suffered a defeat in their opening five league games, they lie fourth, one point and two places ahead of Frank Lampard's men, who have drawn three of their opening five fixtures, including each of the past two.

• Leicester City are unbeaten in each of their past nine home league games against Coventry City (W7 D2), since losing 3-1 at Filbert Street in the Premier League in April 2001.

• Coventry City beat Leicester City in their most recent league meeting in January last year, last winning back-to-back matches against the Foxes in the 2000-01 Premier League campaign under Gordon Strachan.

• Between December and April last season, Leicester City lost nine consecutive home league matches, failing to score in every single defeat. Since May, the Foxes have won all four at the King Power, netting twice in every victory and keeping three clean sheets.

• Coventry have scored 15 Championship goals this season, their most after five league games in a season since scored 16 in 2013-14 in League One. At this level, it's their most since 1964-65 when they scored 16.

• No player has more Championship goals this season than Coventry's Haji Wright (five goals), with the American netting in all four starts in 2025-26. It's as many goals as the Sky Blues scored as a team after five games in four of their previous five seasons (five in each of 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2024-25).

"I'm sure he's got to be disappointed with defensively how the team performed. I thought it seemed a little weak, it wasn't connected at all and they seemed easy to play against.

"The two goals that Oxford scored [were] good finishes but I think a lot of that was to do with how defensively poor we were."

Owynn Palmer-Atkin is joined by Matt Piper and Jordan Halford on the latest episode of When You're Smiling to discuss whether it was a point earned or two points dropped in the 2-2 draw at Oxford United, the debut goal for veteran forward Jordan Ayew and the upcoming M69 derby against Coventry City on Saturday.

Listen to the full episode of When You're Smiling on Sounds.

Neil Moxley
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Forward Jamie Vardy made his debut for Cremonese on Monday night in a 0-0 draw at Verona.

The 38-year-old, who was introduced just before the hour mark, failed to make an impact on the score when he came on from the bench.

Newly-promoted to Italy's Serie A, Cremonese were looking to make it three wins in a row but were forced to settle for a point.

The former Leicester City Premier League title winner moved to the Italian top flight during the summer after 13 years with the Foxes.

Cremonese, who were promoted via the play-offs last season, have made a good start to life among the elite. They won 2-1 at AC Milan on the season's opening day and followed that with a 3-2 victory over Sassuolo.

After the game, former England international Vardy wrote on his X account, external: "A good hard-fought point away from home.

"I'm happy to have made my @USCremonese debut tonight and I'm looking forward to playing at home on Sunday."

Kate Blakemore
Fan writer

Image source, PA Media

Despite probably being one of the favourites for promotion, there have been no easy games so far for Leicester City and this weekend's away fixture at Oxford United was no different.

An early bath for loanee debutant Aaron Ramsey made for a gritty afternoon and most thought the point was well won and hard fought. Players showed unity, camaraderie, joy in celebrations and most importantly, effort and determination to play to the final whistle.

Marti Cifuentes also had an excellent week in terms of building some bridges between the fans and the club. His hour-long BBC interview last week gave fans a rare insight into the manager's views and aspirations; the type of personal interview not seen since Nigel Pearson in 2011.

It showed a man full of humility, a low ego and a fluency of football language that fans can understand. He answered questions with clarity and poise.

He gave insight into Leicester's recruitment strategy, where he highlighted that personality of any player is key and you get the feeling that this is a guy with high emotional intelligence which is both welcome and refreshing.

This is demonstrated in his team selections where he is starting players who are impressive in training and not those that perhaps have quality but lack will. Attitude and application over ability in these early months establishes standards.

It will be interesting to see how Marti's personality shines through the team in the coming weeks, now that the transfer window is closed, but the signs are looking promising. Rome wasn't built in a day and Marti has spoken openly of a 'rebuild', but he seems to relish the challenge and has no problem starting with the basics.

Listen to more from Kate Blakemore at Leicester Till I Die., external

Leicester City boss Marti Cifuentes reacts to Saturday's 2-2 draw at Oxford United after playing almost 70 minutes with 10 men following Aaron Ramsey's red card.

"We will never be satisfied with or happy with a point. It doesn't matter if it's at home or away. On that part, I'm not happy with how we started the game, about the way we conceded two goals.

"But it was a difficult game because of the development of how it was, but I really value - and that is the part I want to take with me - the second half and the personality and courage that the players showed to turn around a difficult situation.

On Ramsey's red card: "Refereeing is always very difficult. I have my thoughts about it, and today is one of those days where, not only in this situation but other situations, that it is better I take a knife and cut my tongue and don't speak much."

Watch the full When You're Smiling podcast special with Leicester City boss Marti Cifuentes from the BBC Radio Leicester studios.

The Spaniard joins Foxes commentator Owynn Palmer-Atkin and and former Leicester player Matt Piper for an hour-long interview.

Oxford United host Leicester City on Saturday early afternoon (12:30 BST) in a bid to claim their first victory of the season.

The U's have only one point to their name after their opening four league games, though they did gain it last time out with a 2-2 draw against Coventry City.

They will look to do one better against Leicester, who have won all but one of their league games so far (L1) to sit one point above the Sky Blues in fourth place.

It's been over three decades since the two sides last met in the English Football League - who will claim the first bragging rights of the 21st century?

• This will be the first Football League meeting between Oxford United and Leicester City since a 2-2 draw in the second tier in April 1994.

• Five of Leicester City's last seven Football League trips to Oxford United have ended in a draw (W1 L1), with both sides scoring in five of those games.

• Oxford have only won four of their last 22 league games (W4 D7), picking up the fewest points of any ever-present Championship side in that time (19 points since 22nd January).

• Leicester have won six of their last eight Championship games (L2), while the Foxes could record three successive league clean sheets for the first time since October 2022 in the Premier League.

• After a run of 15 games without a goal, Abdul Fatawu has scored in consecutive league appearances for Leicester for the first time.

Image source, PA Media

Leicester City manager Marti Cifuentes will be live in the BBC Radio Leicester studio for the first time for an hour-long special episode of When You're Smiling.

Tune in to BBC Radio Leicester at 18:00 BST on Thursday to hear Cifuentes with Owynn Palmer-Atkin and Matt Piper.

You can also follow along on our dedicated live text page.

Not able to tune in on the evening? Go to BBC Sport's Leicester City page to watch the full interview after it is broadcast.

"Having a manager that can really recognise when his squad needs adapting and players [that] need to be rested at certain periods, having that strength and depth to move things around. That's really important."

On the latest episode of When You're Smiling, Adam Whitty and former Foxes winger Matt Piper discuss how new signings will fit into the squad following the international break, assess Leicester City's season so far and analyse Marti Cifuentes impact and his ability to take Leicester City back to the Premier League.

Listen to the full episode of When You're Smiling and more Leicester City on Sounds.

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Leicester City forward Jordan Ayew scored his sixth goal of Ghana's World Cup qualifying campaign to help keep them on course for the 2026 finals.

The 33-year-old gave the Black Stars a first-half lead against Chad before the home side equalised in the last minute as the game finished 1-1 in N'Djamena.

Ghana are three points clear at the top of their group with three more games to play, starting at home to third-placed Mali on Monday, with only the group winners guaranteed to qualify.

Ayew is Ghana's captain and his goal against Chad is the 32nd of his international career, having now made 114 appearances for his country.

"We want this situation sorted where we can go back to having normal transfer windows not talking about PSR again. It will be something that will haunt the club for many years to come."

Owynn Palmer-Atkin, Matt Piper and John Bennett round up the Transfer Deadline Day for Leicester City and discuss PSR and how it has impacted the Foxes this summer.

Listen to the full episode of When You're Smiling and more on BBC Sounds