Blackburn Rovers vs Leicester City. Sky Bet Championship.
Ewood ParkAttendance15,937.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match at Ewood Park; Wout Faes heads in early Leicester opener but Blackburn soon equalise through Sammie Szmodics; Jamie Vardy restores lead and then Kelechi Iheanacho and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall net late goals
Monday 2 October 2023 12:07, UK
Leicester moved top of the Championship with a fourth consecutive victory by beating Blackburn 4-1 at Ewood Park.
The Foxes hold a four-point lead over third-placed Preston, who they host on Wednesday live on the Sky Sports Football Red Button, while Blackburn have now lost three in a row.
Wout Faes headed Leicester into a fourth-minute lead but Blackburn equalised just five minutes later through Sammie Szmodics. However, Jamie Vardy restored their advantage with a superb volley that crashed into the roof of the net.
Blackburn saw Szmodics twice shoot off target in the second half before Leicester wrapped up the points in the final 10 minutes, substitute Kelechi Iheanacho netting a penalty and then Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall finishing clinically.
Faes gave Leicester the perfect start, heading in from Issahaku Fatawu's inswinging cross after a short corner.
But the visitors soon gave away their lead when goalkeeper Mads Hermanser played Harry Winks into trouble from a goal-kick inside his own box. Lewis Travis poked the ball off him and it came to Szmodics, who could hardly miss from close range and found the bottom right corner.
Blackburn then saw Andrew Moran volley wide before Szmodics shot straight at Hermanser although Leicester also went close when Vardy clipped the crossbar with a volley and Dewsbury-Hall shot over from inside the box.
Vardy soon restored their lead in style by controlling instantly from Wilfred Ndidi's right-wing cross and then slamming a left-footed volley high into the net.
Szmodics shot wide from a free-kick and volleyed over from inside the box at the start of the second half before Hermanser made a crucial save from Lewis Travis while Blackburn goalkeeper Aynsley Pears was forced off through injury.
His replacement Leopold Wahlstedt went the wrong way for Iheanacho's late penalty after Jannik Vestergaard had been pulled down by Hayden Carter in the box.
Nor could he keep out Dewsbury-Hall's clever finish at the end of a swift move that featured player of the match Ndidi and Yunus Akgun, who laid on the assist.
Wilfried Ndidi on his new attacking role to Sky Sports: "I'm still getting used to the role. I just keep learning and going. It's not easy coming from a different role. It's for me to try and help my team and team-mates. It's been brilliant."
Jamie Vardy told Sky Sports: "The gaffer has come in, he's got his own way of playing, he's got a plan and you can see how we're trying it. Everyone has taken it on board, everyone wants to learn and improve.
"Wilf is usually playing at a central defensive midfielder, we've got him as an attacking No 8 now. It's learning those new roles and how the manager wants us to play. It is a process and as the season goes on we'll keep getting better and better when we get used to it."
Blackburn's Jon Dahl Tomasson:
"I'm really disappointed with the result, it's not a fair reflection of the game. We knew it was going to be tough against a side with a lot of Premier League players.
"We caused Leicester a lot of problems. We probably didn't create the big chances we have done in the past and gave away two soft goals away a corner and we lost a throw-in in their half. Two moments where we need to do better.
"We had the biggest chance at 2-1 with the shot from Travis. The penalty is very soft and the game is over.
"We are in the middle of a very tough period with seven games in 21 days for a young side with senior players not involved."
Leicester's Enzo Maresca:
"For sure it was a good win, the most important win because of the opponent. It was a tough game and probably the best team we have faced. They were very good on the ball, move fantastic, bring many players inside, it's very difficult to face this kind of team.
"It's difcicult because they don't give us a reference in terms of sometimes they have wide players, 11 players inside, no wingers, no full-backs, to face that kind of team it is always difficult.
"We lost a bit of confidence because of the goal we conceded. For a team that tries to play in the way we want to play and started three months ago, it's completely normal."
Sky Sports' Chris Sutton:
"I feel really sorry for Jon Dahl Tomasson. They are very attractive to watch but he hasn't been helped. All summer he was banging on about the need for a proven goalscorer, they didn't get one and lost Ben Brereton Diaz and Bradley Dack.
"He is managing essentially a development team and asking them to get promoted out of league like the Championship. That is extremely difficult.
"The chief executive spoke at the start of the season that their first aim was to stay in the Championship. That tells you the level of ambition at Blackburn in this moment at time. It's not good enough."
Blackburn visit Coventry on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports Football via the Red Button. Kick-off 7.45pm. They then travel to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, kick-off 3pm.
Leicester host third-placed Preston North End on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports Football via the Red Button. Kick-off 7.45pm. They then host Stoke City on Saturday in the Championship. Kick-off 3pm.
