In Leicester’s current trajectory, how many other games will you go to where you have a view of the rolling Cotswolds from your seat, or where you end up in the club bar post-match and get introduced to the groundsmen, the stadium announcer and have them be graceful. With a tight, sold out away end, this had everything you’d hope for to make for a loud display. A chance to forget the pressures and strains of the league.
This only made the largely silent showing from the away end even stranger. Chants weren’t catching on, people weren’t especially negative but it was easier to hear the Cheltenham fans at the other end of the stadium, or for single cries to be heard. You could attribute this to the early kick-off, the cold or the general hangover of us not exactly being thrilling to watch lately.
Or maybe the divide between fans that we’ve seen expanding over the last couple of weeks has taken its toll. Either way, for a change, it’s difficult to attribute the crowd reaction to the players and the performances. This was a professional showing from Marti Cifuentes’ side.
A controlled first half
Cifuentes made eight changes, capitalising on a chance to rest some key players and give more responsibility and opportunity to the younger players he’s been bringing off the bench. After some impressive cameos, Louis Page started in place of De Cordova-Reid, Hamza Choudhury replaced Jordan James, there were starts on the right for Olabade Aluko and Silko Thomas, Jannik Vestergaard came in for Caleb Okoli and there were starts for Patson Daka and Asmir Begovic.
Jakub Stolarczyk and Abdul Fatawu were rested completely, neither included in the squad, but most of the other key names were on the bench, an insurance policy should plan A not have played out as hoped.
It was a tricky opening for Leicester, Cheltenham started fairly brightly while not hugely closing us down and the game felt a little disjointed for the first ten minutes or so. Eight changes can do that to a side, particularly one with younger players settling into new or different roles. The frozen part of the Cheltenham pitch, Leicester’s end to defend in the first half likely needed some adjustment too.
Once Leicester did seize control, it was about how we’d carve out chances and take anything we did create. Of the 41 goals we’d scored this season prior to kick-off, only 7 of them had been scored from players who started this FA Cup tie. Two of those goals belong to Vestergaard, who is hardly expected to score often.
Given that Patson Daka ended 2025 with just one goal, which took him until November to score, him opening the scoring just 10 calendar days into 2026 probably wasn’t on anybody’s bingo card. After some clever footwork started by Daka, added to by Page and with a cheeky flick over from Stephy Mavididi, Daka turned and fired into the net without any hesitation. It was a well worked goal and a great finish.
This was Daka’s first FA Cup goal, thankfully he didn’t attempt another neck-breaking backflip on the hard ground, but it should have boosted his confidence after grabbing a goal for Zambia at AfCoN recently as well.
It looked like Vestergaard was set to add another to his tally this season, a good save from goalkeeper Joe Day prevented his set piece header from going in. Day has experience of beating Leicester in the FA Cup, from his time at Newport where he made plenty of saves against us in that 2-1 loss.
But the game was effectively wrapped up on the half way mark. Mavididi got some glory for himself.
Page was involved again, and Oliver Skipp played his part, but Mavididi made the cutting run inside with the ball and it was a smart finish to double the Foxes lead. This is the exact type of game Mavididi needed, one to build some confidence and in which he took players on and ran at them more, arguably where he’s also at his most dangerous.
He’s had a largely frustrating season so far, often caught not making the right decisions and definitely not running at defenders enough. There’s an argument to be made for the level of the opposition, but Mavididi is such a confidence player, that the output is more important. Leicester could do with him carrying this mindset and output into the next game.
A key trio
Three players caught the eye more than most today, for varying reasons. If it was a focus on the first half, Louis Page may not have scored or got a direct assist, but he was brilliant. He’s looked great in the bursts we’ve seen of him so a start felt incredibly deserved. He’s energetic and determined, a livewire whose composure defies his age. The lack of CryptoBros on his shirt is the only reminder that he’s still just 17.
Page wasn’t even born when the two earlier mentioned FA Cup victories (against Charlton and Tottenham) played out. Against Cheltenham, he was involved in the bulk of our attacking plays in the first half. There’s still things he can improve on but the first forty five minutes in particular showcased why we’re excited by what he could do.
He also took over set piece duty with James on the bench and it’s not something Leicester fans have really had the chance to watch him do. Virtually every corner either found a blue shirt or caused enough chaos to feel dangerous. The aforementioned Vestergaard chance came from one of those corners.
Putting the shift we know he’s capable of, but doesn’t deliver often enough with consistency, Mavididi made his mark today in a visible way, and the fans did reward him (including the selfies he paused to take after being substituted) but the chants were the loudest for Oliver Skipp. The midfielder continues his redemption arc transformation from lost, incredibly expensive acquisition to the controller in our midfield, chipping in wherever needed and seemingly always in the right place.
Skipp was unlucky to see his volley saved, denying him a second of the season and Leicester’s third goal. He’s become a reliable cog in the midfield in recent months, every team needs a player who spends the whole game grafting and never complains. He may well be ours.
He made some crucial blocks and tackles in our own box, including after one particularly wayward pass that looked like Cheltenham would have their consolation goal.
While Skipp and James have looked to be our best midfield duo, there have been Championship games where they haven’t been able to execute control over the opposition. Or where one of them going forward has left us open defensively if there’s one wrong move. Based on today’s display, there’s an argument for how Page could support this.
The third player worth a small mention was Ben Nelson. Perhaps there needs to be a study on why watching Nelson on the ball is, firstly, so visually pleasing, but also just breeds calm and confidence amongst fans. He’s the player Cheltenham fans seemed to be commenting on the most as well.
Those comments were interesting. He wasn’t wholly perfect, a couple of times he did get caught out but either he or his team mates recovered and it didn’t impact us. Partnered with Jannik Vestergaard this time, Nelson seems adept whoever he’s alongside but it has looked more convincing with Okoli of late.
A clean sheet, Marti? Are you insane?
Clean sheets from a Leicester perspective felt like they were becoming mythical, no more real than the Loch Ness Monster or ever seeing Harry Souttar play in blue again. Bizarrely, Leicester’s last clean sheet came against Championship’s leading scorers, Coventry City, back in September. Since then it’s been reluctantly accepted that to win we definitely need at least two goals and that we’d need to be defending better than normal to limit what we concede.
The biggest positive to take from this fairly uniform win was the clean sheet, featuring two of the regular starters. It was good to have Aluko given another chance in a less pressured situation. He did well for the most part, he’s deceptively stronger than his slender frame would suggest and he’s got enough pace to track back. He also offered some overlaps going forward with Silko Thomas, something we’ve not had much of lately.
There’s a counterargument that Leicester City should be keeping a clean sheet against Cheltenham. Especially when the League Two side, in the bottom half of the table, had goalscorers Isaac Hutchinson and Ethon Archer recalled by their parent clubs. But this Leicester side haven’t done a lot of what anybody would expect from them this season, so keeping a clean sheet for the first time in 21 games wasn’t a given.
The Robins had sporadic moments to lift the crowd. Their best chance was a Jordan Thomas shot that Begovic had to reach to see it over the bar. Thomas was given the Man of the Match from the home crowd, the player who had the most chances. It was largely comfortable for our veteran keeper otherwise and there weren’t as many ridiculous, individual errors as we’ve come to expect.
If there was one thing to be disappointed in from this tie, it was the lack of time for Jake Evans. If you can’t bring him on while 2-0 up in the FA Cup against a League Two side, when is he going to be given a chance? There’s surely a time limit on the successful benefits of travelling with and observing the first team without ever being given a chance to test himself.
Bringing on Jordan Ayew didn’t particularly make sense when the game felt won and even he seemed characteristically not into it. It took him a ridiculous amount of time by his standards to win a free-kick. Cifuentes may have taken longer to integrate the academy players than fans wanted, but he’s been generous with the minutes for many since bringing them into the squad. Even Wanya Marcal got some minutes today, what exactly does Evans need to do?
While we wait for the FA Cup draw, there’s preparation to get straight back to. Coventry away is the next game up. The league leaders haven’t been as perfect lately but with January reinforcements, it’s unlikely to be an easy tie. The added discourse of the M69 derby and a sold out away end should make this a fiery game that surely can’t end 0-0 again.
The Fosse Way 
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