Leicester City 2 Cardiff City 1: Cesare saves the dei
Leicester City needed a late winner to see off Cardiff City to record a third league victory in a row. Helen Thompson was there to see it.
Enzoball took another step forward with a third straight league win helping Leicester City maintain a perfect start to the season, keeping up with the Tractor Boys, the only other team to make it three wins from three. It was another late goal that did it, Cesare Casadei notching the winner on his debut.
The Foxes made some more positive history too, the first time we've won our first four in all competitions. This after all the horrific records we kept breaking last season. The day had all the trademarks of a proper summer fixture - actual sun, overzealous stewards and a well-pickled Cardiff supporter standing outside of the away end asking me "where's the away end?" Not to mention a performance that wasn't the entire finished product.
As you'd expect, much of the first half possession belonged to Leicester and it was just a case of making it count. Kelechi Iheanacho came close, Stephy Mavididi will feel he could have done better in a one-on-one, but we just lacked the clinical precision again. We had to wait until after the half hour mark when a corner was cleared only to the feet of Wanya Marcal-Madivadua who rocketed the ball into the back of the net in spectacular fashion.
Enzo Maresca may have been rueing his potential halftime team talk being wiped out when Aaron Ramsey said 'you like good goals do you?', then proceeded to draw his boyhood club level with a very lovely goal. It was Cardiff’s first real chance but sometimes you just have to accept that it was a little special. Though it did provide some hope for the away side.
Rome wasn’t built in a day
You'll see and hear the word patience a lot around Leicester City this season. It's not just a rebuild of a team but a revolution in the style and system we are used to of late. What was pretty noticeable at the King Power is how quite a few people do not have patience! Maybe that's just football fans in general though.
A third consecutive win maybe on paper implies we are more the finished product than the reality. You'd understand it if Cardiff felt a little hard done by; they had spells where they should have capitalised on some of the Foxes’ defensive frailties. But unlike in recent games, when Aaron Ramsey notched his impressive strike to level the goal, it didn't feel a concern. You felt Leicester had more goals in them, much like last week's win at Huddersfield, the team from last year wouldn't have had the mentality to push on and get the job done. That in itself should grant everybody some leeway for small mistakes.
Enzoball still has some way to go in persuading all of our fans to hop on board and get behind it, but even in the imperfect moments, give me this any day over what we were served up week in, week out last year. That's two wins in games we haven't been at our best now, which I'll take given we are so early into the season and you expect the comfort in the system and the ask to keep improving.
It was impressive that while Maresca doesn't compromise that much with the philosophy, we were smart in how we managed the game towards the end. Between Jamie Vardy, Mavididi and Dewsbury-Hall, they kept the ball in the corner well, really frustrating Cardiff. And was that a long goal kick rather than going for the intricate, build up play? It's so refreshing to see a team who look committed and like they're thinking things through.
The intentions are there and now we just need the club to shake up the transfer market a little again to fill in the rest of the gaps. More support for the wings, somebody to help support Harry Winks and Dewsbury-Hall in attack. One of which, Casadei, looks like he will fill rather nicely.
Welcome, your new Duracell bunny, Cesare Casadei
Our newest recruit had a dream debut, putting himself in the right place to knock home the winner and very clearly enjoying the frenetic celebrations. He may have only arrived from Chelsea this week despite it being one of the earliest transfer rumours. His time training with the squad will have been limited and it showed in some of the moments where he and his new teammates weren't quite on the same page but it was an energetic debut for the young Italian, even before his goal.
Showing all the speed and zip of the Duracell bunny, he helped inject some life back into a team who were starting to look a little leggy in the case of Ricardo, and a little battered in the case of (black-eyed?) Dewsbury-Hall. Everywhere you looked, he seemed to pop up and he also stood out for his height too, a welcome addition to our team.
The lack of creative options has been a concern, not least for the pressure it puts on Dewsbury-Hall, who wasn't his usual self, despite some impressive perseverance and ball movement in the build up to our second goal. Casadei provides some extra options there and you imagine he'll start the next game.
The good, the bad and the defensive gaps
For the good, can we have a moment to talk about Callum Doyle? I know you're not supposed to get over excited about a loan signing but this is a player we are technically playing out of position, he deserved to be in with a shout for man of the match against Huddersfield and was impressive again at the King Power. His first touch and passing ability are a welcome change for us and he's so adept considering his age. His determination to get the ball forward almost saw him bag a goal today.
The bad came courtesy of Cardiff City's Mahlon Romeo who appeared to see the red mist, lashing out to earn a second yellow. Son of musician Jazzie B, perhaps he needs to listen to more of his dad's music to calm him down.
While the speed, passing around the back and incredibly high line Mads Hermansen played seemed to be a point of concern for some fans, it was the defensive cracks that still left room for improvement. As Cardiff pushed us in the second half, it wasn't such a good outing for our two centre backs.
After a barnstorming show at Huddersfield, Wout Faes ranged from looking a little uninterested at times to having some moments of very poor judgement. Without wanting to go too critical, as he has been more solid of late, there was a slightly wobbly Jannik Vestergaard performance as the game went on. His lack of speed as we looked to tire made for some nervous moments. The sooner we get Conor Coady back, the better. It's crying out for leadership at the back to give some extra stability and help calm down some situations.
Given the relative age of the squad, the ongoing adaptation to Maresca's methodology and the still changing squad, this was more of a take on the positives than a look to criticise performance. And how nice does it feel to concede but still believe you'll score again and win? Happy times!
