Match ends, Birmingham City 2, Leicester City 3.
![Stephy Mavididi chips Blues keeper John Ruddy for Leicester's opening goal](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/624/cpsprodpb/181D0/production/_132086789_mavididi.jpg)
Leicester City turned up the heat at the top of the Championship – looking breathtaking at times as they beat Birmingham City at St Andrew’s.
In a lightning start, Stephy Mavididi fired Leicester ahead at one end, just 13 seconds after Foxes defender James Justin had hit his own post, then Jordan James quickly levelled for Blues, but Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall finished off another rapid counter-attack to quickly restore the Foxes’ lead.
The contemptuous Mavididi, booked for over-celebrating his first goal, then curled in a deflected killer third goal five minutes into the second half.
Wales midfielder James gave Blues hope with his second goal of the night, a right-foot chip that also took a crucial deflection – but the Foxes were never threatened again as they stretched their lead to three points over second-placed Ipswich Town.
![Jordan James celebrates the first of his two Birmingham City goals](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/624/cpsprodpb/2628/production/_132086790_jjgoal.jpg)
Blues started at a great pace, as Jordan James, Siriki Dembele and Krystian Bielik, with a near-post header brilliantly tipped over, all tested Foxes keeper Mads Hermansen.
But the hosts then got stung in the cruellest manner when from their own corner, after a panicking Justin crashed an attempted clearance against his own upright, Leicester broke with blistering speed and Abdul Fatawu slipped in Mavididi, who clipped a cool finish over the advancing John Ruddy.
Mavididi then rather overdid the celebration, upsetting the locals by sitting on the front wall of the home Tilton Road End, looking smug.
Blues players offered their own more fitting response four minutes later, when highly regarded midfielder James latched on to Ivan Sunjic’s pass to guide home a beautifully angled shot inside the left upright.
But Blues were back on level terms for just seven minutes, with Fatawu again the supply line as Leicester ran from their own box to stun Blues for a second time with the sheer speed of their counter-attacks.
Dewsbury-Hall was the scorer – his seventh strike of the season, four of which have now come against Midlands opposition, having also scored twice against Coventry on the opening day of the season and also in last month’s win at West Brom.
Mavididi looked to have sealed the points when, on another rapid break, he cut in from the left and unleashed a right-foot curler which went in with the help of a deflection off Emanuel Aiwu.
Inspirational teenager James then gave Blues hope when his own deflected effort got it back to 3-2, with still time to grab a point. But, despite the introduction of substitutes Scott Hogan and Lukas Jutkiewicz, Blues were never really allowed to threaten again – and it was Leicester sub Cesare Casadei who should have added a fourth on the break, but fired just wide.
![Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall gestures to the Birmingham City fans after restoring Leicester City's lead](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/624/cpsprodpb/12A32/production/_132083367_kdhall.jpg)
Line-ups
Birmingham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 21Ruddy
- 44AiwuSubstituted forJutkiewiczat 86′minutes
- 4Roberts
- 5Sanderson
- 3Buchanan
- 34Sunjic
- 6BielikSubstituted forBurkeat 72′minutes
- 17DembéléSubstituted forMiyoshiat 71′minutes
- 19James
- 7BacunaSubstituted forHoganat 81′minutes
- 28StansfieldSubstituted forDonovanat 72′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Etheridge
- 9Hogan
- 10Jutkiewicz
- 11Miyoshi
- 20Gardner
- 23Longelo
- 24Oakley
- 45Burke
- 49Donovan
Leicester
Formation 4-3-3
- 30Hermansen
- 21Ricardo Pereira
- 3Faes
- 23Vestergaard
- 2JustinSubstituted forSouttarat 89′minutes
- 8Winks
- 25NdidiSubstituted forCasadeiat 90′minutes
- 22Dewsbury-Hall
- 18Fatawu
- 20DakaSubstituted forCannonat 78′minutes
- 10MavididiBooked at 10minsSubstituted forChoudhuryat 71′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Ward
- 4Coady
- 7Casadei
- 14Iheanacho
- 15Souttar
- 17Choudhury
- 28Cannon
- 41Stolarczyk
- 45Nelson
Live Text
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Second Half ends, Birmingham City 2, Leicester City 3.
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Offside, Leicester City. Hamza Choudhury is caught offside.
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Cesare Casadei (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham City).
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Attempt missed. Cesare Casadei (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Ricardo Pereira.
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Substitution, Leicester City. Cesare Casadei replaces Wilfred Ndidi.
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Substitution, Leicester City. Harry Souttar replaces James Justin.
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Foul by Abdul Fatawu (Leicester City).
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Romelle Donovan (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Substitution, Birmingham City. Lukas Jutkiewicz replaces Emanuel Aiwu.
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Hand ball by Romelle Donovan (Birmingham City).
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Attempt missed. Thomas Cannon (Leicester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Abdul Fatawu.
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Offside, Birmingham City. Dion Sanderson is caught offside.
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Substitution, Birmingham City. Scott Hogan replaces Juninho Bacuna.
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Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Marc Roberts.
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Attempt blocked. Thomas Cannon (Leicester City) header from the right side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Wilfred Ndidi with a cross.
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Hamza Choudhury (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Romelle Donovan (Birmingham City).
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Hand ball by Koji Miyoshi (Birmingham City).
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