How we scored the Leicester City players as Marti Cifuentes’ side gave up a two-goal half-time lead to leave themselves in the bottom half of the Championship standings
21:53, 10 Dec 2025Updated 22:25, 10 Dec 2025
Bobby De Cordova-Reid of Leicester City celebrates with his team mates after scoring to make it 0-2 during the Sky Bet Championship match between Bristol City and Leicester City at Ashton Gate.
Leicester City missed a chance to move within a point of the play-off spots after throwing away a two-goal lead at Bristol City.
Jordan Ayew’s penalty and Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s cool finish against his boyhood club had Marti Cifuentes’ men two up at the break following another excellent first-half display.
But they lost all composure in the second period and were lucky to come away with a point.
Mark Sykes scored within a minute of the restart and Emil Riis’ header set up a frantic finale, with City needing goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk to stop the Robins taking all three points.
The result means heat will remain on City manager Cifuentes with his side still in the bottom half ahead of a meeting with Ipswich on Saturday.
With Harry Winks omitted yet again, and with injuries stacking up, Cifuentes made just one change to his side, bringing Hamza Choudhury for Ricardo Pereira in his usual midweek swap.
City would have been hoping for a first half as good as that at Pride Park, and they almost got it, this time leading by two at the break.
However, they did require their goalkeeper to make a fine save to stop the hosts taking an early lead. Luke Thomas’ misjudged clearance saw Bristol City tee up Riis inside the box, but Stolarczyk spread himself expertly to save with his foot.
City quickly livened up and were dominant from there until they got the opener. Stephy Mavididi, in excellent recent form, was City’s brightest man, hitting the bar with a header before side-stepping Scott Twine and going over the outstretched leg to win a penalty. Ayew stepped up, confidently chipping the ball down the middle.
In the lead, City lost their rhythm and allowed Bristol City into the ascendancy, albeit the Robins were sloppy themselves, and very few chances were created bar Cameron Pring’s header onto the roof of the net.
Just when it looked like City would be taking a one-goal advantage into the break, they added another. It was a superb Fatawu assist.
The Ghanaian has frustrated in some of his recent displays, but he produced an electric moment, chopping around one defender and then sprinting past a few more to get into the box and teeing up De Cordova-Reid to sweep home first time.
Against his boyhood club, the Jamaica international refused to celebrate, holding his hands apologetically.
At Derby, City were on the back foot for the whole of the second half, but by keeping the Rams at least two goals away, there were never too many nerves.
At Ashton Gate, the second-half anxiety was almost immediate, with City conceding inside a minute of the restart. City were outnumbered on their left and allowed the Robins to cross low. Jannik Vestergaard blocked the ball in but nobody in blue reacted quickly enough to the loose ball, and Sykes finished at the near post.
Just after the hour, the Robins should have been level. Rob Dickie’s flicked header from a corner was flying in, but his own team-mate Sinclair Armstrong diverted the ball onto the bar from just a few yards out.
Undeterred, the Robins kept pushing and got their equaliser with 10 minutes to play, Riis outmanoeuvring Vestergaard and thumping a header in at the near post.
The home crowd sensed a potential winner, but in their best chance, Adam Randell’s shot was parried away by Stolarczyk. The sides had to settle for a point each. Here’s how we scored the players.
Jakub Stolarczyk: He bailed out Thomas early on by spreading himself expertly to deny Riis, but he may be disappointed to let both goals go in at the near post, especially the second, which he got a hand to. Still, he had to make plenty of saves, including one from Randell at the death. 6
Hamza Choudhury: A solid display. It was his good cross that set up Mavididi’s chance against the bar, while he made plenty of interceptions and tackles in a busy defensive performance. His men didn’t get past him often. 7
Ben Nelson: There were top-class moments where he’d step around attackers with ease or make flawless tackles. But there were also poor headers, overly-ambitious passes, and a few points where he lacked awareness. 6
Jannik Vestergaard: He defended the box well for the most part, and it’s hard to blame him for the first Bristol City goal, as he needed support from team-mates after his intervention. But he was far too flat-footed for the second goal. 6
Luke Thomas: He made a poor error for the early Riis chance and lost McCrorie’s runs in behind at times. He did sharpen up in the second half though, defending the back post pretty well. 5
Oliver Skipp: In the early stages, it felt like there was too much for him to do and he struggled to disrupt Bristol City’s attacks. He improved and did well both defensively and on the ball, although he looked helpless to stop the hosts when they got on top in the second period. 6
Jordan James: He didn’t have the goal involvements to show for his display like he did on Saturday, but he was often at the heart of City’s good moves forward, finding space well and getting up in support. He didn’t make an impact in the second half and was taken off just before the hour. 6
Bobby De Cordova-Reid: While he could have been involved more, it was so good to see a City player moving the ball with first-time passes when it did come his way, De Cordova-Reid always thinking two steps ahead. Reading the play well got him on the scoresheet again too, the former Robin sweeping home with poise after finding space in the box. 7
Abdul Fatawu: He delivered one of the assists of the season with his run around the outside and cut back to De Cordova-Reid. It was a brilliant display of speed and control. He did little else on the front foot, but worked ever so hard defensively. 7
Jordan Ayew: He took his penalty confidently and showed off good strength and the right ideas when City attacked in the first period. When he got the ball in the second half, he mostly played smart, until one silly shot from range late on. 6
Stephy Mavididi: He perhaps could have had more conviction in his header against the bar, but he was electric in some of his dribbling, winning the penalty and pushing Bristol City back. He defended well too. 7
Patson Daka: He didn’t offer an outlet at all. The balls up to him weren’t great, but the Bristol City defenders found it too easy against him. 4
Bade Aluko: He tried to dribble forward and it was good to see that positivity, but it did mean he was deserting his defensive post. At the back, he didn’t close down his men aggressively enough. 5
Louis Page: The game bypassed him when he first came on, but once he settled, he was calm on the ball, and that helped City see out added time. 5
Silko Thomas: Ended up coming closest to a late winner for City with a curling shot towards the bottom corner that needed saving. 5
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