Ruthless Leicester City revealed as three promising signs emerge in Championship promotion race

It was always going to be a revealing night on the south coast. This was the first time Enzo Maresca’s Leicester City had faced a side expected to rival them for promotion, and it was the first time they had taken on a side that would be willing to go toe-to-toe with them, rather than sit deep.

What was learned was that if a team opens up, City will make them pay. It was the first time this term that City had had less than 60 per cent possession – in fact they only had 45 per cent – and yet they had more shots in the box than in any other game.

Given space by Southampton, City exploited it. Even in the first half, when the Saints weren’t pushing quite so high, City combined sharp passes, intricate touches, and a clinical edge to score three times and create the opportunities for a few more.

After his review of the first seven games, Maresca had said that decision-making and patience in the final third was a big area for improvement for his side. This was not a game where they need drastic upturns in either to profit. They didn’t often need to wait for the right final pass to emerge as Southampton’s openness and lack of organisation made clear where the ball needed to go.

But there were improvements. When Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall picked up the ball for the second goal, he had two players he could have knocked the ball to, but he waited that extra split second for Kasey McAteer’s run, played a sumptuous pass, and created a much bigger opportunity as a result.

For the third goal, after luring Southampton in by making it seem they were happy to get to half-time at 2-1 up, City then moved the ball forward with speed, Stephy Mavididi spun his man to create the space and then coolly picked out Wilfred Ndidi, who was superbly composed to jink inside and score, rather than hit a first-time shot. In Maresca’s eyes, it may be the best goal of the season.

But what this game really showed was that City have the speed and tidy footwork to be ruthless in creating chances when their opponents let them. Teams won’t open up often against City, but when they do, supporters now know they can get excited at what their side may produce in response.

Three promising signs emerge in Southampton comparison

This was a clash between two teams who, under new managers, have shown they like to dominate the ball and play methodically up the pitch. On this evidence, City are making quicker progress than Southampton are.

For a start, they didn’t make as many mistakes. Both sides were guilty of dodgy passes in dangerous areas in the first half-hour, but there were more by the Saints, who looked less comfortable playing out of an aggressive press than City did.

City were perhaps caught less often, certainly in the final hour, because they were willing to be more pragmatic. It felt like Southampton were shackled to their style of play, even when it was ill-advised. For City, if Mads Hermansen did have to launch the ball to the halfway line rather than play a short pass that would put a team-mate in trouble, he would do.

And their defensive structure was much better as well. There were a few too many moments of miscommunication and confusion in the first half-hour, with Callum Doyle guiltiest of mistakes, but beyond that, they had the organisation to shut down Southampton’s attacks and avert danger from inside their own box, James Justin and Jannik Vestergaard playing particularly well in the second period.

Maresca’s Vardy decision pays off

While the first five Championship games before Friday night had gone pretty well, there was concern among fans about the absence of any goals, and also the lack of threat, from City’s strikers. It was pleasing, then, that 20 seconds into their return, Jamie Vardy got on the scoresheet.

Brought into the team for Kelechi Iheanacho, it was a decision that worked for Maresca, although not because Vardy was a threat throughout. He didn’t have many clear-cut chances after his goal. But he does look to run beyond the last man more often than Iheanacho does, which stretched an already-exposed Southampton defence.

What was pleasing too was that City had good runners around him from midfield, most notably in Dewsbury-Hall and Harry Winks, meaning that Vardy, when he did get involved in the build-up, could play the short first-time passes that kept City’s attacks moving more quickly.

Iheanacho can do that, but he also tends to hold onto the ball for longer, sometimes to give time for team-mates to get in support, but also occasionally because he wants to do too much by himself.

This was Vardy’s best game of the season, and the battle between him and Iheanacho for the starting striker spot looks more even than ever.

Justin shows what Rodgers always said

Also coming into the team, and for the first time in the Championship this season, was Justin. He’s a player that Maresca really likes and with Wout Faes back late from international duty, it gave the manager a good reason to use him.

While there were some iffy moments in the first half-hour, after that he did an extremely good job defensively. Kamaldeen Sulemana is a tricky customer, the winger possessing quick feet and agility, and Southampton looked to him to be their saviour when he was introduced in the second half, but Justin shut him down.

Brendan Rodgers always used to say that Justin was the best one-on-one defender at the club and the second-half showing here gave credence to that. Against Hull, it showed the problems it can cause when an individual has the beating of their man, with Liam Delap routinely getting past Callum Doyle, but here, there was no joy for the Saints when they did go down Justin’s side in the second half.

Where he may need to improve if he is to be a regular fixture in the side is in making himself an option to receive the ball. In the first half in particular, Vestergaard was forced to go to Doyle every time because Justin was spread too far wide in a traditional full-back position, and so wasn’t available to receive a pass. Southampton didn’t cotton on so it didn’t matter, but other teams will.

Squandered chances acceptable if Mavididi is that threatening

It was a good job Mavididi scored when he did. Having blown one excellent breakaway by being greedy, he probably should have learned his lesson and passed to Dewsbury-Hall when he was clean through for a second time. But that he found the bottom corner meant he was let off.