Pride Park Stadium
Derby County were beaten 3-1 by Leicester City at Pride Park Stadium in their opening Sky Bet Championship fixture of December.
All three Leicester goals came in the first half as the Foxes claimed the victory in the first league meeting between the two clubs since early 2014.
Leicester took the lead after eight minutes as Jamaica international forward Bobby De Cordova-Reid found the bottom corner with a composed finish.
The Foxes doubled their lead by the quarter-hour mark as Oliver Skipp fired home following a corner.
Wales international midfielder Jordan James added a third just after the half-hour mark to strengthen the visitors’ grip on the contest and leave the Rams with an uphill task.
Derby came close to pulling a goal back before half-time as Joe Ward rattled the crossbar and saw the ball bounce away to safety.
The Rams got on the scoresheet just after the hour as Ward’s excellent free-kick into the box was headed home by Norwegian international defender Sondre Langås.
No further goals followed, and the Rams tasted defeat on home territory for just the second time since mid-September.
The Rams started brightly in the opening five minutes at Pride Park, looking lively in attack, but it was Leicester who struck first in the eighth minute. Abdul Fatawu raced down the right and played a precise pass to pick out James in a central area. James’ threaded pass released De Cordova-Reid into the box and he kept his composure to tuck the finish into the far-left corner and put the visitors ahead.
Buoyed by that opener, Martí Cifuentes’ side doubled their advantage in the 15th minute. James’ dangerous outswinging corner ricocheted around the penalty area before looping up and falling to Skipp, who lashed a ferocious left-footed volley home from six yards to double the Foxes’ lead.
Derby had an opportunity to respond when Callum Elder swung a deep free-kick toward the far post. Dion Sanderson rose highest to meet it but nodded wide into the side netting. It wouldn’t have counted, as the flag was raised for offside.
Shortly after, Leicester thought they had extended their advantage when a deep free-kick from the left found Jordan Ayew in the box. The 34-year-old powered home a diving header past the goalkeeper, only for the assistant referee to rule it out.
Leicester added a third goal on the half-hour mark. A cross-field ball released Stephy Mavididi down the left, who pulled the ball back to Luke Thomas just outside the Derby area. Thomas’ pinpoint first-time delivery to the back post was met by James and the in-form midfielder prodded the ball beyond Jacob Widell Zetterström to make it 3-0.
Derby’s best spell of the half followed as they searched for a way back into the contest. A cross from the left sailed through the box to Ward and his instinctive, first-time effort cannoned off the crossbar following an outstanding fingertip save from Jakub Stolarczyk, the rebound bouncing away to safety.
Moments later, Patrick Agyemang curled an effort from distance that Stolarczyk gathered comfortably as the Rams continued to press. Agyemang was involved again when he latched onto a neat low cross from Elder, but Stolarczyk dived down bravely to divert Agyemang wide for a goal kick.
As half-time approached, Ayew cut infield after finding space down the right. The Ghanaian unleashed a low drive across goal that Zetterström did well to keep out with a sharp reflex save with his feet.
Just before the interval a vital defensive stop prevented a fourth for the Foxes. Mavididi’s ball in from the left looked destined for James in the centre of the box, but Matt Clarke produced a superb last-ditch clearance to deny the midfielder, ensuring the score remained 3-0 at half-time.
Early in the second half Derby substitute Andi Weimann, brought on to inject some attacking spark, was played in down the left by a quick free-kick. With little support arriving he could only work the ball to the byline and win a corner. Stolarczyk punched the set-piece clear and Bobby Clark’s follow-up volley was was hurriedly blocked.
The Rams pulled one back in the 62nd minute through Langås. Ward produced a superb delivery into the centre of the area and the Norwegian glanced a smart header across goal to notch his second goal of the season and make it 3-1.
From that moment the momentum swung firmly in Derby’s favour. Stolarczyk failed to claim another dangerous Ward cross into the box and, with the goalkeeper stranded, substitute Corey Blackett-Taylor saw his far-post effort blocked. The loose ball fell to Clark, but he sliced his volley over the bar from the edge of the area.
A throw-in in an advanced position then saw Ward and Clark exchange a tidy one-two before Ward’s ball to the back post dropped for Blackett-Taylor. He tidily chested it down and unleashed a first-time strike from inside the area, only for Foxes skipper Ricardo Pereira to make an important block.
Langås came close to scoring again when a cross was delivered into the box from the right. The ball dropped at an awkward height for the centre-back and he could only divert the effort over the bar off his knee.
Eustace’s side continued to press as the contest moved into stoppage time. Kayden Jackson pulled the ball back from the left and Weimann, who had made a positive impact after coming on, struck a low left-foot shot which beat Stolarczyk but was hooked off the line by a fantastic last-ditch clearance from Jannik Vestergaard.
Rams defender Curtis Nelson was introduced for Elder in the closing stages and nearly made an instant impact when his powerful header from a corner was turned around the post by a fine save from Stolarczyk.
Despite a vibrant second-half display in which Derby dominated possession and created numerous chances, Leicester held on to take all three points from Pride Park.
Derby County: Zetterström (GK), Clarke, Langås, Agyemang, Salvesen (Weimann 46), Elder (Nelson 90), Ward, Brereton Díaz (Blackett-Taylor 65), Sanderson (Jackson 65), Adams (C) (Thompson 46), Clark.
Unused Substitutes: Vickers (GK), Forsyth, Batth, Nyambe.
Leicester City: Stolarczyk (GK), Ricardo (C), Nelson, Vestergaard, L. Thomas, James (Page 86), Skipp, Fatawu (Daka 77), De Cordova-Reid (Choudhury 64), Mavididi (Aluko 86), Ayew (S. Thomas 77).
Unused Substitutes: Begović (GK), Faes, Evans, Carranza.
30,784 (including 3,136 Leicester City supporters)
Derby will be aiming to bounce back as they return to Sky Bet Championship action in midweek, hosting Millwall on Wednesday evening (7:45pm kick-off).
Words: Ella Barber.
