Bristol City 1-0 Leicester City: Anis Mehmeti stunner piles pressure on promotion-chasing Foxes

Anis Mehmeti’s second-half stunner piled more misery on Championship title-chasers Leicester City as they lost 1-0 to Bristol City.

The home side had two strong penalty shouts waved away in the first half as the teams went in goalless at the break.

But Mehmeti’s first home goal this year, rifled past Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, was enough to give the home side all three points.

Leicester have now lost four of their past six league games and much of the build-up to the game had focused on the away side’s Premier League and EFL charges, as well as the announcement they would take legal action against the leagues.

The Robins dominated the first half and forced a double save from Hermansen, through the lively Tommy Conway and then Scott Twine’s rebound.

Hamza Choudhury then hauled Rob Dickie to the ground in the box with his eyes focused on the player before Wout Faes appeared to tug the shorts of Conway right on the edge of the area but referee Andrew Kitchen waved both shouts away.

Faes almost riled the home fans further as he headed wide from a Harry Winks free-kick for the visitors, before Vardy grazed the post with the Foxes hitting the home side on the break.

Vardy will wonder how he didn’t add to his 13 Championship goals in the second half when he was twice put clean through on goal.

Bristol City keeper Max O’Leary made himself big to save with his foot to deny the Leicester captain, before turning Stephy Mavididi’s rebound behind.

The second chance was even clearer, as Zak Vyner gifted the ball to Vardy in the area – but his split-second delay allowed O’Leary to get across and make a fantastic save to deny the striker again.

You could sense a goal was coming as Vardy stretched but couldn’t connect with a header and Abdul Fatawu’s curling effort went just wide.

But it was the hosts who would make the breakthrough with Mehmeti lashing his left-foot effort from the edge of the box past Choudhury and beyond Hermansen to give the home side the lead.

Substitute Mark Sykes almost immediately doubled the lead for the Robins, shooting low at goal but Hermansen just diverted it behind for a corner.

The Foxes almost drew level through former Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho, brought on for Vardy, as he dinked beautifully over the outrushing O’Leary into the net, but the assistant referee raised his flag and the home side kept the clean sheet to claim a massive win in front of their fans.

Bristol City boss Liam Manning told BBC Radio Bristol:

“We switched to the back five and had to ride our luck at times but you make your own luck sometimes.

“It’s not the first time we’ve done it [played five at the back], in my mind the system tends to be more for what happens out of possession.

“How do you set up? How do you organise? What do you do to stop their threats? I thought the lads adjusted very well, the shape worked.

On Max O’Leary and Anis Mehmeti’s performances:

“It’s not the first time he’s done that, Max.

“He was terrific, not just the saves but with his decision-making with the ball.

“I’m really pleased for Anis as well, he’s obsessed with the game and works really hard.

“He’s constantly doing extras [in training] and the challenge now is to transfer that consistently into performances in the division.”

Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca told BBC Radio Leicester:

“Tough afternoon in terms of we create many chances, we miss, and at this moment it is what it is, but there’s no time for head down.

“In 72 hours we have one more game and we go again.

“I need to review the game, we knew that they were a good team, a difficult team.

“But when it’s a tough game and you create many chances, you need to take them.”