Enzo Maresca: “For me it’s clear that it’s not over when you are down 1-0 it just means something is not working,” the Leicester boss tells Sky. “Even at 1-0 down the team was playing well but we’d conceded the goal from that corner. Overall, I think we completely deserved the three points.”
On his players’ display of mental strength: “For various reasons we didn’t win many of the past five or six games so when you go 1-0 down you have to be mentally strong and they were today.”
Stephy Mavididi: “We’ve been under pressure the whole season but we work well as a group and tend to keep our cool in these situations,” he tells Sky. “This was a big game for us and we showed what we’re about. Hopefully this will be a stepping stone for us towards the end of the season.”
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: “For us, this was a cup final,” he tells Sky Sports. “Everybody knows we’ve been on a tough run and we needed to win that game today. It’s as simple as that. We went 1-0 down and I’m really happy with the response from the lads. It takes mentality to do that. We’ve gone down before and not been able to get back into games. We played really well today and I think we deserved it. I’m buzzing.”
Full time: Leicester City 3-1 Norwich City
Leicester go top: The Foxes return to the top of the Championship table after coming from behind to record a thoroughly deserved win. Norwich may have gone ahead but they were second best in nearly every department and their defence was run absolutely ragged by the combined forces of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Wilfried Ndidi, Abdul Fatawu and Stephy Mavididi.
Updated
90+5 min: Norwich are caught offside as the clock ticks down. Their run of three successive wins is about to come to an end. Referee Darren Bond brings the game to an end and Leicester have won.
GOAL! Leicester 3-1 Norwich (Vardy 90+3)
Vardy scores! The Leicester skipper smashes the ball home from close range, scoring on the follow-up after a Harry Winks shot from a narrow angle was deflected into his path.
Updated
90+2 min: Now Justin wins his side a corner, as Leicester keep Norwich exactly where they want them.
90+1 min: James Justin takes over where Fatawu left off, winning a free-kick for his side out on the right flank. Leicester continue to pile on the pressure.
88 min: Leicester double-substitution: James Justin and Yunus Akgun come on for Fatawu and Mavididi, who were both outstanding this afternoon.
Updated
87 min: Doyle sends a long, raking, inch-perfect diagonal pace out to the far touchline for Fatawu. The winger cuts inside and plays the ball to Praet but the attack breaks down.
85 min: Leicester City double-substitution: Dennis Praet and Hamza Choudhury replace Wilf Ndidi and Ricardo Pereira.
84 min: Wout Faes plays Vardy down the inside-right with a weighted pass to the byline. The substitute’s cross drifts wide.
83 min: Dewsbury-Hall tries to pick out Fatawu with a ball over the top into a vast expanse of grass but overhits his delivery. Goal-kick.
80 min: Callum Doyle plays the ball wide to Fatawu on the right touchline as Leicester go forward again. On this occasion, the Ghanaian winger is unable to deliver the goods and the ball ends up going out for a goal-kick.
78 min: Norwich midfielder Borja Sainz tries a shot from distance but his rising drive is headed clear by Vestergaard.
77 min: Vardy takes the captain’s armband, eager to make amends after missing several good chances for his side in their defeat at Bristol City on Friday.
76 min: Leicester substitution: Jamie Vardy on for Patson Daka.
75 min: Dewsbury-Hall plays the ball wide and right to Fatawu as Leicester continue to pull the Norwich back four hither and yon. They’re being stretched to the limit by Leicester’s exciting wide players, whose good work I was largely unfamiliar with before today.
72 min: Ndidi sprays the ball wide to his near(ish) namesake Mavididi as Leicester go on another sortie into Norwich territory. They’re firmly in control of this game but given their current form, could do with another goal to ease any entirely understandable nerves.
70 min: At the other end of the pitch, Jack Stacey gets the better of Mavididi and shoots into the side-netting from a similarly tight angle when he should have squared the ball for an unmarked Liam Gibbs.
68 min: Fassnacht pounces on an awful clearance under pressure from Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen but is unable to capitalise. Wout Faes rides to the rescue and sends his side upfield on the break with a long clearance. A promising counter-attack ends with Mavididi shooting into the side-netting from a tight angle.
67 min: Norwich double-substitution: Christian Fassnacht and Liam Gibbs come on for Marcelino Nunez and Ashley Barnes.
65 min: Jannik Vestergaard is booked for a crunching challenge on Josh Sargent.
63 min: Borja Sainz robs the ball from Ricardo Pereira and skips upfield. The Leicester defender does well to get back and recover possession.
Updated
GOAL! Leicester 2-1 Norwich (Mavididi 61)
Leicester lead! And it’s no more than they deserve. Stephy Mavadidi takes the ball around Jack Stacey and curls a low shot into the far corner after receiving a pass in the Norwich penalty area from Dewsbury-Hall.
Updated
61 min: Ndidi and Fatawu combine down the inside right once again but the ball clanks off the formner’;s shin and rolls out of play for a goal-kick.
58 min: Leicester continue to dominate as Dewsbury-Hall goes down under another challenge from Shane Duffy. He thinks he should have had a free-kick just to the left of the Norwich penalty area but referee Darren Bond begs to differ.
55 min: Leicester defender Callum Doyle tries a shot from distance but fires his effort straight at Shane Duffy.
53 min: Sam McCallum is having a torrid time of it at left-back for Norwich this afternoon and he almost costs his team a goal. Patson Daka intercepts the ball as McCallum tries to send a cushioned header back to his goalkeeper but is unable to get a decent shot off.
50 min: Leicester win their eighth corner. Dewsbury-Hall sends the ball long and it ends up out wide with Pereira. He crosses it into the penalty area, Dewsbury-Hall goes to ground after a coming-together with Duffy and Mavididi gets the ball into the mixer. Norwich eventually clear the ball but they’re clinging on. Replays suggest Duffy did not foul Dewsbury-Hall.
48 min: The duo combine again as Fatawu plays Ndidi in behind with a short weighted pass. HIs shot from a tight angle is blocked by Gunn.
46 min: Wilfried Ndidi and Abdul Fatawu are wreaking havoc down the right for Leicester and Norwich have no answers. On this occasion it’s Ndidi who sends a cross into the Norwich penalty area. Angus Gunn is forced to palm the ball away for fear it might drop under the crossbar.
Second half: Leicester City 1-1 Norwich City
46 min: Play resumes and having seen replays of the most recent penalty shout, I should revise my opinion. Ben Gibson’s arm wasn’t outstretched when Ndidi’s cross hit it …. although it would have been no huge surprise to see a spot-kick awarded given the absurdity of the current handdball law.
Half-time: Leicester City 1-1 Norwich City
Peep! Darren Bond blows his whistle and the teams amble back to the dressing-rooms for their half-time brew. It’s all square at the King Power Stadium, where Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has temporarily calmed obvious Leicester City jitters by cancelling out Gabriel Sara’s clever opener for Norwich.
45+1 min: Leicester appeal for a corner when an Ndidi cross from close range hits Ben Gibson’s outstretched arm. I’ve seen spot-kicks given for an awful lot less, but Norwich get away with it on this occasion. This being a Championship game, there’s no VAR.
45 min: Kenny McLean tries to play Josh Sargent in behind but the Norwich striker isn’t quick enough to outrun Ricardo Pereira. Sargent does help his side win another corner and then heads the ball over the bar when it’s pinged his way by Gabriel Sara.
43 min: Leicester win another corner but Gunn collects the ball when it’s sent towards the far post.
40 min: Having gone behind, Leicester are currently bossing their visitors. Their front four of Ndidi, Fatawu, Daka and Mavadidi posing all sorts of problems for the Norwich defence which is being kept pinned much further back than they’d like.
37 min: Abdul Fatawu gets the better of Norwich left-back McCallum once again and drills in a cross towards Daka. He lays the ball off to Winks, whose low shot from the edge of the penalty area is straight at Gunn. He should have scored!
35 min: Shane Duffy is booked for a scything challenge on Dewsbury-Hall, who is taking a lot of punishment in this game. It’s as if Norwich’s players have been ordered to foul him in rotation. He wins a free-kick in a good position wide on the left but nothing comes of it.
GOAL! Leicester City 1-1 Norwich City (Dewsbury-Hall 34)
Leicester equalise! A poor clearance from Wout Faes allows Leicester to get the ball wide to Ndidi. His cross to the far post is headed back across the face of goal by Mavididi and Dewsbury-Hall nods home from close range.
Updated
32 min: That Norwich goal was practically a replica of the one John Stones scored for Manchester City against Liverpool a few weeks ago, seeing as you asked. Their set-piece coach Andrew Hughes was clearly taking notes.
31 min: Norwich finally hack the ball upfield after a series of half-clearances, the most recent from an Ndidi cross from the right.
29 min: Sara is penalised for barging Dewsbury-Hall to the ground and Leicester have a free-kick wide on the left. Nothing comes of it although Norwich make a pig’s ear of trying to clear the ball after it’s sent into their penalty area.
27 min: Patson Daka leaves Sam McCallum trailing in his wake as he skins the Norwich full-back down the right. Duffy atones for his earlier error by getting across to cover.
24 min: There’s a mix-up at the back for Norwich as Shane Duffy sells Marcelino Nunez short with a poor pass across the face of his own penalty area. The midfielder is forced to dive in to prevent Harry Winks pouncing. Norwich get away with it and Duffy raises a hand towards his teammate by way of apology.
Updated
24 min: Leicester are rattled and it’s small wonder. Norwich go close again as Sargent plays Borja Sainz in behind. Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen is quick off his line to prevent his side going two goals behind.
21 min: It’s a brilliantly worked goal from Norwich. The ball was sent towards the near post and Ben Gibson’s block on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall left a corridor for Gabriel Sara to run down to prod home from about two yards out.
GOAL! Leicester City 0-1 Norwich (Sara 20)
Norwich lead! Norwich score from their first corner of the game and Leicester are behind again.
Updated
18 min: Leicester midfielder Harry Winks takes the first shot of an exctremely cagey game. His low effort is weak and off-target, and the ball trundles wide of the right post.
16 min: Ndidi and several thousand Leicester fans appeal for a penalty when an attempted cross by the midfielder is blocked by Gibson. The ball did hit one or both of the Norwich City’s defender’s arms, but they were tucked in by his chest as he dived to block the cross.
15 min: Patson Daka is played in behind and canters towards the Norwich penalty area. Angus Gunn is quick off his line to narrow the angle and concedes a corner. Ben Gibson clears the ball when it’s played into the box.
13 min: Mavididi tries to get a cross into the Norwich box but is unable to get the better of Jack Stacey, who blocks. The ball cannons off the Leicester winger and goes out for a goal-kick.
11 min: Norwich win a free-kick near way and the ball is sent diagonally towards the byline. Wout Faes shepherds it out of play for a goal-kick, despite the best attempts of Borja Sainz to get in behind him and pull the ball back into the penalty area.
10 min: Norwich are forced to make a substitution after their central defender Jacob Sorensen is forced off with some manner of injury. Shane Duffy replaces the Dane.
8 min: Leicester win a free-kick between the left side of the penalty box and the corner flag. Dewsbury-Hall whips the ball into the box and after a bit of head tennis, it ends up going out for a goal-kick.
7 min: Stephy Mavididi wins a corner for Leicester, their second of the game. The ball is sent towards the near post, where Sara clears with a meaty header.
6 min: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall jinks this way and that after running on to a weighted pass down the left side of the Norwich penalty area. He miscontrols and runs the ball out of play before he can drill it across the face of goal.
3 min: Norwich enjoy a sustained period of possession … at leasdt until Gabnriel Sara inexplicably puts the ball out of play for a Leicester corner. He was under little or no pressure but completely mis-hit a pass. Nothing comes of the set-piece.
2 min: Norwich City attack as Vestergaard stands on the sideline, waiting for permission from Darren Bond to return to the field of play. He’s waved back on.
1 min: There’s an early break in play following a clash of heads between Jannik Vestergaard and Sargent. Vestergaard comes off worse and needs treatment.
Leicester City v Norwich City is go!
1 min: Josh Sargent gets the ball rolling for Norwich City and it’s quickly played back to their goalkeeper Angus Gunn.
Not long now: Referee Darren Bond leads both sets of players out on to the pitch, with the hosts needing a win to move them back to the top of the table for a couple of hours at least. Kick-off is just a minute away.
David Wagner: “It makes no sense to look on the table, or judge the table every match day because it can change with one game,” said Norwich’s manager after their win against Plymouth on Friday. “I think it makes total sense to focus on us and make sure we produce performances, like we’ve done in recent weeks, and make sure we fight and work as hard as we did against Plymouth.
“Then we have to make sure that we stay healthy, because we have a very thin squad. I said this more often in recent weeks and if you see in our last matchday squad, again, I think everybody realises it.
“It’s a super busy period at the end of the season, where everyone has already a lot of games in his legs. [Shane] Duffy came back with his first game after injury, which helps because it’s another body in the building, and this is what we do - keep working, keep focusing on the next one, which is exciting.”
Enzo Maresca: “Yes, for sure,” said Leciester’s manager, upon being asked if his side could still finish in the automatic promotion places following their defeat at Ashton Gate. “As we said, it’s not good to lose games and drop points at this moment, but we need to be positive.
“We should be positive because, first of all, the points we have, and the performances are there, we just didn’t take the chances. One result can change everything, and hopefully it will come soon.”
Today’s match officials
Referee: Darren Bond
Referee’s assistants: Ian Hussin and Wade Smith
Fourth Official: James Bell
Leicester City v Norwich City line-ups
Leicester City: Hermansen, Ricardo Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Doyle, Ndidi, Winks, Dewsbury-Hall, Fatawu, Daka, Mavididi.
Subs: Justin, Coady, Vardy, Iheanacho, Choudhury, Praet, Akgun, Marcal-Madivadua, Stolarczyk.
Norwich City: Gunn, Stacey, Sorensen, Gibson, McCallum, Nunez, McLean, Gabriel Sara, Barnes, Sainz, Sargent.
Subs: Montoia, Aboh, Gibbs, Long, van Hooijdonk, Fassnacht, Batth, Duffy, Welch.
Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire)
Let's go, Yellows 👊
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) April 1, 2024
Here's your Norwich City lineup today 👇 pic.twitter.com/mT4Mq6E6n0
Your Foxes this Easter Monday 📋#LEINOR pic.twitter.com/qFp1wntrIW
— Leicester City (@LCFC) April 1, 2024
Early team news
Leicester are without winger Kasey McAteer, striker Tom Cannon and centre-back Ben Nelson, who are all sidelined with injury, while Callum Doyle is suspended on the back of the red card he was shown in his side’s FA Cup quarter-final defeat at the hands of Chelsea.
Norwich striker Jon Rowe remains out with a serious hamstring injury, while winger Onel Hernandez will miss the rest of the season with a broken foot. The Canaries’ Greek defender Dimitris Giannoulis is also out with a torn hammy. Shane Duffy could return to the heart of Norwich City’s defence after coming off the bench in his side’s win against Plymouth after returning from injury.
Championship: Leicester City v Norwich City
With just one win in their past six league games, Leicester CIty’s previously imperious form looks to have deserted them. From their exalted position of looking odds-on certainties for promotion with a 17-point lead, Enzo Maresca’s side have dropped to third in the table behind Ipswich Town and Leeds. They are two points off the pace and out of the automatic promotion places but have a game in hand over the two sides above them.
Following their weekend defeat at Bristol City they host a Norwich City side who are bang in form, having won consecutive games against a trio of Championship strugglers in Rotherham, Stoke and Plymouth Argyle. David Wagner’s men are likely to face a far sterner test of their collective mettle at the King Power Stadium this afternoon, as they endeavour to consolidate their position in the playoff places. Kick-off in Leicester is at 12.30pm (BST) butr we’ll have team news and build-up in the meantime.
