Leicester City secured their first win of the campaign with a 2-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle at the King Power Stadium. First-half stoppage-time goals from Will Alves and Harry Howell lifted Russell Martin’s side up the table despite a tense performance.
The three points provide temporary relief, but Martin knows his team rode their luck. Leicester controlled 66 per cent of the ball overall and dominated 70 per cent of first-half possession. Yet for large stretches, that heavy control felt hollow and aimless, echoing the frustrating tie against MK Dons. Goalkeeper Alex McCarthy repeatedly placed his backline under severe pressure with dangerous passes inside his own penalty area. Only last-ditch heroics from Christian McFarlane and Harry Souttar prevented Plymouth from capitalizing on cheap defensive mistakes.
The Foxes survived by the skin of their teeth before hitting double trouble in stoppage time.
Alves and Howell produced individual moments of quality to breach Plymouth’s backline just before the break. However, structural problems remain glaringly obvious. Martin’s wingers cut narrow and pushed high up the pitch, leaving the central midfield jammed against a stubborn low block. Admir Bristric found himself completely isolated against Plymouth’s central defenders, while Bobby De Cordova-Reid struggled to make an impact in tight spaces. Without fullbacks overlapping to provide width, Leicester repeatedly found themselves trapped in their own half, forcing backward passes to Souttar and Luke Thomas.
This victory stops the rot, but slicker opposition will ruthlessly punish such sloppy errors at the back. The arrival of Danish striker Emil Riis from Bristol City offers much-needed physical presence upfront to challenge Bristric. Integrating new options like Wes Burns on the flank could finally give Martin the genuine width his tactical system desperately lacks. Confidence will build from a clean sheet, but Leicester must fix their risky build-up play before their luck runs out.
