Leicester City fans will be feeling relieved after Steve Cooper guided the Foxes to their first Premier League win of the season with a 1-0 victory over AFC Bournemouth.
It was a crucial result for Cooper, whose position as manager had come under increasing scrutiny after a difficult start to the campaign.
The match against Bournemouth was seen as the first of four potentially winnable fixtures for Leicester, and Cooper’s side got off to a strong start in this run, securing not only three points but also a clean sheet at the King Power Stadium.
Cooper made a bold decision in his team selection, opting to drop Harry Winks and give the midfield a more attacking edge by deploying Jordan Ayew in the number ten role. This shift in tactics paid off quickly.
Just 16 minutes into the game, Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte fired Leicester into the lead with what would ultimately be the match-winning goal.
Buonanotte, lively throughout the contest, continues to impress during his loan spell, providing the spark that Leicester have been missing in attack.
However, as the game wore on, Bournemouth applied significant pressure in search of an equaliser, and Leicester had to defend resolutely to maintain their lead.
The standout performer for Leicester was centre-back Wout Faes, who marshalled the backline expertly.
Faes, a £15 million signing from Rennes in the summer of 2022, has been a polarising figure at times, but against Bournemouth, he demonstrated his value to the team.
His defensive display was crucial in ensuring Leicester’s first clean sheet of the season, as he repeatedly thwarted Bournemouth’s attempts to break through.
Leicestershire Live singled out Faes as the man of the match, awarding him a nine out of ten in their player ratings and commenting,
“He read so many dangerous situations well to stop Bournemouth inside City’s box, making strong tackles, timely interceptions, and diving in to block three goal-bound shots.”
Faes’ defensive stats from the game underline just how important he was. According to Sofascore, he made nine clearances, blocked three shots, and registered two tackles.
Additionally, he won both of his ground duels and completed 23 out of 28 attempted passes, showing that Leicester’s play is far more direct under Cooper than it was under Enzo Maresca’s slower, possession-based approach last season.
Leicester’s back four, consisting of James Justin, Faes, Caleb Okoli, and Victor Kristiansen, has started the last five Premier League matches, and this continuity appears to be paying off.
The partnership between Faes and Okoli is beginning to solidify, though Faes was clearly the standout against Bournemouth.
If Leicester are to pull themselves out of trouble this season, they will need Faes to maintain this level of performance. His display against Bournemouth showed that he is more than capable of rising to the challenge. Cooper will be hoping this win provides the momentum needed for Leicester to climb the table in the coming weeks.