Key events
21 min: If this game were to end now, Forest would go fifth, for one night at least. With this prize in mind, Forest attempt to double their lead, Hudson-Odoi raking a pass down the left for Elanga to chase after. With the hosts light at the back, Elanga crosses deep … but Wood has come towards the near post. Chance gone.
20 min: Fatawu wins a corner down the right. Buonanotte, desperate to atone, swings the set piece in, but Forest deal with this one easily enough.
18 min: Three of the most abysmal attempted clearances in short order, there, and my how Leicester have paid the price for them. Pereira, Buonanotte and Justin need to have a long, hard think about what they’ve just done.
GOAL! Leicester 0-1 Forest (Yates 16)
Buonanotte has been impressive in attack … but now he scuffs a clearance. Anderson tries to make space for a shot. His effort is blocked, and then it’s Justin’s turn to almost completely miss his clearance. This is farcical, and the hosts pay, with Yates picking up possession, 25 yards out, and passing a confident shot into the bottom left. Hermansen no chance!
15 min: Pereira almost completely whiffs a simple clearance, allowing Forest to go on the attack. Aina crosses from the right. Elanga can’t win a header … but he wins a corner soon after. And from that …
14 min: The Foxes are enjoying the lion’s share of possession so far, though they’ve yet to work Sels in the Forest goal. Buonanotte still buzzing around everywhere.
12 min: Buonanotte is pulling all the strings for Leicester, prompting from the centre. The ball’s slipped wide left to Vardy; he crosses for Ndidi, who heads harmlessly over. The roles might have been better reversed there.
10 min: Buonanotte takes it himself and swings it into the six-yard mixer. There’s some pinball before Forest eventually clear their lines.
9 min: Some more space for Buonanotte down the middle. He dribbles hard at the Forest back line before reaching the right-hand edge of the D and shooting. His effort is deflected wide right for Leicester’s first corner.
8 min: Hudson-Odoi is making a proper nuisance of himself on the left flank. His sheer presence is causing Leicester mild angst. Forest are repeatedly looking to find him.
6 min: Elanga swings it in. Milenkovic is shoved over before the ball arrives, and wants a penalty, but the referee shows no interest whatsoever. Milenkovic has a face on.
5 min: Moreno and Hudson-Odoi one-two their way down the left, the former winning the first corner of the evening. Elanga to take.
4 min: Mavididi tries to release Winks down the left but Milenkovic spots the danger and comes across to usher the ball out for a goal kick.
2 min: Another clipping, this time by Fatawu on Hudson-Odoi out on the Forest left. A free kick, and it’s swung in by Elanga to no effect whatsoever. Both teams showing early signs of wanting to get forward, though.
1 min: Buonanotte immediately starts dribbling down the middle and he’s suspiciously clipped from behind by Dominguez. With seconds on the clock, the referee waves play on, because with Buonanotte kind of going nowhere, a big decision to book someone so soon doesn’t seem worth it.
A knee of love and equality is taken … there’s no room for racism … then Forest get the ball rolling. Here we go!
The teams are out. Leicester in blue, Forest in red. This Sunday will be the sixth anniversary of the passing of beloved former Leicester owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who has been remembered on the big screen. His seat in the directors’ box will be symbolically draped with a scarf. Additionally, with Remembrance Day upcoming, there’s also a poignant rendition of the Last Post. RIP the fallen.
No pre-match managerial interviews this evening on Sky Sports. It doesn’t feel as though we’ve lost much, though, right? The programme’s been on since 7pm, though, with its centrepiece a race between Leicester mascot Filbert Fox and its Forest counterpart Robin Hood, played this evening by Jamie Carragher. “He’s taken banter too far this time,” observes my wise colleague John Windmill. A reminder that this is pay-TV that costs viewers cash money. Also that ITV had the famous 1989 title decider between Liverpool and Arsenal up and running from ident to kick-off within 13 minutes. Things move on, if not necessarily forward.
Leicester make three changes to their starting XI in the wake of their dramatic 3-2 comeback victory at Southampton last Saturday. Bilal El Khannouss and Oliver Skipp drop to the bench, while Victor Kristiansen is injured. Ricardo Pereira, Harry Winks and Abdul Fatawu step up.
Forest follow up their 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Monday night by making the sum total of zero changes. If it ain’t broke, etc. James Ward-Prowse returns from suspension and takes up a place on the bench, but Morgan Gibbs-White remains injured.
The teams
Leicester City: Hermansen, Justin, Faes, Okoli, Pereira, Ndidi, Winks, Fatawu, Buonanotte, Mavididi, Vardy.
Subs: Ward, Coady, El Khannous, De Cordova-Reid, Ayew, Skipp, Soumare, Edouard, Thomas.
Nottingham Forest: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Alex, Yates, Dominguez, Elanga, Anderson, Hudson-Odoi, Wood.
Subs: Carlos Miguel, Morato, Williams, Awoniyi, Toffolo, Ward-Prowse, Silva, Sosa, Boly.
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire).
Preamble
Welcome to our coverage of the Matt Gillies derby. One for the heads there. Steve Cooper’s breaking no new ground by flitting up and down the A46, you see; we could also go with Dave Bassett, Micky Adams, Gary Megson or Martin O’Neill if you’d prefer. Kick-off is at 8pm BST. It’s on!
