Nottingham Forest returned to Premier League action on Monday evening with a short trip across the East Midlands to face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
Head Coach Steve Cooper shuffled his pack by making three changes from our last fixture, with Cheikhou Kouyaté, Lewis O’Brien and Jesse Lingard replacing Willy Boly, Ryan Yates and Remo Freuler. Steve Cook was handed the captain’s armband for the evening.
Forest started brightly and forced a couple of early corners, Brennan Johnson seeing a cross blocked after showing good pace on the right before O’Brien’s strike from range was deflected behind.
The Foxes registered a chance of their own after five minutes, James Maddison working space inside the penalty area before picking out Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall at the back-post, but he couldn’t direct his header on target before the midfielder flashed a powerful effort wide moments later.
Neco Williams was the first into referee Robert Jones’ notebook after a handball to deny a Harvey Barnes run on the Leicester left.
The Reds had a huge chance to take the lead on 20 minutes, neat work from Morgan Gibbs-White in the midfield third before releasing Taiwo Awoniyi into the penalty area with a measured pass but the Nigerian saw his effort hit the base of the post.
Just two minutes later, the hosts took the lead. Barnes’ cross from the left was cleared only as far as Maddison on the edge of the area before the attacking midfielder saw an effort deflect past Dean Henderson and into the back of the net.
On 27 minutes, Leicester doubled their tally. Jamie Vardy found Barnes before the winger cut inside onto his right foot and curled past Henderson from 20 yards.
Kouyaté was the second Forest player to be shown a yellow card after bringing down the advancing Dewsbury-Hall on 33 minutes, and it was from the resulting free-kick where Maddison added Leicester’s third with an accurate right-footed strike from the edge of the area.
Lingard had a chance to get The Reds a goal back before the break, Johnson racing into the box before squaring for the attacking midfielder but he was quickly closed down and saw an effort blocked.
Half time: Leicester City 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Steve Cooper made a triple change at the break as Williams, O’Brien and Kouyaté made way for Yates, Freuler and a there was a Forest debut for full-back Serge Aurier.
The hosts also made a change at the break as midfielder Ndidi was replaced by Boubakary Soumaré.
Forest had a big chance to pull a goal back on 52 minutes, McKenna’s ball releasing Awoniyi in behind the Leicester defence before the forward was thwarted by Ward, the loose ball then fell for Johnson but his touch took him away from goal before Awoniyi’s follow-up effort was blocked.
Emmanuel Dennis was introduced just after the hour mark, replacing international team-mate Awoniyi while Brendan Rodgers replaced Vardy with Patson Daka.
The Reds’ final change of the evening came with 20 minutes remaining as Orel Mangala made his return from injury, replacing Lingard.
On 73 minutes, Leicester added a fourth. Maddison’s pass found substitute Daka ten yards out before the Zimbabwe international finished with a neat first-time flick past Henderson.
Forest looked to get a goal back with ten minutes remaining, Gibbs-White seizing on a loose Jonny Evans pass before finding Johnson but the Welshman’s effort was palmed behind at the near-post by Ward.
Gibbs-White then registered another chance on goal with two minutes of the 90 remaining as he flicked Dennis' cross towards goal but Ward was equal to the effort again as the hosts preserved their clean sheet.
Full time: Leicester City 4-0 Nottingham Forest
Leicester City (4-2-3-1): Danny Ward; Timothy Castagne, Jonny Evans, Wout Faes, James Justin; Wilfred Ndidi (Boubakary Soumaré 46’), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Youri Tielemans (Dennis Praet 80’); Harvey Barnes, James Maddison (Marc Albrighton 85'), Jamie Vardy (Patson Daka 62’)
Substitutes not used: Daniel Iversen, Luke Thomas, Daniel Amartey, Ayoze Perez, Kelechi Iheanacho
Goals: Maddison (25’, 35’), Barnes (27’), Daka (73’)
Booked: Soumaré (71’)
Forest (4-2-3-1): Dean Henderson; Neco Williams (Serge Aurier 46’), Steve Cook, Scott McKenna, Renan Lodi; Cheikhou Kouyaté (Remo Freuler 46’), Lewis O’Brien (Ryan Yates 46’); Jesse Lingard (Orel Mangala 69’), Morgan Gibbs-White, Brennan Johnson; Taiwo Awoniyi (Emmanuel Dennis 62’)
Substitutes not used: Wayne Hennessey, Joe Worrall, Willy Boly, Sam Surridge
Booked: Williams (18’), Kouyaté (33’), Lingard (64’), Cook (90')
Attendance: 32,202
Referee: Robert Jones