LEICESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 5: Facundo Buonanotte of Leicester City celebrates with Jamie Vardy of Leicester City after scoring to make it 1-0 during the Premier League match between Leicester City and AFC Bournemouth at King Power Stadium on October 5, 2024 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
“Unbelievable! Danny Higginbotham Reveals Shocking Reasons Leicester City Could Still Be Relegated Despite Bournemouth Win
Steve Cooper secured his first Premier League victory as Leicester City manager on Saturday, leading the Foxes to a win over AFC Bournemouth at the King Power Stadium.
Facundo Buonanotte scored the decisive goal, marking Cooper’s first three points since taking over from Enzo Maresca in the summer.
Bournemouth, managed by Andoni Iraola, posed a threat in the second half, but Wout Faes effectively organized the Leicester defense, resulting in their first clean sheet of the league campaign.
With pressure mounting before the match, this win provides Cooper with some much-needed breathing room as the team heads into the international break.
The victory against Bournemouth also sets Leicester up nicely for a crucial stretch of four Premier League matches, including upcoming games against Southampton, Nottingham Forest, and Ipswich Town.
Despite the win, many Leicester fans remain skeptical of Cooper. His history at rival Nottingham Forest, combined with his lackluster interviews and cautious tactics, have made him a polarizing figure among supporters.
While defeating Bournemouth helps his case, former player Danny Higginbotham believes the shift from Maresca to Cooper could be a factor in Leicester’s potential relegation. He discussed this on The 2 Robbies podcast, stating, “Leicester City has Steve Cooper coming in this summer, and he views the game quite differently than Maresca, who’s now at Chelsea and has started well there. That’s one reason I see them struggling.”
A loss to Bournemouth could have led to Cooper’s dismissal. The football world is notoriously unpredictable, and Leicester fans were frustrated after recent draws against Everton and Walsall in the Carabao Cup.
However, a resilient performance away at Arsenal, where they narrowly lost, followed by the win over Bournemouth, has bought Cooper some time. Had they lost at home, the club’s management might have considered the international break an opportune moment for a change.
Now, Leicester can look forward to their trip to Southampton, feeling optimistic about securing more points in their fight for Premier League survival.
