Leicester City turned up the heat at the top of the Championship as a 3-2 victory over Birmingham City moved them three points clear of second place Ipswich Town.
In a lightning-fast start to the match, Stephy Mavididi fired Leicester ahead inside 13 minutes after James Justin had hit his post.
Birmingham midfielder Jordan James then levelled moments later, finishing a tidy move with a penetrating finish.
The Blues joy, however, was short-lived after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall restored the Foxes lead with another rapid counter-attack before Mavididi curled in his second of the match.
James did pull one back for Wayne Rooney’s troops with a right-footed chip, but the visitors were never threatened again as they continued their unrelenting dominance.
Enzo Maresca’s side weren’t at their best on the night but were ruthless on the counter-attack as Mavididi punished a lethargic Birmingham defence all evening.
Stephy Mavididi’s performance in numbers v Birmingham
Aside from grabbing the headlines with two brilliant finishes on the night, the Frenchman set the tone by running himself into the ground for his team and tracking back to help Justin.
This was underscored by him winning a staggering 10 ground duels and six tackles as the Foxes sought to outrun their opponents and outclass them in the final third.
Mavididi was certainly full of class, as demonstrated by his brace, but also how he fashioned those opportunities by attempting five dribbles, as per Sofascore.
He was a constant menace against the Blues and although he stole the headlines, the man on the opposite side, Abdul Fatawu, was incredible once more.
Abdul Fatawu was ‘exceptional’ v Birmingham
Fatawu is going from strength to strength in a Leicester jersey and his performance on Monday night highlighted his talent.
Currently on loan from Sporting Lisbon with an option to buy for £14.6 million, the calls for him to join permanently continued to get amplified by the Foxes contingent, and there’s no wonder.
Hailed as “exceptional” by Leicester Live journalist Jordan Blackwell after grabbing two assists, the Ghanian has now increased his tally to four in his last five Championship matches.
The 19-year-old was a constant threat on the counter attack through his searing pace and direct dribbling that Birmingham couldn’t live with.
Much like Mavididi, it wasn’t just going forward where his attributes were highlighted, as he tracked back for his team, winning five tackles and a whopping ten ground duels.
Despite leaving his shooting boots at home, it was a nearly complete performance from Fatawu, who will surely make his home at the King Power Stadium a permanent one come the end of the season.