There’s a new-found air of positivity around Leicester City following back-to-back wins in the Premier League.
Steve Cooper’s men defeated Southampton 3-2 on the weekend to move six points clear of the relegation zone.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 10 |  FulhamFulham | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| 11 |  B’mouthBournemouth | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 11 |
| 12 |  Man UtdManchester United | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 9 | -2 | 11 |
| 13 |  BrentfordBrentford | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 15 | -1 | 10 |
| 14 |  LeicesterLeicester | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 14 | -2 | 9 |
| 15 |  West HamWest Ham | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 15 | -4 | 8 |
| 16 |  EvertonEverton | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 15 | -6 | 8 |
| 17 |  IpswichIpswich | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 16 | -10 | 4 |
| 18 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 3 |
Abdul Fatawu completely changed the game for Leicester and earned most of the plaudits, but Harry Winks was also vital in the comeback.
Now, attention has turned towards Friday’s game against East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest and Cooper has been speaking to the media ahead of the derby.
He was asked about his decision to bench Ricardo Pereira this season – which has been a hot topic among the fan base.
- READ MORE: Leicester City predicted XI vs Nottingham Forest as Steve Cooper makes Abdul Fatawu decision
Steve Cooper explains why Ricardo Pereira isn’t starting
Asked about why James Justin has been starting ahead of Ricardo Pereira this season, Cooper remained vague in his answer.
“You want fans to debate,” he explained, via the Leicestershire Live.
“But we also go through that with team selection. There’s always a question to be asked. It’s just the nature of performance.
“If every position is as strong as JJ and Ricardo fighting it out, we’d be in a good place and we need to embrace that.”
So, it seems for the time being, Justin will retain his spot at right-back despite being at fault for Southampton’s first goal on the weekend.
Cooper is aware of defensive frailties down the right flank
Cooper also added that he is well aware of the defensive frailties that have come down the right hand side of his team.
“It’s definitely a team thing. We never go down the line of focusing on individuals. It’s something we’re aware of. We’ll face up to all the things we need to improve on.”
City will be hoping to pick up their third consecutive win on Friday and if they do, they could move up to ninth place.
A telling week lies ahead in the East Midlands.