POST-MATCH THREAD: Leicester City v Charlton Athletic: Saturday 31st January 2026: KO 12:30

Conor Coady came directly into the side against his former side to replace Conor Coventry, making his Addicks debut alongside Greg Docherty, who returns after a spell in the wilderness. Thankfully, Amari’i Bell is also back to anchor that left side, with Luke Chambers ahead of him. Harry Clarke started on the opposite side with Tyreece Campbell and Charlie Kelman on the bench and Lyndon Dykes and Miles Leaburn starting up front to complete a rather large and strong starting side compared to the Leicester lot. Rather bizarrely, the first five minutes consisted of Charlton players going down with knocks to the head after coming off worse in consecutive opening skirmishes. In fact, with technical issues affecting the referee’s equipment, the first ten minutes featured very little football. And in that time, Leicester did not look at all convincing.

A bit of back and forth saw the Addicks settle in. Leicester, capable of a mistake or three this season, then suffered a catastrophic error when Sonny Carey cleared the ball forward for Miles Leaburn to chase. He turned his man and struggled past him as he was held back and then brought down by the last man that resulted in a straight red. Some 16 minutes had past and Charlton were now left to break down a reduced Leicester for the remainder.

After 20 mins Charlton had put the ball in the back of the net from a decent corner that was hung right under the bar and nodded in by Harry Clarke. Unfortunately, the referee bailed Leicester out when he called a foul on the keeper. On replay, any obstruction was of Leicester’s own making and the Addicks were hard done by.

It was a first half of stoppages. But the Addicks found the breakthrough nonetheless when, on 35 minutes, Sonny Carey broke into the penalty area to get on the end of a low Harry Clarke cross with a touch on his right foot over the Leicester defender to execute a sublime finish just inside the post with his left foot.

Leicester benefitted from a period of possession that resulted in a few set pieces that put pressure on the visitors. 10 mins added time. 46 minutes, Luke Chambers popped up in the box on the left side and forced a good save from the Leicester keeper, after a low driven shot that could have been a dagger before half time. But the man’s time would come a few minutes later when Greg Docherty’s hard work resulted in Leaburn controlling possession on the edge of the box. He played the ball back to Chambers, whose quick footwork bought him enough space to whip a cross into the box that split the defenders and dropped onto Lyndon Dykes’ outstretched foot and into the back of the net to put the London side up two to the good. Another quality goal (in addition to the one that was ruled out; also a beauty!) eased the pressure on the beleaguered Addicks looking to put an end to the poor rut and turn the corner on a disappointing couple of months.

Miles Leaburn made way for talisman Matty Godden for the second half. Leaburn had worked particularly hard and had some come off the worse for wear in some battles and has seemingly picked up an injury. Leicester came out with their tales up and were able to sustain a ten or fifteen minute spell of pressure. They had Charlton on the back foot.

Then the unthinkable happened when, on 55 min, Amari’i Bell made the mistake of pulling down his opponent in the box. The resulting penalty threw a lifeline to the desperate home side but when Jordan Ayew sent Kaminski the wrong way his nonchalant strike hit the post. The tension among the home supporters was palpable.

A relieved Charlton, let off the hook. then clawed their way back into possession. On 58 mins, Godden put the ball in the back of the net but it was ruled offside. To see the game out, Nathan Jones chose to make attacking changes, with Sonny Carey, Conor Coady, and Luke Chambers making way for Jayden Fevrier, Conor Coventry, and Tyreece Campbell. These changes in personnel and in formation weren’t as effective as their counterparts in the first half, but Charlton had enough to soak up the pressure and see things out.

The second half was not as encouraging as the first but the match was managed well enough to see out the win and the clean sheet. Anything could have happened today, with Leicester being something of a basket case and Charlton in a poor run of form with little signs of anything changing in recent weeks. Today was just what we all needed. All of the January transplants did well today. I though Coady was a decent, calming presence in the middle, much like Amari’i Bell is on the left. Having Bell back gives us the platform to build on. Dykes and Leaburn, bolstered by a returning Matty Godden, were a handful for the home side to deal with. Returning Greg Docherty battled hard to ensure the win. Lastly, it was the travelling supporters that outdid themselves. They were immense!

Leicester 0 Charlton 2
Over to you.