Giveaways are not just for Christmas

CITY HAVE A TENDENCY TO BLOW LEADS - BUT IS THE ISSUE MENTAL OR PHYSICAL?

- By JORDAN BLACKWELL

PEGGED BACK: It was agony at Ashton Gate for the players and manager Martin Chlventes, right BRIGHT START: An excellent first-half performance had City 2-0 ahead

LEICESTER City should have known what was coming and how to deal with it.

Just a few days before their draw at Bristol City, they led 3-0 at halftime at Derby, and while the second half at Pride Park was not especially nervy, neither was it totally comfortable.

City let Derby dominate, and the Rams had 15 shots to their none. City kept the number of big Derby chances down, but in ceding possession and territory, they put themselves in a position where a comeback was much more likely.

It might be assumed then, that once City had established a two-goal halftime lead at Ashton Gate, that they would be ready to shut down Bristol City in the second half.

Instead, they conceded inside 50 seconds and in the end were arguably lucky to come away with a point.

Whether they left their composure in the dressing room or lost it after Mark Sykes pulled one back early in the second period, they did not recover it until Bristol City were level with less than 10 minutes to play.

They panicked in possession. Their 79 per cent pass completion in the first half sunk to just 50 per cent from halftime to Emil Riis’s equaliser. Gifting the ball back to the opposition is a surefire way to concede chances.

Cifuentes’ first change only seemed to harm his team, rather than help them reestablish control.

Jordan James had to come off with injury, but pushing Bobby De Cordova-Reid deeper and bringing Patson Daka on up front did not work.