Patson Daka’s 39th-minute goal has given Leicester City a 1-0 half-time lead over the Blues at Portman Road.

Town made five changes from the team which beat Hull City 1-0 on Tuesday, switching back to the side which beat Swansea City 3-0 last weekend.

Jacob Greaves, Jack Taylor, Sindre Walle Egeli, Jack Clarke and George Hirst dropped to the bench with Leif Davis, Dan Neil, Wes Burns, Anis Mehmeti and Ivan Azon returning to the XI.

Leicester City made one change from the team which lost 2-0 at home to Norwich in midweek with Divine Mukasa moving to the bench and Stephy Mavididi replacing him.

Hamza Choudhury was back among the subs after injury, along with Jordan James and Jamaal Lascelles, who returned to first-team action from the bench against the Canaries.

Town started on the front foot and in the second minute Neil cleverly fed in fellow January recruit Mehmeti on the left of the area but Abdul Fatawu somehow managed to dispossess the Albanian international while stumbling and Foxes skipper Ricardo cleared the danger.

Leicester will feel they should have gone in front in the fifth minute when Neil scuffed the ball to Harry Winks just outside the area and the midfielder, who played under Town boss Kieran McKenna in Tottenham’s academy, hit a low shot which Christian Walton uncomfortably forced over the bar with his trailing legs while diving to his right.

Two minutes later, Mavididi scuffed wide from not far outside the box, before Cedric Kipre played a dangerous ball across the box at the other end but too far in front of Azon.

Leicester continued to see a fair bit of the ball with the Blues giving away possession all too easily and too often.

Town began to regain their composure and in the 19th minute Foxes left-back Luke Thomas was yellow-carded for pulling back Burns as the Wales international looked to burst away down the right.

On 21, after good work from Neil, Azon played in Mehmeti on the left of the box but Ricardo turned it behind for a corner. Following the flag-kick, Neil had an opportunity to either shoot or lift to the far post but instead tamely found Leicester keeper Jakub Stolarczyk’s arms.

Five minutes later, Town showed more shakiness when passing out from the back, Kipre playing the ball into a space and finding only Oliver Skipp, Blues captain Dara O’Shea eventually heading a very dangerous Fatawu ball in from the right over beyond the back post.

From the resultant corner, Town were fortunate not to concede a penalty, Davis having shoved over Caleb Okoli after the two had initially clashed for the ball, referee John Busby waving away the Italian centre-half’s protests.

As the game reached the half hour, Azor Matusiwa’s left-footed shot deflected over and from the resultant corner the Blues will feel they should have gone ahead.

Nunez whipped the ball over from the left to the far post and an unmarked O’Shea nodded down and into the stanchion at the bottom of the side-netting. The Irish international was clearly very frustrated with himself.

On 32, O’Shea shot over from distance, then three minutes later Burns was booked for a foul on Fatawu after Neil had lost the ball in the Leicester half and the Foxes had broken at pace.

The Foxes kept the ball in the final third following the free-kick and Okoli hooked a shot from just inside the area to Walton, who was untroubled.

However, six minutes before the end of the half, the Foxes took the lead. After referee Busby had adjudged Daka to have been fouled by either Matusiwa or Darnell Furlong on the left, a decision which looked harsh at best, Thomas whipped the ball in and Daka swept a shot past Walton on the volley to send the away fans wild.

A Leicester goal wasn’t a huge surprise given the Blues’ scruffy half, even if the free-kick had been very debatable, as the Sir Bobby Robson Stand were quick to point out to referee Busby, hardly a favourite official with the Town crowd even prior to today’s game.

Davis felt he should have won a penalty in the 42nd minute when he burst into the left of the area chasing a bouncing ball but lost out to Ricardo. Referee Busby was probably right to wave away the protests on that occasion.

On 44, Mehmeti’s shot was saved by Stolarczyk, who was then penalised for holding onto the ball for too long, referee Busby awarding a corner to the Blues, which came to nothing.

A frustrating half for Town, who had rarely looked at their most fluent and had made mistakes in possession throughout, both in their own half and when in promising attacking positions at the other end. Aside from O’Shea’s header, they created few other opportunities of note.

Leicester had only once tested Walton prior to the goal, despite having had opportunities to cause the keeper more problems, usually after the Blues had lost possession.

Town, losing at half-time at home for the first time this season, will have to come from behind to win for the first time since April 2024 if they’re to maintain their winning run.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Davis, Matusiwa, Neil, Burns, Nunez, Mehmeti, Azon. Subs: Palmer, Greaves, Taylor, Cajuste, McAteer, Walle Egeli, Clarke, Akpom, Hirst. 

Leicester: Stolarczyk, Ricardo, Okoli, Nelson, Thomas, Winks, Skipp, Fatawu, De Cordova-Reid, Mavididi, Daka. Subs: French, Aluko, Lascelles, Choudhury, Aribo, James, Richards, Mukasa, Ayew. Referee: John Busby (Oxfordshire).

Photo: Matchday Images