Matti Sifuentes praised the team's fighting spirit in the match against West Bromwich Albion.

Matti Sifuentes praised Leicester City's tenacity against West Bromwich Albion, noting their late surge to secure three points. At the King Power Stadium, Abdel Fattah al-Fatou scored a crucial stoppage-time goal to give his team a 2-1 victory.  

Jordan Ayew opened the scoring for his team early in the game. Karan Grant then equalized, and the match seemed destined to end in a draw. However, Abdul Fattah al-Farouq scored the winning goal in the final moments, his fifth league goal of the season.  

"It always feels great to score the winning goal and take three points in the final moments of a game, especially when the goal is spectacular," said Matti Sifuentes. "The players deserve a lot of credit; they persevered until the very last moment and gave their all to finish the game."  

“I am very happy for Abdul Fatau because he had some cramps before this attack, but he still persevered and fought hard in the last few minutes of the game. This shows that when players believe in themselves and the team has a spirit of unity, hard work will pay off.”  

"We had a good start to the game, especially in the first few minutes when we controlled possession and the team worked well together. But then we ran into difficulties and our performance dipped, which is something we need to improve. During halftime, we discussed the areas that need strengthening, and our performance in the second half was still lacking."  

“We gave our opponents a lot of chances, and the only thing worth praising is that the whole team stayed united. They gave it their all and showed a tenacious defensive spirit when necessary, but we did go through a very difficult period. Although it feels good to win with this goal, what I value most is still the team's unity.”  

While this wasn't the performance Matty Sifuentes had hoped for, he was pleased with the victory in his first home game of 2026. The win also helped Leicester City secure their second consecutive home victory, moving them into the top half of the Championship table, just four points behind the top six.  

The team has won three of their four home games so far, but the Spanish manager also admitted that recovering from the New Year's Day away defeat to Sheffield United was crucial. That was the team's fourth game in 11 days, and he said the team showed tenacity and fighting spirit, ultimately holding onto the victory, with goalkeeper Jakub Storáček making several key saves.  

Matti Sifuentes said: "I am very happy for goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczek, who is still very young. He has been improving since he joined the team. This performance is especially important for him after the previous games."  

“We are delighted with his outstanding performance in the penalty area, where he made several brilliant saves. Overall, his performance was widely recognized. It was crucial to quickly turn the tide and secure another three points in front of the fans. I am very grateful to the fans who came to support us on this cold night.”  

"Hopefully, this winning goal will bring the team home with three points. We must seriously reflect on ourselves and identify areas for improvement. But at the same time, we must acknowledge the players' efforts in winning these three points. This is very important, and maintaining consistency at home is crucial. We hope to perform at a higher level, but we are currently in a phase where a large number of young players are entering the team. We are aware of our situation, but that doesn't mean we should ignore the areas that need improvement."