Leicester City booked their place in the EFL Trophy knockout stage with a 2-1 home victory over Walsall on Tuesday 10 November, recovering from an early setback through goals from Josh Lundstram and Will Smallbone. The result at the King Power Stadium gives Leicester a timely cup success before the next stretch of their League One campaign.
How Leicester turned the game around
Walsall struck first, with Dallas scoring in the 10th minute. That threatened to make the final group-stage evening uncomfortable for the hosts, who needed to respond rather than allow the visitors to dictate the match. Leicester did exactly that: Lundstram equalised in the 20th minute and Smallbone completed the turnaround in the 32nd.
Those three first-half goals ultimately decided the contest. Leicester’s official match centre records the final score as 2-1, with Lundstram and Smallbone on the scoresheet for the Foxes and Dallas credited with Walsall’s opener. The match took place at the King Power Stadium, with a 19:00 GMT kick-off. Rather than claiming unverified possession statistics or chances, the clearest account of the evening is the sequence of goals and the result.
What the result means for the EFL Trophy group
Leicester finished their three group matches with six points from two victories and one defeat. Stevenage topped the section with eight points, while Walsall ended with three and Fulham Under-21s with one, according to the final standings shown on Leicester’s official match centre. The top two advanced, meaning the Foxes progressed alongside Stevenage.
That progression matters because the EFL Trophy offers an additional competitive route through the season, separate from the demands of League One. It is also a chance for players to maintain match rhythm and for the club to build momentum. The victory does not determine Leicester’s league position or guarantee a particular knockout opponent; those are separate questions to be settled by the competition’s arrangements.
Leicester had opened their group campaign with a 6-1 victory against Fulham Under-21s, before losing 2-1 away at Stevenage in October. Beating Walsall therefore allowed them to finish the group with a positive record and recover from that setback. It also prevented the final fixture from becoming a damaging end to their cup campaign.
Why the early response mattered
The decisive feature of the evening was the speed of Leicester’s reaction. Conceding after ten minutes could have handed Walsall an opportunity to control the rhythm and force the hosts into increasingly hurried decisions. Instead, Leicester drew level ten minutes later and took the lead before the interval.
That does not mean the performance was flawless or that Leicester dominated every phase. Without a complete verified statistical account, such conclusions would go beyond the evidence. What is certain is that the hosts converted their first-half recovery into a result that secured qualification. In knockout football, resilience after conceding can be as important as an impressive opening spell.
What comes next for Leicester City?
The club’s published fixture list has Leicester travelling to Huddersfield Town in League One on Saturday 21 November, followed by an away match against Blackpool on Tuesday 24 November. Those fixtures will return the focus to league points after the cup win, while the EFL Trophy knockout draw and scheduling will determine the next cup challenge.
For Walsall, the result brought a frustrating conclusion to the group phase. Their early lead showed they could threaten Leicester, but the two goals conceded in the opening half-hour proved decisive. The final table leaves them outside the qualification places.
For Leicester, the headline is straightforward: a difficult start, a swift two-goal response and a place in the next round. Supporters can now look towards the knockout stage knowing the Foxes have earned their place on the pitch, rather than relying on results elsewhere.
Sources and match verification
The result, goalscorers and group standings were checked against Leicester City’s official match centre and the club’s results listing. The wider knockout-stage development was also reported in BBC Sport’s EFL Trophy round-up. All results refer to the completed match on 10 November 2026.