Leicester relegated to League One, 10 years on from Premier League triumph

Ollie McBurnie celebrates scoring the equaliser. Photograph: Andy Sumner/Focus Images Ltd/Shutterstock

Then calamity arrived for Leicester. When McBurnie’s pressing put Begovic under pressure in his penalty area, the goalkeeper played a ludicrously careless and misdirected no-look pass in the direction of Jamaal Lascelles. The ball missed its intended target and Millar was on hand to curl a smart finish inside the far post. The away fans, who had already been chanting “You’re going down with the Wednesday” raised the volume still further.

Leicester were exposed again when a classy diagonal pass from Mohamed Belloumi found Millar in space on Hull’s left, but the Canada international blazed over after cutting in on his right foot. Six minutes before the break Leicester’s best chance yet arrived when a diving Daka deflected a cross from Luke Thomas agonisingly wide. A flicked effort by Hull’s Matt Crooks, just before the break, was repelled - narrowly keeping Leicester’s impossible dream alive.

What seemed an unlikely victory would still leave Leicester relying on a far-fetched set of results to save them come the end of the season. Still, the mood profoundly changed soon after half-time. A corner was taken short to Abdul Fatawu and Lewis Koumas, a half-time substitute for Hull’s Belloumi, clipped his opponent: penalty for Leicester and a potential lifeline.

James, having been made to wait a while, confidently drilled in his 11th goal of the season from the penalty spot and the home fans, suddenly, started to believe. Even more so when a flying Thomas volleyed in their second goal two minutes later. A furious Jakirovic was sent off by the referee, Thomas Kirk, as home fans celebrated the second goal.

When Winks appeared as a substitute for James, on the hour mark, the boos were nearly as deafening as the cheers had been for Leicester’s goals. The mood darkened even more when McBurnie capitalised on more generous home defending to slam in an equaliser for Hull, a high-quality assist coming from Millar. The visitors continued to look the more likely side to score, Semi Ajayi nodding just wide from a corner and the Foxes defence generally being by far the busier.

Aaron Ramsey, on for Skipp, was one of several Leicester players to threaten the visitors’ goal in a fraught finale. With five minutes left Ivor Pandur, the Hull goalkeeper, scythed down Daka on the edge of the area, bringing a yellow card, but Leicester failed to capitalise on the set piece. Two wins out of 20 league matches in 2026? It was always relegation form.