Tom Cannon returned to punish Leicester City as he set an in-form Sheffield United on course for a victory that increases the pressure on Foxes manager Marti Cifuentes.
Former Leicester forward Cannon capitalised on chaos in the penalty box in the second minute as the hosts’ failed attempts to deal with a cross gifted the Republic of Ireland international a simple close-range finish.
And just two minutes later, a strike from Callum O’Hare from distance that deflected off Jairo Riedewald put the visitors 2-0 ahead.
Sydie Peck’s volley before the interval meant Leicester had shipped three goals in the opening half for the second match in a row, having done the same in the defeat to Southampton on Tuesday.
Boos echoed around the stadium at half-time but the atmosphere completely changed in the second period as goals from Stephy Mavididi and Jordan James set up a dramatic ending.
Sheffield United stubbornly held on for what is their third consecutive Championship triumph, putting them only four places and five points behind Leicester in 15th position.
The latest defeat is unquestionably another major setback in Cifuentes’ tenure but the worry extends far beyond the man on the touchline.
The points Leicester have built up so far this campaign come with a significant question — will some be taken away through a deduction?
It remains the big uncertainty for the Foxes as they contest a legal case with the Premier League over financial breaches linked to the season they were promoted as Championship champions in 2023-24.
The hearing into the alleged violations has reportedly begun, external, although neither the club nor the governing bodies have officially commented.
Within the broader picture of Leicester needing to tighten their spending, the £10m sale of Cannon to Sheffield United in January meant a goal threat — and arguably a natural heir to iconic striker Jamie Vardy — was moved on to help stabilise the club’s finances.
And with Cifuentes lamenting his team’s lack of goals on Friday, Cannon’s early finish against a side he helped win promotion just two years ago was particularly ironic.
Riedewald and Peck’s goals exposed weaknesses that have troubled the Foxes’ back line throughout the term and highlighted that the Blades under Chris Wilder are suddenly one of the fastest-climbing teams in the Championship.
They had only climbed out of the relegation zone with their midweek triumph against Portsmouth, although they remain just two points clear of danger.
When Mavididi met an Abdul Fatawu cross at the far post to reduce the deficit in the 53rd minute, it was their first shot on target — and one that provided a glimmer of belief.
From that moment, the home side surged forward in search of a comeback, but the powerful strike from James in the 83rd minute was insufficient to rescue anything as United clung on desperately.
‘Embarrassing mistakes’ — Leicester City head coach Marti Cifuentes told BBC Radio Leicester:
“It was below any standard, far from the standards that I want to set for the club.
“It was extremely disappointing how we spoke over the last couple of days about reacting strong after what happened on Tuesday, about the importance of starting on the front foot the first 15 or 20 minutes at home, at our place, and we did just the opposite.
“It was just embarrassing to see some of the mistakes and it was below any kind of standards. It’s very frustrating.
“The main thing that was in my mind [at 2-0 down after four minutes] was that this is not the reaction we had been working on to show to our fans.
“It was very important to get them on board in the first minutes, to show them that what happened on Tuesday was an accident, and again I think was very disappointing to concede another two goals from set plays. But in the first four minutes to go 2-0 down is simply unacceptable.”