Leicester City manager Matty Sifuentes praised the team's tenacity and resilience in their 2-1 victory over Derby County. Bobby de Cordova-Reid and Jordan James scored before and after Ryan Brewster's goal, helping the team to cap off 2025 with a crucial win.  

After two disappointing defeats around Christmas, Leicester City have a chance to get back on track, currently sitting 12th in the Championship table.  

After the match, Matti Sifuentes said, "I am very pleased with the players because they showed great determination and fighting spirit, and defeated the derby team again. The atmosphere in these kinds of matches is very important. I must admit that the atmosphere today was impressive."  

“I want to thank our fans because their support has been invaluable during this difficult time for the club. I also want to thank the players for their hard work and the fans for their continued encouragement.”  

Winning the derby and halting the decline in form was of great significance to the manager. He attributed the team's positive response after being tied by Derby County at the King Power Stadium to the team's outstanding performance. Despite Hamza Choudhury and Aaron Ramsey having to leave the field early, the manager was pleased with the victory thanks to key contributions from substitutes and academy players.  

He said: "This is indeed very crucial, especially after a challenging and disappointing period for the whole team. The recent games have been frustrating, but I believe the players are showing through their actions that they take the games very seriously."  

“There is a team that is trying its best to play at its best. Of course, they can't be perfect in every game. We know very well, especially in this league, that you have to give your all in every game, but I think everyone understands the nature of the game. We played well in the first half and had a very good start.”  

"It was disappointing to be equalized so quickly after the first goal, but I think the team responded very well afterwards. In the second half, I was very satisfied with the performance of the substitutes; they played exceptionally well after coming on."  

“It’s obvious that Hamza Choudhury and Aaron Ramsey are unavailable due to injury, which is a bit disappointing. These kinds of situations are inevitable during a tight schedule, but hopefully their injuries aren’t serious. I’m happy to see many academy players get playing time, and I’m very pleased with the performance of the substitutes.”