James Justin netted twice as Leicester triumphed 6-2 over Championship side QPR in an eight-goal thriller at a foggy King Power Stadium to advance to the FA Cup fourth round.
Stephy Mavididi, Facundo Buonanotte, and Jamie Vardy also found the back of the net for Leicester, who were coming off a five-match losing streak in the Premier League.
Justin opened the scoring, poking home a curling free-kick from Buonanotte at close range. QPR equalized through a superb long-range strike from Jonathan Varane, but Leicester regained the lead when Mavididi sidefooted in from Bilal El Khannouss’ low cross.
El Khannouss turned provider again three minutes later, crossing for Buonanotte to head home powerfully from six yards. Rayan Kolli pulled one back for QPR just before halftime after capitalizing on a loose pass from Harry Winks.
Leicester restored their two-goal advantage early in the second half when Harrison Ashby handled in the area, allowing Vardy to score from the penalty spot on his 38th birthday. Justin added his second with a well-placed angled shot into the bottom corner, before Wout Faes sealed the win with a stunning long-range strike in stoppage time.
The FA Cup fourth-round draw will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer following the conclusion of Arsenal v Manchester United on Sunday at 15:00 GMT.
Foxes Boost Confidence with Big Win
Although Leicester’s precarious Premier League position may have pushed the FA Cup down their priority list, this convincing victory should provide a much-needed confidence boost.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, an FA Cup winner with Manchester United in 2004, had emphasized his commitment to the competition, making only three changes to the side that was defeated by Aston Villa in the Premier League last weekend.
QPR, in contrast, made six changes to the team that beat Luton in the Championship, having won six of their last 10 games.
The match was played in dense fog, which lingered over the stadium until the final moments, reducing visibility.
QPR, sitting 13th in the Championship, fought hard in the first half, leveling the score after Justin’s opener with Varane’s stunning strike. However, they faded in the second half, as Leicester showed their Premier League quality, particularly through the energetic El Khannouss.
Kolli’s late first-half goal briefly kept QPR’s hopes alive, but Vardy’s penalty early in the second half deflated the visitors, who never looked like recovering.
This was Leicester’s first six-goal performance of the season, and it comes at a crucial time ahead of their Premier League clash with fellow strugglers Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
For QPR, the result marked their 52nd FA Cup third-round defeat, the most by any team in the competition’s history.