Former champions Leicester City dodged a giant-killing, beating sixth-tier Oxford City 4-2 at the MGroup Stadium to book their FA Cup second-round spot.
Leicester City avoided one of the FA Cup's classic banana skins, beating sixth-tier Oxford City 4-2 at the MGroup Stadium to move into the second round.
The Foxes, now playing in League One, were far from comfortable. Oxford City scored twice and gave the visitors plenty to think about, with the gulf of several divisions looking a lot smaller than it does on paper. In the end Leicester's quality and composure got them over the line.
For a club that lifted this trophy in 2021, an exit at this stage would have been a painful embarrassment. Instead, Leicester kept their heads when the home side pushed, and the four goals they scored were enough to secure progress.
The result is a reminder of why the first round is so loved. Non-league sides can turn up and trouble much bigger names, and even in defeat Oxford City will take pride in a performance that made a former winner work for its place in the next round. Leicester now wait for the second-round draw, knowing they will need to be sharper to go further.
