Leicester City arrived in League One with a jolt, a decade on from their famous Premier League win, as Notts County held the Foxes to a thrilling opening-day draw.

Connor Grant earned the Magpies the share of the points with a cool finish after Emile Acquah initially hit the post from close range.

The late equaliser cancelled out the fine first-time finish from Jayden Joseph which appeared to have Leicester on the way to victory.

While Leicester are favourites for promotion under Russell Martin this season, the Magpies showed just how hard the Foxes will have to work to make just their second season in England's third tier in their 142-year history another one-term excursion.

Notts themselves are back in League One after an 11-year absence, having plunged to the non-league depths in that time, but were bright throughout against their more distinguished opponents and hit the woodwork in each half while carving out numerous other chances.

Likewise, Leicester threatened a number of times but it was not until 20-year-old Joseph came up with his first senior goal for the Foxes that the one-time Premier League champions managed to break the Magpies resistance.

And still, the hosts refused to yield with Grant finding himself ideally placed to finish the chance Acquah so nearly thumped home himself with a diving header.

A summer clear-out of underperforming big earners after successive relegations - including the sale of former England international Harry Winks, the release Zambia forward Patson Daka and mutual agreement to terminate Danish defender Jannik Vestergaard's contract – meant that just three players that started the draw against Hull City in April that consigned the Foxes to the drop started against the Magpies.

Still, the Foxes could call on Australia international Harry Souttar to captain the side despite the defender being the subject of intense transfer interest, with Sheffield United and Wrexham both chasing his signature.

There is also a new look to the Magpies, who offloaded their top two scorers last season – Alassana Jatta and Matthew Dennis – while there was again no sign of injured Jodi Jones, the winger whose virtuoso performance in the play-off final against Salford City inspired Notts to their 3-0 win at Wembley.

And Notts started the better, with Cal Roberts sending a dipping effort just over the target, while Ollie Cooper was only denied when his slide tackle on goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, as the once-capped England international tried to frantically clear from six yards out, deflected the ball off underside of the bar.

Leicester improved after surviving the early onslaught, and Bobby Cordova-Reid twice threatened while Sammy Braybrooke sent their best chance of the first 45 minutes harmlessly wide from close range.

While De Cordova-Reid managed to beat Notts goalkeeper James Belshaw with a dinked shot on the counter attack soon after the break, Nick Tsaroulla hacked the danger away.

Both sides racked up the chances after that, with Lucas Ness squandering a gift of an opening when faced with a one-on-one opportunity after intercepting a sloppy pass from McCarthy.

The goals, however, were contained to the final half hour of the hectic first meeting of the regional neighbours for 32 years, with Joseph breaking the deadlock before the packed home contingent in the sold-out crowd of 17,172 at Meadow Lane were given a euphoric ending with Grant netting with nine minutes remaining.

It was only a decade ago that the Foxes were basking in the famous 5,000-1 Premier League title win and getting ready to embark on its first and only Champions League campaign.

And when the Foxes lifted the FA Cup for the first time in their history in 2021, they were still a side enjoying a golden age in their history.

That was just five years ago, and four divisions separated them and Notts County - a club that was still trying to fight its way out of the National League at the time.

How times have changed. The Foxes have flailed in recent years, dropping to the third tier where they spent a solitary season 2008-09 but promotion, and the League One title that term, preceded the transformative takeover by the Srivaddhanaprabha family through their King Power duty-free empire in 2010.

But this stint in the division could be what ends the 16-year union – which, before the run of three relegations in the past four seasons, was dreamlike at times - with the club now up for sale.

A price tag of more than £200m has been placed on the club that has tumbled down the divisions, but could history once again repeat itself with this League One foray being the reset that leads to fresh, ambitious investment?