London (AFP) – Leicester moved up to third in the Premier League as the Foxes fine form continued with a hard-fought 2-0 win at Crystal Palace thanks to second half goals from Caglar Soyuncu and Jamie Vardy.
Brendan Rodgers’s men smashed Southampton 9-0 last Friday, but were made to work much harder for all three points by a resilient Palace.
Soyuncu’s stooping header from James Maddison’s corner just before the hour mark made the breakthrough and Vardy’s hot streak continued when he finished off an excellent team move two minutes from time.
Leicester edge ahead of Chelsea on goal difference and six points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal, who they host next weekend, in the battle for a top four finish.
Vardy had the best opportunity of an uninspired first half when a wonderful Maddison pass freed the former England international in behind, but he could not force the ball beyond Vicente Guaita from a narrow angle.
Set-pieces seemed the most likely source of a goal for either side early on and Jonny Evans headed the first warning shot from the visitors looping just over moments later.
Vardy was then inches away from latching onto a brilliant defence-splitting pass from Youri Tielemans, but it was the hosts who threatened first after the break.
Cheikhou Kouyate’s cross picked out Jordan Ayew, but the Ghanaian could not make contact as the ball flashed across goal.
At the other end Evans threatened again when he met a Maddison corner with a towering header that Guaita turned over the bar.
However, from the resulting corner, Leicester made the breakthrough when Soyuncu stooped to head home.
Palace have scored just four goals in their first six home games of the season and their lack of a goal threat was clear as they probed for an equaliser without ever forcing Kasper Schmeichel into a serious save.
Leicester then produced one of the few real moments of quality in the game to seal all three points when Vardy played a one-two with substitute Demarai Gray before drilling into the bottom corner with his left foot.
