Leicester City overcomes stubborn Sunderland

Leicester City overcomes stubborn Sunderland

LEICESTER City overcame a stubborn Sunderland side to move eight points clear at the top of the Championship table with their eighth consecutive league win.

James Justin leapt highest at the near post to meet a corner with a towering header to put the hosts ahead early on.

Twice goalkeeper Anthony Patterson pushed Leicester efforts on to the post as they searched for a second before half-time, first foiling Stephy Mavididi before getting a touch on a Kelechi Iheanacho shot.

Sunderland were then controversially denied a penalty kick just before the break, with Wout Faes appearing to bring down Daniel Neil with a sliding tackle.

Patterson continued to frustrate the hosts after the break, with crucial saves from Cesare Casadei, but the Black Cats failed to find an equaliser as they suffered a third consecutive defeat to drop to ninth in the table.

Leicester’s fourth successive home win without conceding a goal – the first time they have achieved the feat since 1973 – is enough to edge them further ahead of second-placed Ipswich Town, who travel to Bristol City on Wednesday.

Another night of celebrations for the Foxes started with a minute’s applause and moment of poignant reflection for the five people, including chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died in a helicopter crash outside the stadium five years ago.

Enzo Maresca’s table-topping Foxes are looking to replicate the first major success the club enjoyed under the stewardship of the late Thai businessman – and his son Aiyawatt, who remains in control of City – which was winning promotion back to the Premier League as Championship title winners in 2014.

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As the fastest side to amass 36 points since the second tier was rebranded as the Championship two decades ago, the Foxes are seven points better off after 13 games than that title-winning side were at the same stage.

Sunderland started strongly, playing with an intense press and daring attacking approach against a side that has quickly become accustomed to dominating possession on their return to the Championship.

Luke O’Nien teed Jack Clarke up for the game’s first chance after seven minutes, but goalkeeper Mads Hermansen did well to block the attempt at the back post.

A Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall corner kick soon after found one-time England international Justin unchallenged to thump his header past Patterson, who went on to deny the Foxes a second goal when he directed a low Mavididi shot on to the post with his foot.

Faes’ attempted block on a Clarke shot called Hermansen into action again at the other end, but it was a header from Jobe Bellingham from the resulting corner kick that should have had the visitors level.

The 18-year-old midfielder – and younger brother of England and Real Madrid star Jude, who is reportedly being scouted by the Spanish giants and his sibling’s former employer Borussia Dortmund – could only balloon his wayward header from six yards over the crossbar and on to the roof of the net.

A fingertip save from Patterson after Iheanacho attempted to angle a shot across the goalkeeper again proved crucial, with the effort coming off the post.

And while the woodwork twice saved the Foxes, the lack of action from referee Keith Stroud when Neil was bundled over spared the hosts from facing a penalty kick in the last minute of the first half.

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Patterson kept Casadei out twice in two minutes after the break to ensure the atmosphere remained tense at a packed King Power Stadium.

Iheanacho went on to curl another Foxes’ chance wastefully wide before he was replaced by former England striker Jamie Vardy.

Sunderland created a number of chances in an attempt to rescue a point, but substitute Abdoullah Ba’s wild effort over the crossbar when aiming at an unguarded net late on summed up their miserable night in front of goal.

“It was a very difficult game. It was the game we expected because we knew that they are a very aggressive team.

“In almost all of the games they have played, they have been man-to-man off the ball, and on the ball they have weapons like Bellingham, [Pierre] Ekwah, Clarke, [Patrick] Roberts on the other side and the goalkeeper is unbelievable.

“I’m very happy and it’s the game I’m most happy with in terms of the way we handled a different kind of game.”

“We believed that we could come here and win this game. Unfortunately, we missed some really good chances, as they did.

“Patterson made two good saves that hit the post, I get that. We are playing against top-quality players with probably a Premier League budget and we have a team that is really young.

“I asked them to go challenge themselves really, and if they want to play in the Premier League some day, to go and see how they got on against these lads – who a lot of them have got lots of Premier League appearances.

“And I thought we competed really well, but probably lacked the composure required at the top end of the pitch to give us maybe what we deserved in the game.”

Leicester City overcomes stubborn Sunderland