LONDON: Leicester City underlined their Premier League top-four credentials as goals by Caglar Soyuncu and Jamie Vardy sealed a clinical 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace yesterday.
Soyuncu, who has replaced centre back Harry Maguire this season, broke the deadlock when he headed in James Maddison’s 57th-minute corner for his first Leicester goal.
Leicester never looked like relinquishing their lead and Vardy added some late gloss with his 10th goal of the season.
As impressive as last week’s 9-0 win at 10-man Southampton was, Sunday’s display was perhaps more meaningful in terms of Leicester’s ambitions this season.
Palace could have gone fifth with a win but Leicester were in control throughout and thoroughly deserved a third successive league victory to put them back above Chelsea into third place on goal difference with 23 points from 11 games.
They are only two points behind champions Manchester City, who are in second place, and six above fifth-placed Arsenal.
While Leicester’s slick attack has made the headlines in the past week, they have conceded only eight goals in the league this season and keeper Kasper Schmeichel had a quiet day.
What is more, in terms of Premier League wins since Brendan Rodgers took over after the sacking of Claude Puel eight months ago, only Liverpool and Man City have won more league games.
Later in the day, Cenk Tosun’s stoppage-time header earned Everton a 1-1 home draw against Tottenham Hotspur in a match overshadowed by a bad-looking injury to Everton midfielder Andre Gomes.
Tottenham, still without an away league win since January, moved into 11th spot in the standings with Everton in 17th.
Dele Alli’s goal just past the hour mark appeared to have ended Tottenham’s long wait for a Premier League away win.
Spurs were reduced to 10 men in the 79th minute when Son Heung-min’s tackle on Gomes resulted in the Portuguese midfielder suffering what looked to be a bad leg injury.
South Korean forward Son looked distraught as he realised the extent of the injury to Gomes who was carried off on a stretcher after a lengthy delay.
Alli fired low past home keeper Jordan Pickford in the 63rd minute of a drab game after former Arsenal player Alex Iwobi’s misplaced pass had gifted possession to Son.
Everton were denied a penalty when the ball appeared to inadvertently brush against Alli’s hand as he challenged for an aerial ball but after a three-minute delay for a VAR check referee Martin Atkinson did not award the hosts a spot kick.
Substitute Tosun denied Tottenham victory when he headed home deep into the time added on for the Gomes injury.
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