Report: Saints fall to first-half Foxes double
Southampton suffered a disappointing defeat at the hands of Leicester City, who ended their barren run at the King Power Stadium with two first-half goals without reply.
On a frustrating afternoon against the Foxes, the goals of elder statesmen Jamie Vardy and Jordan Ayew extended Saints’ winless run to 11 games.
The result simultaneously ended Leicester’s own 11-game run without a victory in the Premier League, as Saints’ search for one more point to pass Derby County’s record-low tally goes on.
Interim Manager Simon Rusk fielded an unchanged side from the cruel, late defeat against Fulham a week earlier, which meant that striker Ross Stewart started consecutive matches for the first time.
Saints on the road at Leicester. (Photos: Matt Watson)
With both sides’ fate already sealed, there was a chance for a welcome return to winning ways up for grabs with four games of the Premier League campaign remaining.
There were early half chances at both ends as Kasey McAteer jinked past Ryan Manning and delivered a teasing cross that bounced out, before Kamaldeen saw a shot well-blocked with his first attempt.
A Taylor Harwood-Bellis header from a corner followed, which was comfortably gathered by Jakub Stolarczyk, before the early tide eventually turned in the East Midlands.
Leicester’s poor form going forward had meant their last league goal at home was on December 8th, just shy of five months ago, but that was ended in the 17th minute to the long-awaited relief of the home crowd.
The lively Bilal El Khannouss darted down the left wing and delivered a low cross into the area, which was swept home powerfully at close range by Vardy in trademark fashion.
It was the talismanic striker’s 144th career goal in the Premier League, and his first since his recent departure announcement after a 13 years at Leicester - a rather fitting goalscorer to break the King Power drought.
The game took a bizarre turn less than five minutes later when referee David Webb, on his Premier League debut, was forced off after going down injured with the game restarted some 12 minutes later.
An injury, and change in referee, delayed proceedings momentarily.
After the lengthy delay, the hosts continued in the ascendancy as McAteer sent in another dangerous delivery that reached Luke Thomas for a shot that was deflected over.
Chances remained limited between the league’s bottom two sides, but it was Leicester who extended their lead in the 40th minute.
A free kick on the edge of the box from Ayew was initially deflected, but the Ghanaian struck the bouncing, rebounded ball low into the bottom left corner with an unsighted Aaron Ramsdale unable to reach it at full stretch.
Another chance before the break fell to McAteer, who was denied by Ramsdale on an angle, as the first half ended with Leicester two goals to the good.
The second period, unfortunately for Saints, was fairly similar as the Foxes were buoyed by the scoreline and sensed a victory was in their hands.
El Khannouss produced a clever nutmeg inside the area to fashion space to shoot, but curled his effort over the crossbar to continue the attacking threat.
There was momentary celebration in the away end when half-time substitute Paul Onuachu’s saved header was tapped in on the rebound by Mateus Fernandes, only for the offside flag to deny Saints’ Portuguese midfielder.
Fernandes' goal was quickly chalked off by the offside flag.
Simon Rusk responded by ringing the changes, four in total before the hour mark, but it was Leicester who continued to look the more likely to score.
A driving run from James Justin started a dangerous move, but the hosts were unable to fashion a shot as the ball was eventually worked between Vardy and Thomas on the edge of the penalty area.
Wilfred Ndidi flashed a shot wide from a corner, and Vardy saw a penalty appeal waved away whilst chasing his own rebounded effort, as the game entered the closing stages.
There was almost an impressive third for Leicester late on when El Khannous charged forward from the halfway line to the edge of the Saints box, but he dragged his shot just wide of the post for his final action of the game.
The defeat keeps Southampton on 11 points, with three more games remaining to move themselves away from an unwanted place in the history books at the foot of the table.
Leicester City: Stolarczyk, Justin, Faes, Coady, Thomas, Ndidi, Skipp (Golding 90+4’), El Khannouss (Soumaré 84’), Ayew (Monga 70’), McAteer (Evans 84’), Vardy (c) (Daka 85’).
Subs not used: Iversen, Okoli, Kristiansen, Coulibaly.
Goals: Vardy (17’), Ayew (44’).
Yellow Cards: Skipp (68’).
Saints: Ramsdale, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens (c) (Dibling 46’), Manning, Downes, Ugochukwu (Archer 79’), Fernandes (Smallbone 57’), Kamaldeen (Robinson 57’), Stewart (Onuachu 46’).
Subs not used: McCarthy, Wood, Bree, Aribo.
Yellow Cards: Sulemana (52’), Ugochukwu (65’), Harwood-Bellis (75’).
Referee: David Webb (Sam Barrott 33’).
