Blackburn 1 – 4 Leicester
Leicester moved top of the Championship with a fourth consecutive victory by beating Blackburn 4-1 at Ewood Park.
The Foxes hold a four-point lead over third-placed Preston, who they host on Wednesday live on the Sky Sports Football Red Button, while Blackburn have now lost three in a row.
Wout Faes headed Leicester into a fourth-minute lead but Blackburn equalised just five minutes later through Sammie Szmodics. However, Jamie Vardy restored their advantage with a superb volley that crashed into the roof of the net.
Blackburn saw Szmodics twice shoot off target in the second half before Leicester wrapped up the points in the final 10 minutes, substitute Kelechi Iheanacho netting a penalty and then Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall finishing clinically.
How Leicester hammered Blackburn
Wout Faes celebrates after giving Leicester an early lead at Blackburn
Faes gave Leicester the perfect start, heading in from Issahaku Fatawu’s inswinging cross after a short corner.
But the visitors soon gave away their lead when goalkeeper Mads Hermanser played Harry Winks into trouble from a goal-kick inside his own box. Lewis Travis poked the ball off him and it came to Szmodics, who could hardly miss from close range and found the bottom right corner.
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Sammie Szmodics draws Blackburn level against Leicester with a neat finish into the bottom corner
Blackburn then saw Andrew Moran volley wide before Szmodics shot straight at Hermanser although Leicester also went close when Vardy clipped the crossbar with a volley and Dewsbury-Hall shot over from inside the box.
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Leicester take the lead again against Blackburn as Jamie Vardy hits a superb strike into the far top corner with his left foot
Vardy soon restored their lead in style by controlling instantly from Wilfred Ndidi’s right-wing cross and then slamming a left-footed volley high into the net.
Szmodics shot wide from a free-kick and volleyed over from inside the box at the start of the second half while Blackburn goalkeeper Aynsley Pears was forced off through injury.
Kelechi Iheanacho celebrates after extending Leicester’s lead against Blackburn from the penalty spot
His replacement Mads Hermansen went the wrong way for Iheanacho’s late penalty after Jannik Vestergaard had been pulled down by Hayden Carter in the box.
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Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall lifts the ball over the keeper after getting on the end of Yunus Akgun’s ball
Nor could he keep out Dewsbury-Hall’s clever finish at the end of a swift move that featured player of the match Ndidi and Yunus Akgun, who laid on the assist.
What’s next?
Blackburn visit Coventry on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports Football via the Red Button. Kick-off 7.45pm. They then travel to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, kick-off 3pm.
Leicester host third-placed Preston North End on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports Football via the Red Button. Kick-off 7.45pm. They then host Stoke City on Saturday in the Championship. Kick-off 3pm.
