West Brom 0 Leicester City 1 - Report and pictures

The England international pounced to score the only goal of the game two minutes before half-time following a mistake by Salomon Rondon.

Albion had pressure but struggled to test Kasper Schmeichel, with Chris Brunt bringing the only serious save out of the Leicester keeper.

The Baggies have now failed to score in five consecutive league games for the first time in their history.

Analysis

Tony Pulis’s men have not hit the net in seven of their last eight games and the run is threaten to tarnish a campaign in which they have exceeded expectations.

Results elsewhere mean they remain eighth in the table but clubs are now beginning to queue up behind and the top half finish which looked certain only a few weeks ago is no longer so secure.

In truth they might consider themselves unfortunate to have been beaten here. Vardy, well marshalled for much of the game by Jonny Evans, made the most of his only real chance of the game after Rondon had presented Shinji Okazaki with the ball in the middle of the park.

Albion pressed for a leveller in the second half but never really looked like getting one as the visitors held out for a win which all but ensures their survival.

Albion’s starting XI contained one notable omission in skipper Darren Fletcher. The 33-year-old Scot was on the bench, ending a run of 86 consecutive Premier League starts since joining the Baggies in January 2015.

Allan Nyom came back into the line-up in his place, with James Morrison and and Salomon Rondon replacing injured pair Matt Phillips and Hal Robson-Kanu.

A lively start saw both teams threaten inside the opening two minutes. Leicester keeper Schmeichel was alert to claim Rondon’s header back across goal from a deep Nyom cross, while Danny Drinkwater volleyed wide for the Foxes.

Wilfred Ndidi would then see a shot fly just off target after taking a nick off Jake Livermore, before Chris Brunt brought the first save of the game out of Schmeichel with a header from Jonny Evans’s cross which the keeper pushed over the bar.

In between, Drinkwater was lucky to stay on the pitch after a flying challenge left Nacer Chadli on the ground. The Leicester midfielder had been caught moments before by the swinging arm of Albion defender Craig Dawson and, clearly piqued, then flew into a challenge with Chadli which saw him win the ball but was a little out of control.

With most of the home crowd baying for a red card, referee Mark Clattenburg wasted no time in producing a yellow.

Yet with the game starting to bubble nicely, there was a notable drop in temperature and tempo before Vardy broke the deadlock two minutes prior to the break.

It was a moment to forget for Rondon, who was guilty of presenting Okazaki with the ball in Albion’s half. The Japanese forward’s through ball was swept home first-time by Vardy to put the Foxes ahead.

Rondon, without a goal since mid-December, then almost made amends in the stoppage time but saw his header from a Morrison corner drift wide of the far post.

Okazaki and Vardy almost combined again to increase Leicester’s advantage early in the second half. This time it was the England international who nearly turned provider, with a ball across the six yards box which proved just out of his team-mates reach.

Albion were certainly showing no shortage of effort, yet things were again not clicking for them in the final third. Rondon made good contact with a half volley 20 yards out but sent it straight at Schmeichel, while a goalbound Dawson header from a Chadli corner was unknowingly deflected over by Brunt.

Riyad Mahrez then went close for the visitors, cutting inside Nyom and pulling a shot just wide of the near post.

Pulis introduced both Fletcher and James McClean off the bench in a bid to spark his team. The latter embarked on a strong run which ended in a cross which Schmeichel blocked behind. Another ball from the left was headed straight at the keeper by Morrison as Albion began to build some sustained pressure.

Key moments

18 - Chris Brunt brings the first save of the game out of Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel with a header which the Dane tips over the bar.

43 - GOAL - Jamie Vardy fires the Foxes in front, sweeping home Shinji Okazaki’s through ball after Salomon Rondon loses possession in midfield.

Teams

Albion (4-1-4-1): Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Evans (c), Nyom (McClean 60); Yacob (Fletcher 69), Livermore; Morrison (Leko 79), Brunt, Chadli; Rondon Subs not used: Wilson, Harper, Field, Myhill (gk).

Leicester (4-4-2): Schmeichel (c), Simpson, Benalouane, Huth, Fuchs, Mahrez (King 81), Ndidi, Drinkwater, Albrighton, Okazaki (Ulloa 66), Vardy Subs not used: Chilwell, Amartey, Slimani, Gray, Zieler (gk).