Leicester maintain lead with win against Norwich

Leonardo Ulloa’s 89th-minute goal extended Leicester’s lead at the top of the Premier League to five points and denied Norwich a deserved draw.

Ulloa slid in at the far post to convert Marc Albrighton’s cross at the end of an otherwise limp Foxes display.

Norwich earlier had the better chances, Cameron Jerome heading wide and Nathan Redmond off target from distance.

Leicester had largely been restricted to shots from distance until substitute Ulloa had the final say.

Until the Argentine’s intervention, the Foxes were facing the prospect of losing top spot if either of Arsenal or Tottenham win on Sunday – instead they are guaranteed to remain at the summit with 11 games remaining.

Norwich are still outside the relegation places, but level on points with Newcastle, who have a game in hand.

Stuff of champions?

For so long, Leicester looked likely to be frustrated into a stalemate by a tactically sound Norwich performance and their own lack of guile.

As the Canaries dropped deep, forming a five-man defence when they didn’t have the ball, Leicester looked to the trickery of Riyad Mahrez. As the clock ticked down, he had only managed two shots on target – both from distance, both dealt with by John Ruddy.

Enter Ulloa, who arrived at the back post to convert into an empty net after Albrighton’s low cross had just been tipped past Ruddy.

If champions find a way to win when they are not at their best, then Leicester have hinted at another reason why the Premier League title could be coming their way.

Cruel on the Canaries

It was so cruel on Norwich, who arrived at the King Power with the perfect plan to prevent Leicester from the sort of pacy counter-attacks that have carried them to the top of the league.

Jamie Vardy was given no space behind the defence and was largely anonymous, while the tricky Mahrez, bar a couple of jinking runs, was often crowded out.

But Norwich did not only defend and had opportunities to win it.

Jerome should have scored when he climbed highest to meet a first-half corner, while Redmond fizzed a shot past the post from long-range with home goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel beaten.

BBC