Leicester City got their Championship promotion charge back on track with a come-from-behind victory over in-form Norwich at the King Power Stadium.
Gabriel Sara gave the Canaries the lead after 20 minutes and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall responded 13 minutes later from close range.
Stephy Mavididi put Leicester in front after the break with a clever finish after beating Jack Stacey and Jamie Vardy added a third in stoppage time to seal it.
The victory was only the third in eight league games for the Foxes – and put them back on top of the table pending the results in the later games involving Ipswich and Leeds – and it ended a run of three wins in a row for David Wagner’s Norwich.
Norwich went ahead with their first shot of the game as Sara slotted Marcelino Nunez’s corner home from two yards out after Ben Gibson created space at the near post.
But just past the half hour mark, Dewsbury-Hall levelled when Wilfred Ndidi’s deep cross was headed back across goal by Mavididi, and the midfielder nodded home for his first goal in 10 games.
Nerves lifted for for the hosts from then on and moments later, Harry Winks fired straight at Angus Gunn after Abdul Fatawu’s superb driving run and cross from the right.
Norwich almost gifted Leicester a second after the break when Sam McCullum misjudged a header back to Gunn, only for Patson Daka to squander the finish.
The pressure finally told on the hour when Mavididi made it 2-1 after Norwich gave the ball away high up the pitch and Fatawu found Dewsbury-Hall, who returned the earlier favour and set up the winger for his 12th goal of the season.
Norwich were on the ropes, but they almost levelled 20 minutes from time when Stacey cut inside on the right, but his shot went the wrong side of the post.
Vardy came off the bench and made sure of the win at the end, slamming home at the back post after Winks’ effort deflected into his path.
Leicester were back to their dominant, vibrant best after a shaky start, with a return to form for Dewsbury-Hall and Mavididi crucial heading into the run-in and they will be at home again, against Birmingham City, on Saturday, with Norwich hosting Ipwich in the East Anglia derby.
Line-ups
Leicester
Formation 4-3-3
- 30Hermansen
- 21Ricardo PereiraSubstituted forChoudhuryat 85′minutes
- 3Faes
- 23VestergaardBooked at 65mins
- 5Doyle
- 25NdidiSubstituted forPraetat 85′minutes
- 8Winks
- 22Dewsbury-Hall
- 18FatawuSubstituted forJustinat 88′minutes
- 20DakaSubstituted forVardyat 77′minutes
- 10MavididiSubstituted forAkgünat 89′minutes
Substitutes
- 2Justin
- 4Coady
- 9Vardy
- 14Iheanacho
- 17Choudhury
- 26Praet
- 29Akgün
- 40Marçal-Madivadua
- 41Stolarczyk
Norwich
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 28Gunn
- 3Stacey
- 19SørensenSubstituted forDuffyat 10′minutesBooked at 35mins
- 6Gibson
- 15McCallum
- 26NúñezSubstituted forGibbsat 66′minutes
- 23McLean
- 17Gomes Sara
- 10BarnesSubstituted forFassnachtat 66′minutes
- 7Sainz
- 9Sargent
Substitutes
- 8Gibbs
- 12Long
- 14van Hooijdonk
- 16Fassnacht
- 21Batth
- 24Duffy
- 43Welch
- 44Aboh
- 49Serrao Montoia
- Referee:
- Darren Bond
- Attendance:
- 31,825
Live Text
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Match ends, Leicester City 3, Norwich City 1.
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Second Half ends, Leicester City 3, Norwich City 1.
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Offside, Norwich City. Liam Gibbs is caught offside.
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Goal! Leicester City 3, Norwich City 1. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) left footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal.
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Attempt blocked. Harry Winks (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
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Attempt blocked. Harry Winks (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Dennis Praet.
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Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Ben Gibson.
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James Justin (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Borja Sainz (Norwich City).
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Yunus Akgün (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Jack Stacey (Norwich City).
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Jannik Vestergaard (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Josh Sargent (Norwich City).
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Substitution, Leicester City. Yunus Akgün replaces Stephy Mavididi.
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Substitution, Leicester City. James Justin replaces Abdul Fatawu.
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Attempt missed. Hamza Choudhury (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Dennis Praet.
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Foul by Wout Faes (Leicester City).
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Gabriel Sara (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Substitution, Leicester City. Dennis Praet replaces Wilfred Ndidi.
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Substitution, Leicester City. Hamza Choudhury replaces Ricardo Pereira.