Leicester City climbed to second in the Premier League as they won a keenly contested encounter with fellow top-four hopefuls Southampton at King Power Stadium.
James Maddison fired in from a tight angle after 37 minutes, the Foxes midfielder instructing his team-mates to stand back as he performed a socially distanced celebration, before Harvey Barnes added a second deep into second-half stoppage-time.
Victory takes Leicester within one point of leaders Manchester United, who travel to third-placed Liverpool on Sunday, while Southampton are eighth, three points outside the top four.
The Saints dominated in the opening stages and created the first opening when Che Adams stretched the home defence on the counter-attack, while Leicester’s Barnes’ powerful drive forced Alex McCarthy into action with the game’s first shot after 19 minutes.
The visitors, without talisman Danny Ings after the striker tested positive for Covid-19 last week, went close to a response through Ryan Bertrand and Will Smallbone either side of half-time but neither could find a way past Kasper Schmeichel.
In an entertaining conclusion, Stuart Armstrong rattled the Leicester crossbar with an excellent strike from the edge of the penalty area, while Jan Bednarek produced a superb goalline clearance to deny Barnes and the returning McCarthy saved from Jamie Vardy as both sides pushed for a late goal.
It took Leicester until the 95th minute to seal the three points, Barnes calmly slotting past McCarthy on the break.
More to follow.
Player of the match
SchmeichelKasper Schmeichel
Leicester City
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Squad number1Player nameSchmeichel
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Squad number15Player nameBarnes
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Squad number10Player nameMaddison
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Squad number2Player nameJustin
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Squad number11Player nameAlbrighton
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Squad number8Player nameTielemans
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Squad number25Player nameNdidi
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Squad number6Player nameEvans
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Squad number4Player nameSöyüncü
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Squad number27Player nameCastagne
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Squad number9Player nameVardy
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Squad number3Player nameFofana
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Squad number17Player nameAyoze Pérez
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Squad number14Player nameIheanacho
Line-ups
Leicester
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Schmeichel
- 27Castagne
- 3FofanaBooked at 15minsSubstituted forSöyüncüat 53′minutes
- 6Evans
- 2Justin
- 25Ndidi
- 8Tielemans
- 11AlbrightonBooked at 45mins
- 10MaddisonSubstituted forPérezat 77′minutes
- 15Barnes
- 9VardySubstituted forIheanachoat 90+1′minutes
Substitutes
- 4Söyüncü
- 12Ward
- 14Iheanacho
- 17Pérez
- 18Amartey
- 19Ãœnder
- 21Ricardo Pereira
- 24Mendy
- 33Thomas
Southampton
Formation 4-4-2
- 1McCarthy
- 2Walker-Peters
- 35Bednarek
- 5Stephens
- 3BertrandBooked at 59mins
- 17Armstrong
- 27DialloBooked at 44minsSubstituted forValeryat 87′minutes
- 8Ward-Prowse
- 20SmallboneSubstituted forN’Lunduluat 61′minutes
- 32Walcott
- 10AdamsSubstituted forLongat 72′minutes
Substitutes
- 7Long
- 18Valery
- 29Vokins
- 40N’Lundulu
- 44Forster
- 47Ferry
- 62Tchaptchet
- 65Watts
- 72Chauke
Live Text
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Match ends, Leicester City 2, Southampton 0.
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Second Half ends, Leicester City 2, Southampton 0.
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Goal! Leicester City 2, Southampton 0. Harvey Barnes (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Youri Tielemans following a fast break.
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Attempt missed. Stuart Armstrong (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right following a corner.
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Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Çaglar Söyüncü.
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Shane Long (Southampton) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Marc Albrighton (Leicester City).
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Substitution, Leicester City. Kelechi Iheanacho replaces Jamie Vardy.
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Offside, Leicester City. Marc Albrighton tries a through ball, but Ayoze Pérez is caught offside.
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Attempt missed. Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Marc Albrighton.
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Substitution, Southampton. Yan Valery replaces Ibrahima Diallo.
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Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Alex McCarthy.
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Attempt saved. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by James Justin.
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Attempt missed. Daniel N’Lundulu (Southampton) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Kyle Walker-Peters with a cross.
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Offside, Leicester City. Timothy Castagne tries a through ball, but Ayoze Pérez is caught offside.
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Attempt blocked. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ayoze Pérez with a cross.
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Foul by James Ward-Prowse (Southampton).
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Marc Albrighton (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Attempt missed. James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Stuart Armstrong.
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Substitution, Leicester City. Ayoze Pérez replaces James Maddison.
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