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December 9, 2019

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Home » Sports » Soccer

Vardy fires Foxes to club-record win

Source: AFP | 00:30 UTC+8 December 9, 2019 | Print Edition

Leicester City closed the gap on English Premier League leader Liverpool as Jamie Vardy extended his red-hot streak with a brace in yesterday’s record-breaking 4-1 rout of host Aston Villa.

Brendan Rodgers’ second-placed side moved within eight points of Liverpool, thanks to goals from Vardy, Kelechi Iheanacho and Jonny Evans.

Jack Grealish had reduced the deficit to 2-1 late in the first half, but Leicester cruised to an eighth consecutive top-flight victory, setting a new club record that smashed the previous best from the 1962-63 season.

Vardy has now scored in eight consecutive EPL appearances and is the competition’s top-scorer with 16 goals this term.

The 32-year-old striker’s blistering run has given him a chance of equalling his sequence of scoring in 11 successive matches during Leicester’s 2016 title-winning campaign.

Leicester’s surge up the table, after 12 wins from its last 14 league games, has made it an unexpected title contender again and leaves it in position to qualify for the Champions League.

Juergen Klopp’s men remain heavy title favorites and the acid test of Leicester’s credentials will come with successive fixtures against Manchester City and Liverpool over Christmas.

There was a minute’s applause at Villa Park before kickoff to show respect to former manager Ron Saunders, who guided Villa to the First Division title in 1981 and died on Saturday aged 87.

Newcastle United fought back to make it two straight wins with a 2-1 success at home against Southampton.

Danny Ings gave Southampton a 52nd-minute lead at St James’ Park, the striker running onto Jack Stephens’ long pass to notch his fifth goal in his last five appearances.

But Newcastle was level in the 68th when Jonjo Shelvey headed in substitute Andy Carroll’s cross, giving the midfielder three goals in his last three games.

And Federico Fernandez won it with three minutes left when he tapped in after Sean Longstaff’s long-range effort was fumbled by Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

Newcastle is up to 10th, while Southampton sits third bottom.

Sheffield United came from behind to win 2-1 at second bottom Norwich City.

Norwich took the lead in the 27th through captain Alexander Tettey’s powerful finish for his first EPL goal since 2016.

Enda Stevens equalized for the Blades in the 49th with a header from George Baldock’s cross. And Baldock went from provider to scorer three minutes later when he twisted into space before blasting home.

Chris Wilder’s eighth-placed team thought it had been reduced to 10 men in the 74th. But Chris Basham escaped with a booking after initially being shown the red card for his foul on Kenny McLean before a VAR review.

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