Iheanacho extends scoring run as Leicester strengthen hold on third

LEICESTER: Red-hot striker Kelechi Iheanacho scored an 11th goal in his last eight games in all competitions as Leicester City tightened their grip on a Champions League spot poured more misery on woeful West Bromwich Albion with an emphatic 3-0 Premier League win on Thursday.

Brendan Rodgers’ men were wobbling after losing their previous two top-flight matches but produced a dazzling attacking display against the insipid visitors at the King Power Stadium. Jamie Vardy and Jonny Evans were also on target for the home side, who strengthened their hold on third place with 59 points from 32 games, four clear of fourth-placed Chelsea and West Ham United.

Second-bottom West Brom look as though they will be playing Championship football next season having been unable to make up ground on those above of them. They are nine points from the safety zone with six matches remaining.

FA Cup finalists Leicester did the hard work in the first half with a performance full of pace and guile, one that earns them a first Premier League win since a 5-0 home success against Sheffield United in mid-March.

“It was a good win, any win is a big win. Our intensity was really good in the first half hour. I wasn’t happy at half time as our passing wasn’t good enough,” Leicester manager Rodgers told BT Sport. “I am not thinking about the other teams, we have to think about ourselves. We can only control ourselves.”

Vardy had not netted in his previous 11 games but opened the scoring in the 23rd minute. Youri Tielemans’ pinpoint through-ball put Timothy Castagne in acres of space and he teed up Vardy for an easy finish as he ended his longest run without a goal for the club since 2016.

Defender Evans doubled the home side’s lead against his former club in the 26th minute when he headed in Tielemans’ corner.

Iheanacho continued his fine form, making it 3-0 when he collected Vardy’s pass and fired past Sam Johnstone nine minutes before the break.

The second half lacked the intensity of the opening period as West Brom performed a damage limitation exercise and Leicester seemed content to simply hold on to their sizeable advantage.