Tom Everest reporting live from the King Power Stadium
A Danny Drinkwater inspired-Leicester City edged closer to the promise land of the Premier League, dismantling Charlton Athletic in an emphatic 3-0 win at the King Power Stadium.
Jamie Vardy continued his insatiable scoring form, netting his sixth goal in nine games, neatly tucking on to his left-foot in the box before slotting home under the advancing Ben Hamer in the Charlton goal.
The talismanic Drinkwater claimed Leicester’s second, capping one of the most dominant midfield performances you are likely to see in a fiercely competitive Sky Bet Championship. The midfielder fired an unstoppable rebound in from the edge of the box, to all but condemn Charlton to a sixth consecutive away defeat.
But the Foxes were not satisfied, as David Nugent reached 19 goals for the season in superb fashion, bending a scintillating 20-yard strike beyond a full stretch Hamer to put the game beyond all doubt.
The Leicester faithful arrive to the King Power in expectation rather than hope as of late, with the Foxes boasting the best home-record in the Sky Bet Championship, having not lost at the King Power since the derby defeat to Nottingham Forrest in early November.
So it came of no real surprise that Leicester took the lead in the opening ten minutes, and no surprises of the scorer either- with Jamie Vardy claiming his customary goal.
Vardy opened the scoring on the ninth minute, after an incisive breakaway from the Foxes following a strong challenge on the halfway line from Anthony Knockaert. Fitting of his previous displays, it was Vardy who tested Ben Hamer in the Charlton goal early on with a sumptuous turn and strike but Hamer was alert to chaperone Vardy away from danger.
However moments later Vardy notched his 13th league goal of the season, after an incisive Nugent pass set him free down the right before Vardy neatly tucked inside, back on the his strong right-left, and effortlessly slotted the ball passed Hamer.
The goal gave the Foxes the impetus, as they instantly clicked in to their table topping form.
Clever invention from Knockaert down the right created space to allow an expansive switch of play to fellow countryman Riyad Mahrez who displayed some exquisite trickery before teasing a ball on to the forehead of David Nugent who could only direct the header over from 6 yards.
The containment strategy adopted by the visiting Addicks provided a fair share of possession for Chris Powell’s men but without any real invention or panache going forward, Leicester easily extinguished any potential Charlton attack, with Dorian Dervitte’s long distance drive the closest the visitors came to troubling Kasper Schmeichel in the Foxes goal.
The early goal and lack of Charlton cutting edge, enabled the home-side to play incessant counter-attacking football with fullbacks Jeff Schlupp and Ritchie De Laet marauding forward at every opportunity, with the talismanic Danny Drinkwater pulling the strings from central areas in trademark fashion.
And it was Drinkwater who released Mahrez in to the Charlton half on the thirty minute mark, and with an abundance of space to run in to the Frenchman duly obliged and raced through the heart of the Charlton rearguard before unleashing a fierce shot that whistled wide of the right-hand post.
Leicester continued in the ascendancy after the break, and after two minutes they managed to double their lead.
Jeff Schlupp, a constant threat from left-back all afternoon, capped a sumptuous run by finding Nugent with a delicate cross in to the box but the Foxes man was denied by a sporadic save from Hamer. However Hamer’s parry could only find Drinkwater on the edge of the box, and the Championship’s January Player of the Month expertly controlled a fizzing drive in to a gapping net to double the home side’s advantage.
The goal served to mark an outstanding individual performance from Drinkwater, who has become an instrumental figure in Nigel Pearson’s side longevity at the top of the Championship. The ex-Manchester United man has added goals, scoring two in his last four, to his already well-honed artillery that has made him one of the most influential midfielders in the Football League.
The second half began in similar explosive fashion to the first, as Leicester doubled their lead on the 47th minute. Following telepathic link-up play between Vardy and Nugent, it was the ex-England International Nugent that unleashed a spectacular 20-yard curling shot that exquisitely nestled in to the far corner, clipping the post in the process.
In a game where it seemed Leicester were playing among themselves for large periods, they always carried the threat of adding to their tally whenever they desired, providing further evidence to the claims that this could be their very year for a long-overdue reunion with the Premier League.
Despite finding themselves 3-0 up and invariably cruising, the home side continued to penetrate a beleaguered Charlton, with Schlupp stinging the fingertips of Hamer at the near post. A sumptuous team move then carved open the visitors once again, with Hamer again proving why he was preferred to on-loan ‘keeper Yohann Thuram-Ulien in the Addicks goal, as he expertly denied Nugent from what appeared to be an inevitable fourth goal for the Foxes.
Knockaert also came close in the dying embers, but the enigmatic Frenchman was unable to steer home an inviting cross from right-back Ritchie De Laet, as the ball whistled narrowly wide.
The emphatic win ensures Leicester’s dominance in the Sky Bet Championship, remaining seven points clear of nearest challengers Burnley, while Charlton’s ninth successive away defeat leaves them in 22nd position, with three games in hand.
Speaking after Leicester’s win, Nigel Pearson said: “We played very well and we showed that we are the side deserving to be at the top of the table.
“I think we have a better squad this season and a better balance, we have quality in depth and probably the most important thing of it all, is that the focus of the players is all about being successful.
“With 13 games to go we are doing very well, and we want to win every game from now to the end of the season.”
Speaking after seeing his side slump to a 3-0 defeat, Charlton Athletic Manager, Chris Powell said: “Leicester are a very good side, possibly the Champions elect and fully deserving of their win, but I’m still disappointed.
“The first goal was perhaps offside and then they scored early in the second half so then it was all about keeping the score down- so I was quite pleased that we were able to keep it down to 3-0.”
Leicester City: Schmeichel, De Laet, Morgan, Wasilewski, Schlupp, Mahrez, James (King), Drinkwater (Hammond 76’), Knockaert, Vardy (Wood 65’) and Nugent
Substitutes: Logan, Hammond, King, Moore, Taylolr-Fletcher, Phillips and Wood
Charlton Athletic: Hamer, Morrison (Dervitte 18’), Wiggins, Wood, Cousins (Hughes 60’), Jackson, Harriott, Wilson, Poyet, Ajderevic (Tudgay 60’) and Church
Substitutes: Thuram-Ulien, Hughes, Dervitte, Green, Fox, Tudgay and Ghoochanneejhad
Attendance: 24,742 (867 Away)
