Foxes ease past West Brom in superb first-half

Leicester opened a four point gap to fourth place in the Premier League as they cruised to a 3-0 win over West Brom at the King Power Stadium on Thursday night.

The Action: Buoyed by their recent FA cup semi-final victory over Southampton, Leicester were fast out of the traps and went for the jugular. 

Jamie Vardy ended a 12-game drought to open the scoring for the Foxes after a fine assist from Timothy Castagne in the 23rd minute and, just three minutes later, Youri Tielemans' corner found Jonny Evans, who headed home his first goal in two years.

The game was dead and buried 10 minutes later, when Vardy supplied Kelechi Iheanacho and the in-form forward scored the Foxes' third.

It wasn't all one-way traffic, as the Baggies also had two good chances, but Mbaye Diagne and Matheus Pereira both spurned presentable opportunities. 

The intensity dropped in the second-half, but Leicester remained in control for the remainder of the contest. 

The Big Picture: Leicester are now four points clear of Chelsea, who occupy the final Champions League qualification spot with six games remaining.

West Brom's hope of surviving the drop look increasingly slim, as they remain nine points from safety and have a far inferior goal difference than 17th-placed Burnley.

Moment of the Match: Jonny Evans' goal scoops the award. His last Premier League goal was all the way back in December 2019, but was a deserved highlight for the reliable defender.

Man of the Match: Jamie Vardy. The English forward ended his longest run without a goal for the club since December 2016, scoring his first goal in 12 games. Even when he doesn't score, Vardy's work-rate and movement always make a handful and he also weighed in with an assist for Iheanacho's goal.  

Expected Goals: Leicester (2.67) 3-0 (0.28) West Brom

Stat of the Day: Kelechi Iheanacho has scored 13 goals for Leicester in all competitions in 2021; among Premier League players, only Harry Kane (15) has more this calendar year.