Wolves 2-1 Leicester (Neves 9′, Podence 66′) | Lookman 41′)
Leicester failed to ease the mounting pressure on Brendan Rodgers as they became the latest side to succumb to Wolves’ increasingly credible challenge for a top four finish.
For the first time in the Northern Irishman’s three-year reign, his side recorded a fifth successive Premier League game without a win.
It left them in the bottom half after another performance which merited more than it ultimately ended up delivering, with Youri Tielemans‘ injury-time effort well saved by Jose Sa to ensure further frustration for the Foxes.
After 5th-placed finishes in the previous two seasons, it’s a downturn in fortunes which is in stark contrast to that of their Midlands rivals, who thanks to a fifth win in the last six league games cut the deficit to fourth-place Manchester United to six points, with two games in hand.
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The Portuguese midfielder expertly threaded a low 20-yard shot beyond Kasper Schmeichel from an inviting Raul Jimenez knock-back after the visitors failed to deal with a ninth-minute cross from Daniel Podence.
More Podence trickery carved out a presentable opening for Rayan Ait-Nouri, but young wing-back fired narrowly wide left-footed from 15 yards as a second goal appeared to be a growing inevitability.
It duly arrived four minutes before the break, but it came from the visitors courtesy of a sumptuous three-man move to provide tangible reward for having enjoyed two-thirds of first-half possession.
Wolves (3-5-2):
- Jose Sa – 7
- Max Kilman – 7
- Conor Coady – 7
- Roman Saiss – 7
- Nelson Semedo – 6
- Leander Dendoncker – 7
- Ruben Neves – 7
- Joao Moutinho – 6
- Rayan Ait Nouri – 6
- Raul Jimenez – 7
- Daniel Podence – 8
Substitutes:
- Hee-Chan Hwang – 6
- Pedro Neto – 5
- Marcal – 5
Leicester (4-3-3):
- Kasper Schmeichel – 5
- Ricardo Pereira – 5
- Daniel Amartey – 5
- Caglar Soyuncu – 4
- Luke Thomas – 5
- Youri Tielemans – 7
- Wilfred Ndidi – 6
- Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 6
- Marc Albrighton – 7
- Patson Daka – 5
- Ademola Lookman – 7
Substitutes:
- Kelechi Iheanacho – 5
- James Maddison – 6
Ademola Lookman showed great desire to steal into the six yard box to divert Marc Albrighton’s low centre past Jose Sa at the culmination of a slick move which featured at its centre point a perfect through ball from Tielemans to meet Albrighton’s run into the area.
Lookman’s fourth goal of the season was only the second the hosts have conceded from open play in the last 13 games as Tielemans atoned for an abject early miss when the Belgian side-footed wide from the goal-scorer’s cut-back.
Half-time failed to halt Leicester’s growing momentum and Lookman and Patson Daka both saw half-chances go begging before Tielemans, with time and space to set himself from a Lookman cross, curled wastefully over.
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VAR swiftly rebuffed appeals for offside against Jimenez to ensure the Portuguese forward’s first Premier League goal for 14 months stood as Bruno Lage’s side continue to dream of the Champions League after reclaiming seventh place from Spurs.
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