Jamie Vardy netted a landmark goal as he helped Leicester to a 3-2 victory over Southampton.
The veteran striker made it 200 goals for the Foxes and England as he helped Steve Cooper‘s side to a heroic comeback on the south coast.
Jamie Vardy netted a landmark goal for Leicester against SouthamptonGetty
While it was a special day for Vardy, he wasn’t the only Leicester forward setting records as Jordan Ayew clinched a late, late victory with a winner in the eighth minute of injury-time.
That goal in the 98th minute is Leicester’s latest winner on record (from 2006/07) in a Premier League game.
It’s also the first time that the Foxes have ever won a Premier League away game in which they trailed by two or more goals.
It was a torrid first half for Steve Cooper’s side, with Southampton taking instant control of proceedings within the first ten minutes — dominance they duly converted into an opening lead, after Ryan Manning’s drilled cross was stroked home by Cameron Archer for the striker’s second goal of the season.
Another goal from the left flank followed 20 minutes later, as Kyle Walker-Peters got the better of James Justin to tee up Joe Aribo for a similar finish.
At the halfway mark things looked bleak for the Foxes, with the travelling fans audibly frustrated by Cooper’s tactics. Fortunately for them, changes were in the offing, as Harry Winks was introduced before the restart with Abdul Fatawu following just shy of the hour mark.
Both players breathed new life into Leicester: Winks with his controlled, metronomic passing, and Fatawu with his live-wire energy and raw pace.
Momentum quickly swang in Leicester’s favour and they were back in the contest from the 64th minute, Fatawu burning past his marker to reach the byline and find Facundo Buonanotte on the cutback.
From there, Saints began to retreat into their shell as the Leicester onslaught commenced. Fatawu, ostensibly taking matters into his own hands, rattled the crossbar with a thunderous long-range effort before ghosting in at the far post to force a point-blank save from Aaron Ramsdale seconds later.
Vardy came racing in on the follow up but was pulled back by Ryan Fraser who, after VAR review, was dismissed for the denial of a clear goal-scoring opportunity and sent for an early shower, having only enter the field of play some ten minutes earlier.
Vardy scored his 200th goal for Leicester and EnglandGetty
Jordan Ayew then wrapped up a late, late win for the FoxesGetty
Vardy, buoyed by abusive chants from the home crowd, smugly converted from the spot to record his 200th goal in a Leicester or England shirt.
The game became stretched and tense thereafter. And just as things looked to be petering out for a point a piece, Jordan Ayew struck deep into stoppage time, meeting an outswinging Winks corner on the half-volley.
The shot squeezed through a wall of bodies, narrowly evading Ramsdale’s outstretched hand to send Leicester home with the spoils of victory.
While it’s been a record-breaking day for Leicester in many ways, it’s not the first time that the midlands club have excelled on the south coast.
Leicester secured a thumping 9-0 win in October 2019 to earn the Premier League’s biggest-ever away-day win.
Vardy scored a hat-trick on that day and while he’s now 37, he’s clearly showing that he won’t be slowing down any time soon.
Downing cans of Red Bull at half-time probably helps.
Leicester’s win sees them move up to 13th in the table with nine points from their opening eight games.
Southampton, however, remain bottom with just one point to their name having conceded 18 times from eight games this term.
It could spell bad news for Russell Martin who is coming under pressure as Southampton boss.
The Saints hierarchy are split over the club’s poor start to the season, talkSPORT reported earlier this month, with this result unlikely to help his cause.
