LEICESTER..... 3 C. PALACE...... 1

£16m striker repays Tinkerman as Foxes storm Palace

CLAUDIO RANIERI has started tinkering again – and proved that he is absolutely right to do so!

England striker Jamie Vardy was left on the bench after his midweek Champions League exertions – and a run of eight games without a goal.

But the Leicester boss – who was known as the Tinkerman at Chelsea – got it spot-on, with Vardy’s replacement Ahmed Musa smashing home his first Premier League goal.

The Nigerian winger has found life tough going since making his club-record £16million move to the King Power Stadium from CSKA Moscow in the summer.

And he had looked as out-of-sorts as the rest of his misfiring Leicester team-mates until he broke the stalemate three minutes before the break.

Involved at the start of the build-up, coming in off the left wing, Musa was perfectly positioned to collect Islam Slimani’s pass on the edge of the area.

Glancing to his right, he looked certain to keep the move flowing by threading a pass out to the unmarked Ryad Mahrez. But Musa suddenly spotted an opening in Palace’s backline and rifled a low shot beyond Steve Mandanda.

Foxes boss Ranieri said: “It was the best display of the season and it was important to start winning. This is the start of our Premier League season.”

Quizzed over his decision to rest Vardy, he added: “When you play every few days, it’s important to choose the right players as we have to play so many matches.”

Musa’s strike was as unexpected as it was welcome and helped spare the Foxes the shame of having fewer points after nine games than any other defending Premier League champions.

His super strike was also a savage setback for a Palace side who had come within inches of taking the lead in the 12th minute.

Martin Kelly found Christian Benteke in the middle and the big-money striker twisted his neck and beat City keeper Kasper Schmeichel with a thumping header – only for it to bounce back off the bar.

The big Belgium frontman went agonisingly close again in the second half as Palace fought to edge back into the game, rising above the Leicester defence to power in another header before it was

cleared off the line by Foxes defender Danny Simpson.

Ranieri’s men had almost made an explosive start, within 96 seconds Shinji Okazaki lifted a lob just wide after a blunder by Palace keeper Mandanda.

He must have being taken lessons from Manchester City’s Claudio Bravo as he passed straight to the Japan star when under no pressure.

It was a massive let-off for Palace but Okazaki made up for it when he gave the champions room to breathe with a second goal.

Danny Drinkwater’s initial shot was blocked but Okazaki – his country’s third highest marksman of all time – followed up with a sweet strike from just inside the box.

And when Christian Fuchs let fly from distance 10 minutes from the end, it was more like old times.

Palace claimed a late consolation, a soft goal from Yohan Cabaye through the legs of Robert Huth to wreck Schmeichel’s hopes of keeping a clean sheet, but Palace boss Alan Pardew admitted that Leicester were worthy winners.

He said: “We knew after their last performance at Chelsea there was going to be a Leicester response.

“They were good, they definitely gave us a test and, unfortunately, we were let down.”