PARTY OVER FOR MOYES
Slim pickings again for sorry Black Cats
FREE cupcakes and beer were on the menu at the King Power – but Sunderland are hardly in the party mood right now.
They haven’t been anywhere near a cup for years, never mind a cupcake, and all they’ve been eating recently is humble pie.
Rooted at the foot of the table and still reeling from the ‘Slapgate’ row involving boss David Moyes, there’s not been much to celebrate.
The party food was offered up by Leicester’s billionaire chairman to mark his birthday.
Islam Slimani gave him the present he’d been looking for when he popped up with a headed 69th-minute goal.
Wonderful
Boss Craig Shakespeare pulled a master stroke when he introduced subs Slimani and Marc Albrighton just seven minute earlier.
Albrighton cut inside and found Slimani with a perfect cross which the big striker nodded past Jordan Pickford.
And 12 minutes from time Jamie Vardy confirmed the win with a wonderful finish to put the celebrations in full swing.
Again Albrighton was involved with a brilliant run down the left, before his cross was controlled and smashed into the roof of the net by the England striker.
It was a shame for Sunderland’s brilliant young keeper Pickford, who had produced a stunning fingertip save right on half-time to deny Demarai Gray.
Just over a month ago these two sides were both in the relegation zone with just two places separating them.
But they could hardly have had more contrasting fortunes since – Leicester having now strung together six successive wins since Shakespeare took charge, including five in the league.
The Black Cats haven’t had quite so much joy in their last five league outings. They haven’t even managed a single goal in a run which has harvested just one point and left them rooted at the bottom of the table.
The 4-0 away win at Crystal Palace exactly two months ago looks more astonishing with every passing week.
Credit where it’s due, they survived an early scare when Pickford had to punch away a looping Robert Huth header from under his bar, but after that they let Leicester know that they could pose a goal threat.
Kasper Schmeichel had to move smartly to beat away an acute angled shot from Jermain Defoe. From the corner Seb Larsson dropped his kick straight onto the head of Jack Rodwell, whose effort lacked direction.
In the 24th minute they asked questions of referee Graham Scott when Robert Huth appeared to handle which had skimmed off the head of Johan Benalouane.
Moyes must have taken great heart from the spirit shown by his men in the opening half-hour as they more than matched the home side.
Skipper Lee Cattermole, back in the side for the first time since September following a hip problem was in the wars again when he took a hefty whack from Huth.
Then, surprise, surprise he was booked for a desperate lunge at Gray who was racing away from him in the 35th minute. LEICESTER (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Simpson, Benalouane, Huth, Fuchs; Drinkwater, Ndidi, Gray, Mahrez; Okazaki, Vardy. Subs: Zieler, Chilwell, King, Albrighton, Amartey, Slimani, Ulloa. SUNDERLAND (4-5-1): Pickford; Jones, Denayer, Kone, Oviedo; Cattermole, Rodwell, Larsson, N’Dong, Borini; Defoe. Subs: Mannone, Djilobodji, Khazri, Manquillo, Gibson, Anichebe, Januzaj. Referee: Graham Scott.