Vardy on cloud nine as Leicester draw level at top with Man City
Jamie Vardy scored for the ninth successive Barclays Premier League game as third-placed Leicester moved level on points with leaders Manchester City by defeating Watford.
The in-form England international converted a second-half penalty in a 2-1 win over the Hornets and, if he nets against Newcastle on November 21, he will have the chance to break Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record for scoring in the most consecutive games against the Dutchman’s old club Manchester United at the end of the month.
N’Golo Kante broke the deadlock with his first goal for Leicester with a toe-poked finish that somehow slipped through Heurelho Gomes’ grasp, and it was the goalkeeper who then fouled Vardy to allow him to step up and slam home the spot-kick and make it nine on the spin.
Troy Deeney halved the deficit with a penalty of his own, but Claudio Ranieri’s men held on to move on to 25 points, the same total City and Arsenal have managed ahead of their fixtures on Sunday.
Jesse Lingard scored his first goal for Manchester United and Juan Mata fired in a late penalty as they defeated West Brom 2-0 at Old Trafford.
Louis van Gaal’s men had failed to find the net in their previous three domestic fixtures, but Lingard’s placed finish seven minutes after half-time ended that drought.
In stoppage-time Baggies defender Gareth McAuley was dismissed for hauling down Anthony Martial in the area, and Mata placed the penalty straight down the middle.
Romelu Lukaku kept his and Everton’s remarkable records against West Ham intact in a 1-1 draw at Upton Park.
The Toffees arrived in the capital boasting a 14-game unbeaten streak in the league against the Hammers, yet they fell behind in the first half when Manuel Lanzini found the top corner on the half-hour mark.
But Lukaku, who had scored in each of the previous six occasions he had faced West Ham as an Everton player, levelled by collecting Gerard Deulofeu’s defence-splitting pass, rounding goalkeeper Adrian and slotting in.
Southampton made it eight games unbeaten in all competitions and maintained their unbeaten record on the road in the league this season with a 1-0 victory over struggling Sunderland.
They also benefited from a penalty, Dusan Tadic among the four players to score from the spot among the 3pm kick-offs.
Norwich ended a run of four league defeats in a row by claiming a 1-0 success over Swansea, who have themselves won just once since August.
Midfielder Jonny Howson headed in from close range 20 minutes from time after Dieumerci Mbokani had nodded the ball into his path.
