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Leicester logo
Premier League
Feb 27, 2016 at 3pm UK
 
Norwich logo

1-0

Ulloa (89')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Leicester City strike late to move five points clear

Leonardo Ulloa scores a late winner against Norwich to send Leicester five points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

Leicester City have moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League table courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Norwich City at the King Power Stadium this afternoon.

The relegation-threatened Canaries looked to be on course for their first away clean sheet of the season, but Leonardo Ulloa got the only goal of the game in the final minute of normal time to secure all three points for the league leaders.

Riyad Mahrez and Robbie Brady in action during the Premier League game between Leicester City and Norwich City on February 27, 2016© Getty Images

The visitors had picked up just one point from the last 18 on offer going into the game, but they were the first to threaten when Nathan Redmond skipped forward and sent Cameron Jerome through, only for Kasper Schmeichel to prevent the Norwich striker from taking the ball past him.

For the most part, Leicester struggled to develop their usual fluency in possession, but they did have a decent spell around the 15-minute mark when first Shinji Okazaki saw his flick from close range blocked before Marc Albrighton's low cross was turned just past his own post by Russell Martin.

The Foxes' best chance of the first half came on the break as Okazaki and Jamie Vardy combined to find Riyad Mahrez, who weaved his way past two defenders before seeing his eventual shot blocked.

Albrighton sent another effort wide of the target moments later, and then came close to breaking the deadlock in more unorthodox fashion when his dangerous cross from a free kick bounced inches wide of the far post.

The best chance of the half went the way of the visitors, though, when Jerome glanced his header wide of the far post from Robbie Brady's corner when it looked certain that the striker would open the scoring.

Cameron Jerome makes an attempt during the Premier League game between Leicester City and Norwich City on February 27, 2016© Getty Images

The first shot on target finally arrived with two minutes remaining of the opening 45 when Redmond drilled a low strike towards goal that Schmeichel turned behind in unconvincing fashion.

It took until the 58th minute for Leicester to register their first shot on target in the game, and it was a relatively comfortable one for John Ruddy to deal with as he got down in plenty of time to keep out Vardy's low drive.

Another followed 10 minutes later, but once again it was a routine save for Ruddy as this time Albrighton sent a tame shot into the keeper's arms after a loose ball had broken to him 25 yards from goal.

Norwich came close to winning it in the closing stages when Redmond was allowed to cut inside from the left flank and arrow an effort towards the far corner, but it whistled just past the post with Schmeichel beaten.

Leonardo Ulloa celebrates finding the winner during the Premier League game between Leicester City and Norwich City on February 27, 2016© Getty Images

It was Leicester who would get the decisive goal, however, as Ulloa tucked home Albrighton's low cross at the back post to break Norwich hearts and secure a return to winning ways for the Foxes.

Norwich did have a late opening to rescue a point in stoppage time when the ball broke to Patrick Bamford, but he skewed his effort wide of the target as his side's winless streak in the league stretched to seven matches.

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Riyad Mahrez of Leicester City celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at The King Power Stadium on August 22, 2015
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CLeicester CityLeicester463141189414897
3Leeds UnitedLeeds462791081433890
4Southampton462691187632487
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom4621121370472375
6Norwich CityNorwich4621101579641573
7Hull City461913146860870
8Middlesbrough46209177162969
9Coventry CityCoventry4617131670591164
10Preston North EndPreston46189195667-1163
11Bristol City461711185351262
12Cardiff CityCardiff46195225370-1762
13Millwall461611194555-1059
14Swansea CitySwansea461512195965-657
15Watford461317166161056
16Sunderland46168225254-256
17Stoke CityStoke461511204960-1156
18Queens Park RangersQPR461511204758-1156
19Blackburn RoversBlackburn461411216074-1453
20Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds46158234468-2453
21Plymouth ArgylePlymouth461312215970-1151
RBirmingham CityBirmingham461311225065-1550
RHuddersfield TownHuddersfield46918194877-2945
RRotherham UnitedRotherham46512293789-5227


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