West Brom 1 Leicester 4: Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy, Kelechi Iheanacho and Vicente Iborra cancel Salomon Rondon’s opener as relegation looms for Alan Pardew’s troubled side
Home fans were given a glimmer of survival hope before side capitulate to put them in real danger of dropping to Championship
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WEST BROM lost yet another must-win game to put the pressure right back on Alan Pardew.
Salomon Rondon’s early goal gave them a glimmer of hope that this match could be the start of the mother of all comebacks.
But Jamie Vardy hit a brilliant equaliser soon afterwards and second-half strikes from Riyad Mahrez, super sub Kelechi Iheanacho and Vicente Iborra sealed a much-needed win for the Foxes.
The Baggies have now lost six Premier League games in a row and dropped 21 points from winning positions this season.
That’s the highest number in the top flight and one of the many reasons why they are rock bottom and on the way to the Championship.
But – yet again – it could have been different.
Rondon had missed a golden chance in the defeat at Watford but grabbed a perfect centre forward’s goal to open the scoring.
Leicester full back Ben Chilwell sold himself, Oliver Burke ran on to Allan Nyom’s pass and hit a first-time cross which Rondon, darting in front of Wes Morgan, diverted deftly into the net.
The Leicester goalkeeper kept the score at 1-0 in the 16th minute, touching Grzegorz Krychowiak’s deflected shot on to the crossbar.
But then an individual error cost West Brom yet again. Craig Dawson allowed Mahrez’s lofted through ball to drop over his head and Vardy finished superbly with a left-footed volley.
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Vardy thought he had another in the 36th minute but was offside before stabbing in Chilwell’s cross.
Another Dawson error let in the England striker again, but he let the ball run away with him and then earned a yellow card when tackling back.
Rondon then went on a run which ended in a shot that was deflected behind by Morgan, the last major action of a half which had been better than expected.
After a slow start, the second period followed suit. Baggies ‘keeper Ben Foster had to be alert when Chris Brunt deflected a Demarai Gray cross towards his own goal.
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But Foster could do little when visiting substitute Iheanacho made an immediate impact, clipping a little pass over the top for Mahrez to finish neatly.
Iheanacho teed up Vardy for another chance, but this time Foster saved with his legs.
The West Brom ‘keeper couldn’t keep out Iheanacho’s header from a Chilwell cross, though, and the Nigeria international’s first Premier League goal for Leicester killed the game.
Iborra rubbed it in by heading in a Marc Albrighton corner in the stoppage time.