PREM: Everton 0-1 Leicester

Jamie Vardy scored the winner

Jamie Vardy scored the winner as Leicester City got their festive period back on track with a 1-0 victory over Everton on New Year’s Day.

Having beaten Manchester City on Boxing Day, Claude Puel's men suffered a shock home defeat to Cardiff on Saturday but were back on form at Goodison Park.

Vardy - employed as a lone striker but starved of service for long periods - gobbled up the only chance that came his way (58) which grabbed Leicester a deserved three points.

 

Everton were stifled by an organised Foxes team that restricted the home attackers any space to such an extent it took Marco Silva's men 75 minutes to register a shot on target.

Everton have now lost four of their last five games, while Leicester are up to seventh in the Premier League table.

 

The opening exchanges were nervy with both teams lacking quality.

Jonjoe Kenny cracked an effort from 20 yards against the corner of the post and crossbar on 19 minutes before Kurt Zouma summed up Everton's frustrations with a wild 30-yard effort.

 

Leicester's plan to soak up pressure was working a charm and they took the lead just before the hour mark. Michael Keane lost possession deep in his own half and Ricardo Pereira played a through-ball which Vardy gleefully accepted and finished past Jordan Pickford.

Gylfi Sigurdsson fired over the crossbar and substitute Cenk Tosun tested Kasper Schmeichel's palms with a fierce strike but rarely did Everton look capable of opening Leicester up.

 

In fact, it was the visitors that carried the bigger threat. Minutes after referee Martin Atkinson waved away a penalty claim for handball by Keane following a Harry Maguire header, the England centre-back should have doubled the lead but blazed over from close range.

The Everton players mustered nothing in response and the home fans vented their frustration as they trudged off at full-time.