Leicester City 2-0 Southampton: Vardy nears 200-goal landmark in rare home win

Jamie Vardy and Jordan Ayew scored arsenic Leicester City ended their nine-game losing tally astatine location successful the Premier League, beating chap relegated broadside Southampton 2-0.

Leicester had besides gone 9 location league matches without a extremity – the longest tally successful English top-flight past – with fans astatine the King Power Stadium having thing to observe since a 2-2 gully with Brighton connected December 8.

But Vardy ended their drought successful the 17th infinitesimal with his 199th extremity for the Foxes, who helium volition permission astatine the extremity of the campaign.

Bilal El Khannouss played a give-and-go with Luke Thomas earlier crossing for Vardy, who finished emphatically into the extortion of the net.

A generational goalscorer pic.twitter.com/9QKL7hgPvV

— Leicester City (@LCFC) May 3, 2025

The contention was past halted for implicit 10 minutes arsenic referee David Webb – overseeing his archetypal Premier League crippled – was injured successful a bizarre collision with Ayew and replaced by Sam Barrott, with Vardy stopping the lucifer by blowing the stricken official’s whistle.

But connected the changeable of 12 minutes of stoppage time, Ayew was progressive successful a much affirmative manner, drilling into the bottom-left country connected the rebound aft his free-kick deed the wall.

The closest Southampton came to a effect was erstwhile Mateus Fernandes had a close-range decorativeness disallowed for offside, with this decision ensuring they volition decorativeness bottom, becoming conscionable the 2nd nine to bash truthful 3 times successful the Premier League, aft Sunderland.

Leicester determination onto 21 points from 35 games, though they are inactive second-bottom, 1 constituent down Ipswich Town pursuing their 2-2 gully with Everton.

Jamie Vardy becomes archetypal Premier League subordinate to stroke the referee’s whistle… probably.

Alex Pantling | Getty pic.twitter.com/dD0Zut3iq6

— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) May 3, 2025

Data debrief: Vardy nears landmark, Leicester drought ends

Vardy’s extremity was his 199th successful each competitions for Leicester, with the Foxes’ greatest-ever subordinate determined to scope his double-century earlier departing astatine the extremity of 2024-25.

His opener – an emphatic left-footed decorativeness that bushed Aaron Ramsdale astatine his adjacent station – was an important 1 for Leicester arsenic they avoided an unwanted spot successful the grounds books.

The Foxes could person go conscionable the 2nd squad successful English league past (top 4 tiers) to spell 10 consecutive location games without a goal, aft Wolves successful 1984-85.

While Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men avoided replicating that streak, Southampton are inactive tied with Derby County’s people of 2007-08 for the worst points tally successful a Premier League season. And with Manchester City, Everton and Arsenal the Saints’ last 3 opponents, that task appears a hard one.

Interim manager Simon Rusk can, however, assertion to beryllium Southampton’s astir palmy brag this season.

Despite failing to triumph immoderate of his 5 matches astatine the helm (two draws, 3 defeats), helium has averaged much points per crippled (0.4) than Russell Martin (0.31) oregon Ivan Juric (0.29).