LEICESTER — Sublime goals from Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez sent Leicester City back to the Premier League summit after a deserved 2-1 win Monday over lackluster Chelsea whose march to the title last season seems a distant memory.
The prolific Vardy, whose record run of 11 consecutive Premier League goals came to an end at Swansea City last weekend, beat goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois with a crisp volley from playmaker Mahrez’s delightful cross after 34 minutes.
Algeria international Mahrez curled in a stunning second from the edge of the area three minutes into the second half to put Leicester, continuing a remarkable turnaround after escaping relegation last season, on 35 points, two clear of Arsenal.
Substitute Loic Remy gave the visitors hope with a close-range headed goal 13 minutes from time to set up a tense finish but the host held out to leave Chelsea mired in 16th place on 15 points from 16 games — one point above the relegation zone.
“We played against the champions but we want to make a fantastic match for our fans because they believe, they are dreaming,” said Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri, savoring victory against his former side.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho agreed. “They deserved to win because they were better than us during a longer period of time,” he said Victory was extra sweet for Ranieri who was sacked by Chelsea in 2004, a year after Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich took ownership of the London club.
Ranieri had led Chelsea to its highest league placing for 49 years and its first Champions League semifinal, which it lost to AS Monaco, but his reward was the sack.
Chelsea has lost nine of its opening 16 top-flight games for the first time since 1978-79, a season in which they were relegated.
Chelsea’s woes were compounded by a first-half injury suffered by its Belgium forward Eden Hazard who hobbled off with an apparent hip problem after a challenge from Premier League top scorer Vardy.
Goalkeeping mishaps cost Lazio victory over Sampdoria
Lazio’s winless Serie A run continued after a bizarre sequence of goalkeeping mishaps allowed Sampdoria to snatch a stoppage time equalizer in a 1-1 draw Monday.
Lazio keeper Federico Marchetti injured himself celebrating after Alessandro Matri put his side ahead with a late strike and his replacement Etrit Berisha gave away the free kick which led to Sampdoria’s equalizer by recklessly charging out of his area.
Lazio, which extended its winless run to seven games, was jeered off the field once again, while Ervin Zukanovic’s goal gave Sampdoria its first point in four league games since Vincenzo Montella replaced Walter Zenga as coach. Lazio dropped to 12th with 20 points from 16 games.
