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Result: Jamie Vardy strikes in first half as Leicester make winning start against Wolves

Result: Jamie Vardy strikes in first half as Leicester make winning start against Wolves
© Reuters
The Foxes secured a 1-0 victory at the King Power Stadium.

Jamie Vardy scored a brilliant clinching goal as FA Cup winners Leicester City followed up their Community Shield victory over Manchester City with a narrow 1-0 win over Wolves.

The visitors, under new manager Bruno Lage, dominated the second half but could not match the exquisite finish by Vardy four minutes before half-time.

Vardy had been getting in behind the Wolves backline even before his brilliant goal.

He had a left-footed shot saved by Jose Sa in the 10th minute after Ayoze Perez's lofted pass into the left channel.

Then, after netting when clearly offside five minutes later, Leicester's 2020/21 top scorer tried a bold backheel after James Maddison's angled ball over the top.

Wolves, with Raul Jimenez leading the line intelligently on his first league appearance since fracturing his skull nine months ago, looked dangerous on the counter-attack, mainly through Adama Traore.

Five minutes before Leciester's goal, Joao Moutinho won possession in midfield and played a perfectly paced pass through the middle. Traore sprinted clear and set himself to sidefoot goalwards but shot just past the post.

Vardy made Wolves pay in style. Ricardo Pereira muscled his way past two men down the right wing and pulled a low cross to the near corner of the six-yard area where Vardy ran in front of Conor Coady to flick a brilliant left-footed shot past Sa.

The former England man celebrated in customary style in front of the Wolves fans.

Youri Tielemans almost doubled the lead with a 20-yard shot in stoppage time but Sa parried.

The second half became a more open and entertaining affair as Leicester initially allowed Wolves to come onto them more.

Francisco Trincao regained the ball high up the field. The winger, on his Premier League debut after joining on loan from Barcelona, played a one-two with Ruben Neves and then saw his shot from close range deflected over the crossbar.

Leicester responded to Wolves' threat of dominance by switching to a 3-5-2 shape and a rare Coady slip allowed Vardy to send in Harvey Barnes but the England squad defender made a saving tackle.

Boubakary Soumare, the £17 million signing from Lille, and £15million defender Jannik Vestergaard, who joined on the eve of the game from Southampton, both came on to stiffen up Leicester's side.

The game was opening up thrillingly and Tielemans sent Barnes in on goal down the right hand side but Max Kilman anticipated his turn inside and averted the danger.

Wolves dominated the final stages but neither Kilman, dribbling in on goal, Leander Dendoncker, with a clear header, nor Morgan Gibbs-White, fed by Traore, could convert.

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How you voted: Leicester vs Wolves

Leicester City
87.4%
Draw
6.0%
Wolverhampton Wanderers
6.6%
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Chelsea54101211113
2Liverpool54101211113
3Manchester UnitedMan Utd5410134913
4Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton540174312
5Manchester CityMan City53111111010
6Everton5311107310
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs530236-39
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham522111748
9Brentford52215238
10Aston Villa52128717
11Watford520368-26
12Leicester CityLeicester520358-36
13Arsenal520329-76
14Crystal Palace512258-35
15Southampton504146-24
16Wolverhampton WanderersWolves510425-33
17Leeds UnitedLeeds5032512-73
18Newcastle UnitedNewcastle5023613-72
19Burnley501439-61
20Norwich CityNorwich5005214-120

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