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| Leeds United's Georginio Rutter is tackled by Leicester City's Harry Winks during the Sky Bet Championship match between Leicester City and Leeds United at The King Power Stadium on November 3, 2023 in Leicester, England. |
Leeds United ended Leicester City's nine-game winning run in the Championship with an impressive victory at the King Power Stadium.
Joel Piroe went close in the opening moments for Leeds while Leicester's Abdul Fatawu hit the bar 11 minutes before half-time in a tight first half.
But Leeds were the better side after the break and took a deserved lead when Georginio Rutter converted from close range after Sam Byram's header from a corner was palmed away by Mads Hermansen.
Substitute Kelechi Iheanacho had a late effort blocked for the Foxes before Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's stoppage-time header forced a superb first save from Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier.
Leicester remain five points clear of second-placed Ipswich Town - who have two games in hand - at the top of the Championship, but miss out on a club-record 10th successive league win.
Meanwhile Leeds, who came down from the Premier League with the Foxes last season, cut the gap between the two relegated sides to 11 points and consolidated third place in the table.
Leeds' press caused Leicester problems in the opening two minutes as Piroe blazed an effort wide from 12 yards after Ethan Ampadu won the ball high up the pitch and Rutter put the Dutchman through.
Rutter had a penalty appeal waved away after he went down under a challenge from Cesare Casadei as Leeds continued to have the better of the first quarter, despite Leicester winger Stephy Mavididi looking dangerous down the left.
Casadei took a heavy touch when a dinked ball from Harry Winks found him on the Leeds six-yard line soon after, as the Foxes began to grow into the half.
Ghana international Fatawu did superbly to create Leicester's best first-half chance as the 19-year-old skipped past Byram on the right wing before cutting in and curling a powerful left-footed effort that crashed off the bar.
Leeds broke straight away and Crysencio Summerville went down on the edge of the box under very slight contact on his arm from Ricardo Pereira.
Visiting boss Daniel Farke was booked following protests that his side should have had a penalty.
It was Leeds who upped their game in the second half as Piroe had a shot well saved by Hermansen, while James Justin did well to dispossess Summerville in a dangerous area soon after.
Leicester were ready to bring on Iheanacho for the quiet Jamie Vardy when Leeds went in front as Rutter could not miss.
The Foxes came close to drawing level when Fatawu's volley went over after some excellent build-up play before Iheanacho had a shot blocked as the hosts upped the pressure.
Joe Rodon did well to block Iheanacho's late effort from inside the box before Meslier pulled off a top-class save in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Dewsbury-Hall's back-post header looked destined for the top left corner.
While Leeds are still six points behind second-placed Ipswich, having played two more games, this result appears to bode well for them.
What goes down as just a second league loss suffered by Leicester this season will have buoyed Farke's West Yorkshire side ahead of games against bottom-half teams Rotherham United, Plymouth Argyle and Swansea City.
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