Leicester City‘s relentless pursuit of the Championship title showed no signs of slowing down as Jamie Vardy found the back of the net against his boyhood club Sheffield Wednesday.
The 37-year-old striker, facing an uncertain contract future, notched his 11th goal of the season and a personal milestone as he scored for the first time against the Owls.
The Foxes’ charge to the top continued with a fifth consecutive victory in all competitions, solidifying their position as the leaders with a commanding 12-point cushion.
Abdul Fatawu set the tone early on, capitalizing on a defensive blunder to open the scoring, setting the stage for Vardy’s historic goal.
Our Sheffield scorer 🐐@vardy7 pic.twitter.com/Iia5NstXVA
— Leicester City (@LCFC) February 13, 2024
Despite Wednesday’s valiant efforts to rally in the second half, Leicester’s resilience proved insurmountable, securing their 13th away league defeat of the season.
The victory leaves Wednesday languishing in 23rd place, five points adrift of safety, deep in the relegation struggle.
Vardy’s return to the starting lineup, coupled with Jannik Vestergaard’s comeback from injury and Stephy Mavididi’s impactful presence down the left, has Leicester looking formidable as they approach the Championship’s finishing post.
The pivotal moment of the match unfolded within four minutes, exposing Wednesday’s shaky defense that had conceded four times in each of their previous three away games.
Opting to play out from the back, a nervy move for a side battling relegation, Wednesday handed Leicester a golden opportunity.
Goalkeeper James Beadle’s errant pass to Will Vaulks under pressure from Dennis Praet opened the door for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, whose cross, deftly dummied by Vardy, allowed Fatawu to calmly slot home.
