Saints hammer feeble Foxes

Southampton have moved up to 11th place in the Premier League after they swept aside a lacklustre Leicester City 3-0 at St. Mary's.

Having lost four league games in-a-row, the Saints desperately needed a victory to extinguish any chance of them being dragged into a relegation battle and they got it in emphatic fashion.

Claude Puel's side dominated the match from the first kick of the ball and they got the all-important breakthrough on 26 minutes when James Ward-Prowse expertly guided a sweet half-volley past Kasper Schmeichel and into the bottom corner of the net.

The midfielder then had a hand in the hosts doubling their advantage when his free-kick eventually made its way to Jay Rodriguez who lashed the ball home from a tight angle.

Leicester never looked like getting back into the contest and the outcome looked to have been sealed when Wes Morgan headed into his own net as the game entered its closing stages only for the Foxes' captain's blushes to be spared by the linesman flagging, debatably, for offside.

However, Southampton were not to be denied a third for much longer, Dusan Tadic converting a late spot-kick after Morgan had brought down substitute Shane Long as he closed in on goal.

The home side can breathe a little easier now they are 11 points ahead of 18th-placed Crystal Palace and will next travel to Anfield on Wednesday to defend a 1-0 first leg lead over Liverpool in their EFL Cup semi-final.

Claudio Ranieri's men though are enduring a nightmare defence of the league title they claimed in such historic fashion last season, without a win away from their King Power Stadium while the 37 goals they have already conceded after 22 games is more than they did throughout their full 38 game campaign last year.

Sitting only three places and five points away from the drop zone, Leicester are unquestionably in a battle against the drop and with so many of their players turning in such consistently below-par displays, whether they can avoid a humiliating demotion to the Championship one season after being Premier League champions is in the balance.

Photo: Getty Images/Mike Hewitt

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