Leicester 0 Crystal Palace 2: Foxes lose sixth straight league game as Mateta and Guehi down relegation strugglers
MARC GUEHI grabbed his third goal of the season to add another few million pounds to his soaring price tag.
The England defender is being jealously eyed up by Chelsea and Newcastle United among others.
And he showed why with a sweetly struck volley to add to Jean-Philippe’s second half opener as he slayed Leicester City and condemned them to a sixth straight league defeat.
Palace survived a first half onslaught but were different beasts after the break as they exposed the Foxes defensive frailties.
How Ruud van Nistelrooy must wish he had a defender of Guehi‘s class to call on.
Instead, he had to face some furious Foxes fans, who spent most of the second-half demanding the sacking of Leicester’s Director of Football Jon Rudkin.
And it could have been even more if Jakub Stolarczyk hadn’t beaten away Ismaila Sarr’s stoppage time shot.
There were differing fortunes for the rival bosses prior to kick-off as their pre-match preparation was dominated by a tale of two defenders..
Leicester boss Ruud Van Nistelrooy gained one when he signed Parma full-back Woyo Coulibaly on a four-and-a-half-year contract for £1.9million.
And the 25-year-old Frenchman was well wrapped up in the King Power stand as he took in the action here.
That was in stark contrast to Palace boss Oliver Glasner who lost star stopper Trevoh Chalobah who was recalled by Chelsea midway through his season-long loan.
Without him, Palace looked nervy and anxious at the back but the Foxes failed to cash in, despite carving out several good chances.
The Eagles confidence should have been soaring as they came into this match on the back of a four-match unbeaten run.
But some sluggish defending in the opening minute allowed Bilal El Khannouss to rob the ball and feed Jamie Vardy whose instinctive flick was deflected straight to Dean Henderson’s waiting mitts.
Palace failed to heed the warning and dozed off again moments later when Wout Faes’ long ball out of defence sent Vardy scampering clear of Max Lacroix and Marc Guehi.
Vardy took the ball early and cleanly on the run and beat Henderson but the ball flew agonisingly inches wide.
El Khannouss was the next Fox to try his luck with a 25 yarder which Henderson saved and the keeper was soon back in action as Leicester kept surging forward.
This time Stephy Mavididi threaded a perfect ball into Vardy’s path and the veteran striker outstripped Guehi but his venomous shot was straight at Henderson who beat it away.
However despite all their pressure it was Leicester who were lucky not to find themselves behind just before the half hour as Mateta messed up his first big chance of the night.
Victor Kristiansen’s careless clearance crashed off Daniel Munoz and landed at Mateta’s feet.
But the striker leaned back and carelessly lofted the ball over the bar from 12 yards.
It was a glaring miss but the 27-year-old Frenchman atoned, six minutes after the break as Palace ruthlessly exposed Leicester’s soft centre.
Ismaila Sarr brushed Stephy Mavididi aside as he robbed him of possession before playing in Mateta.
The powerful striker simply shrugged off Jannick Vestergaard, who gave up the ghost way too easily and Metata rounded Jakub Stolarczyk and rolled the ball into the gaping net.
It was Mateta’s ninth goal of the season in all competitions for the Eagles and it deflated the Foxes.
Sarr almost set up another when he played in Tyrick Mitchell but Stolarczyk bravely blocked the full-back’s attempt from point blank range.
Vardy did his best to rally his side with a shot on the swivel which crept just wide.
And Leicester came even closer when Boubakary Soumare scooped a Kasey McAteer cross over Henderson, only for the ball to bounce off the bar.
Vardy just failed to guide a McAteer cross on target at the back post before Palace wrapped up all three points.
Eberechi Eze lofted a free kick towards the far post from 40 yards out and Marc Guehi stole in on McAteer’s blind side to beat Stolarczyk with a sweetly struck volley at his near post.
That extended the Eagles unbeaten run to five games and saw them leapfrog Manchester United in the table.
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