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Everton sent a warning to their top-four rivals after an impressive 2-0 win at Leicester.<\/p>\nEverton sent a warning to their top-four rivals after an impressive 2-0 win at Leicester.<\/p>\n
Richarlison\u2019s first Premier League goal for three months and Mason Holgate\u2019s maiden top-flight strike earned the disciplined Toffees victory.<\/p>\n
It was the Foxes\u2019 fourth defeat in seven league games at the King Power Stadium as their home woes threaten to undermine their own legitimate top-four chances.<\/p>\n
They dominated possession but could not break down a stubborn Toffees side who rose to fifth, a point and a place behind Leicester.<\/p>\n
The Foxes had a late penalty overturned after referee Lee Mason initially awarded a spot-kick to sum up another disappointing home outing.<\/p>\n
Youri Tielemans\u2019 low strike from the edge of the box inside two minutes was as good as it got for the hosts, who rarely looked like breaching Everton\u2019s organized defense.<\/p>\n
The Toffees always looked the more composed and they took the lead after 21 minutes.<\/p>\n
Richarlison collected Alex Iwobi\u2019s pass on the left and James Justin allowed him to drift inside too easily.<\/p>\n
The forward\u2019s 20-yard shot then caught out the unsighted Kasper Schmeichel who could only help it into the bottom corner.<\/p>\n
A minute later Jamie Vardy \u2013 making a club record 223rd appearance in the Premier League \u2013 headed straight at Robin Olsen from six yards.<\/p>\n
Olsen, in for Jordan Pickford, had little to do \u2013 aside from collecting a low Cengiz Under effort \u2013 as the Toffees grew into the game, aided by Leicester\u2019s sloppiness.<\/p>\n
Christian Fuchs, Wilfred Ndidi and Nampalys Mendy were all guilty of wasting possession and the Foxes escaped when Dominic Calvert-Lewin\u2019s header was gathered by Schmeichel.<\/p>\n
The Toffees remained controlled, despite losing Allan to a hamstring injury five minutes before the break, while Leicester\u2019s task was to forge a dramatic improvement in the second half, or see their patchy home form continue.<\/p>\n
But \u2013 despite James Maddison and Justin\u2019s bustling efforts \u2013 no early leveler came.<\/p>\n
Olsen remained largely untroubled as the Foxes tried to respond but they failed to click, thanks largely to robust Everton and the excellent Ben Godfrey.<\/p>\n
The visitors\u2019 attacking ambitions were limited though with 14-goal Calvert-Lewin offering nothing more than an outlet as the Toffees sat back and managed the game.<\/p>\n
Tielemans dragged wide and Maddison curled over after 65 minutes as Leicester continued to probe but there was still little tempo to the hosts \u2013 or a suggestion they would find a leveler.<\/p>\n
Everton were content to bide their time and a second came with 18 minutes left.<\/p>\n
They had barely been in Leicester\u2019s box but won a cheap corner and Schmeichel brilliantly denied Michael Keane\u2019s glancing header from Gylfi Sigurdsson\u2019s delivery.<\/p>\n
The ball fell for Calvert-Lewin but Schmeichel\u2019s superb stop turned his strike onto the bar only for Holgate to gobble up the rebound from close range.<\/p>\n
Sigurdsson shot over before Leicester thought they had grabbed a lifeline with seven minutes left.<\/p>\n
Ayoze Perez went down under Andre Gomes\u2019 tackle and referee Mason initially awarded a penalty, only to reverse his decision after checking the monitor.<\/p>\n
Perez also had a goal ruled out for offside as Everton closed the gap at the top.<\/p>\n