Report & Highlights: Clinical Palace secure superb win at Leicester

Summary:

• Palace kick-off through Eze, looking to make it six games unbeaten away from home in the Premier League.
• 1: Henderson makes save at near post from Vardy.
• 2: Vardy chance goes wide after firing volley from edge of the box.
• 20: Lerma is substituted after struggling with sickness, Doucoure takes his place in midfield.
• 28: Mateta misses first clear-cut chance for Palace after Munoz wins the ball high up the pitch.
• 33: Leicester's Justin shoots just wide from free-kick.
• HT: Leicester 0-0 Palace
• 52 - GOAL: Mateta opens the scoring, rounding the goalkeeper to tap into an empty net after great work from Sarr.
• 67: Leicester miss big chance after a breakaway, Mavididi fires wide after running in-behind Palace defence.
• 68: Leicester hit the woodwork, Soumaré sees shot come back off the crossbar from just inside the box.
• 78 - GOAL: Guehi arrives at the back post to fire home Eze's free-kick and give Palace a two-goal lead.
• 90: Sarr sees his shot saved after excellent team move leads to winger being teed-up by Munoz.
• FT: Leicester 0-2 Palace

The Eagles made it six games on the road in the league without defeat, with an excellent team performance, topped off with two superbly worked goals.

The win moves Palace up to 14th in the league table, and continues a fine start to 2025 for Oliver Glasner’s team.

It was the Foxes who had the first sight of goal on a chilly night in the East Midlands, Jamie Vardy forcing an alert save from Dean Henderson at his near post.

The same player fired a volley just past the post only a minute later, with the hosts out to make a fast start.

But Palace did well after those two nervy moments early on, and managed to grow into a tight first-half.

Will Hughes was often heavily involved, going to ground close to the penalty area, only for appeals to be waved away.

His ability to find Ebere Eze and Ismaila Sarr in dangerous positions offered hope, but at the other end Henderson had to make a superb save one-on-one against Vardy.

Replays showed the former England forward may have been offside, but Palace’s No. 1 didn’t know and was sharp to deny him from close range.

Palace’s early rhythm wasn’t helped by an enforced change that saw Jefferson Lerma depart, replaced by Cheick Doucoure.

But the Eagles did have a huge chance just before the half-hour mark. Daniel Munoz won the ball high up the pitch with an aggressive press.

The ball fell for Mateta not far the Leicester goal, but sadly he skewed his shot over the bar.

At the other end, James Justin went close for the hosts, his dipping free-kick only just wide of Henderson’s post.

But it was Palace who ended the first-half stronger, Hughes coming only millimetres away from scoring just before the interval.

Mateta’s low cross fell to Tyrick Mitchell, whose effort was blocked – only for the ball to fall for Hughes. The Eagles midfielder caught the ball nicely, but his effort went just over the bar.

But the moment of magic would come just after the break, Mateta running onto Sarr’s through ball after the winger drove at the heart of the Leicester defence before slipping through the perfect pass.

The French forward coolly rounded Jakub Stolarczyk before rolling the ball into an empty net  - for his ninth goal of the season.

Suddenly confidence was flowing through the Eagles. A wonderful team move ended with Eze picking out the overlapping Mitchell at the back post - only a good save from Stolarczyk preventing Palace from doubling their lead.

Leicester made a triple substitution in an attempt to regain control, and started to threaten the Eagles goal again.

One of those brought on, Patson Daka, hit the crossbar with a dipping effort from outside the box, with Henderson only able to watch on. The lively Leicester forward also forced an excellent block from Chris Richards, as pressure began to build.

But it was Palace who got the all-important second goal. Eze’s free-kick was perfectly delivered for the onrushing Guehi to fire into the Leicester goal from close range.

There was still time for Mavididi to head narrowly wide from a late Foxes corner – but in truth the three points were never in doubt following the captain’s goal.

The final chance of the night went to Sarr, after he was teed up by Munoz. The save was made but it couldn’t spoil a near perfect away day for the Eagles.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Richards, Guéhi, Lacroix, Muñoz, Mitchell (Clyne, 80), Lerma (Doucoure, 20), Hughes (Kamada, 62), Eze (Devenny, 80), Sarr, Mateta (Nketiah, 80)

Subs: Turner, Riad, Clyne, Schlupp, Kporha.

Leicester: Stolarczyk, Justin (Ayew, 80), Vestergaard, Faes, Kristiansen, Winks (Skipp, 66), Soumare, El Khannouss (Daka, 66), Mavididi, Buonanotte (McAteer, 66), Vardy.

Subs: Iversen, Coady, Thomas, Choudhury, De Cordova-Reid

As It Happened