Sunderland vs Leicester City. Premier League.
Stadium of LightAttendance39,725.
Saturday 3 December 2016 21:44, UK
Sunderland's revival continued as a 2-1 victory over Leicester helped them move off the bottom of the Premier League table.
Robert Huth's own goal and a Jermain Defoe strike put Sunderland two clear at the Stadium of Light before Shinji Okazaki got one back for Leicester with 10 minutes to go.
Late heroics from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford denied Wes Morgan from levelling in the dying minutes, and Sunderland held on for their third win in four league games.
Defeat for Leicester meanwhile puts them down in 15th - just two points above the relegation zone having picked up just two points in their last five games.
Sunderland were looking to build on an impressive November which saw them take six points from three league games and earned David Moyes a nomination for manager of the month.
The hosts were quick out the blocks, with Duncan Watmore forcing a save from Ron-Robert Zieler after just one minute.
Sunderland continued to dominate, and Morgan threw himself in front of Victor Anichebe and Defoe strikes to keep the hosts at bay.
Defoe went close again, but he uncharacteristically scuffed his effort from eight yards out with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Leicester took a while to get going but looked stronger as the first half went on, and Vardy went close with a series of headers.
Vardy's best chance came after a Christian Fuchs' cross found the striker, but his glancing header sailed narrowly wide beyond the far post.
After the break, Islam Slimani almost broke the deadlock but his effort was blocked by Papy Djilobodji - with subsequent appeals for handball turned down.
The game burst into life after the hour-mark, and it was Sunderland who took the lead in the 64th minute.
A Sebastian Larsson cross was met by Jan Kirchhoff, and his header ricocheted off the helpless Huth and bobbled into the Leicester net.
It got worse for the visitors as Defoe made amends for his earlier miss with a clinical finish after Morgan blocked Watmore's initial effort.
The two-goal lead did not last long however, as Okazaki cleverly turned the ball in from Demarai Gray's cross with 10 minutes left.
Six minutes were added on after Watmore was stretchered off, and Leicester's best chance to equalise came in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
A Leicester cross fell to Morgan eight yards out, and the captain connected well with the effort but was denied by the strong hand of Pickford.
The goalkeeper's celebrations after the stop told of its significance, and the full-time whistle was blown barely a minute after to the joy of the home supporters.
Player ratings
Sunderland: Pickford (8), Jones (7), Kone (7), Djilobodji (7), Van Aanholt (8); Pienaar (6), Ndong (6), Denayer (6), Watmore (7), Anichebe (7), Defoe (7).
Subs: Kirchhoff (7), Larsson (6), Manquillo (6).
Leicester: Zieler (6), Simpson (6), Huth (7), Morgan (7), Fuchs (6), Mahrez (5), Amartey (6), King (6), Albrighton (7), Slimani (5), Vardy (4).
Subs: Musa (5), Okazaki (6), Gray (6).
Man of the match: Patrick van Aanholt.
