Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's Premier League clash between Leicester City and Norwich City at the King Power Stadium. Last summer, many would have expected this to have been a big game at the bottom of the table in the relegation battle, but as it happens the two sides are at opposite ends of the standings and Leicester today have a chance to go five points clear in the title race. First things first, though, let's take a look at the two teams...

LEICESTER STARTING XI: Schmeichel; Amartey, Huth, Morgan, Fuchs; Mahrez, Kanté, Drinkwater, Albrighton; Okazaki, Vardy

LEICESTER SUBS: King, Schlupp, Gray, Ulloa, Dyer, Wasilewski, Schwarzer

NORWICH STARTING XI: Ruddy; Bennett, Martin, Klose; Pinto, Tettey, Howson, Brady; Redmond, Naismith, Jerome

NORWICH SUBS: Rudd, Mbokani, Bamford, Jarvis, Mulumbu, Olsson, O'Neil

What can we make of those two sides, then? Well, Leicester had named an unchanged starting XI for the past six league games heading into this match, which was the longest streak in the division this season, but Claudio Ranieri has been forced into a change this afternoon. It is a debut for Daniel Amartey, who arrived in January from FC Copenhagen but has only now built himself up to full match fitness. He replaces Simpson at right-back following his red card against Arsenal last time out.

That is the only change made by Ranieri, though, as he once again keeps faith with the bulk of the side that lost to Arsenal in such devastating fashion a fortnight ago. Schmeichel, as ever, protects the goal, with Huth and Morgan directly in front of him as the increasingly solid centre-back partnership. Defence was their weakest point for much of the campaign, but they have improved in that respect in recent weeks and will hope to pick up another clean sheet this afternoon.

One of the standout performers this season has been Kante, who was truly excellent against Arsenal despite ending up on the losing side. He has come from obscurity to establish himself as one of the key players for the league leaders, and it would be a surprise if he didn't at least enter the argument when it comes to the player of the season. Drinkwater alongside him in midfield has also enjoyed a fine campaign, while the energy brought by Albrighton and Okazaki is vital to Leicester's style of play.

When it comes to Leicester, though, two men stand out above all others for their performances this season. Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy have both been brilliant so far and are surely the two front-runners to pick up the Player of the Year awards. They are the two players to have been directly involved in the most league goals this season, with Mahrez having a hand in 24 and Vardy 22, while between them they have scored more goals (33) than nine other Premier League teams, and the same amount as fifth-placed Manchester United.

Norwich, meanwhile, have gone for an interesting tactic this afternoon, with the teamsheet suggesting that they are switching their formation to a 3-4-3. Bennett, Martin and Klose appear to be the trio at the back, and you have to say that it is a risky ploy with Leicester breaking in such numbers and with such speed. It is easy to see the Foxes outnumbering Norwich on the counter and visitors' three defenders being left exposed.

Alex Neil clearly believes, though, that it is most important to pack the midfield against this Leicester side, and considering the role Kante and Drinkwater, amongst others, have had this season, it could turn out to be a wise move if Norwich are able to control that area of the field. Tettey returns from suspension for this game to play alongside Howson in the middle of the park, while Pinto and Brady will provide the width.

In reality, what is likely to happen is that Norwich drop back into more of a defensive five when Leicester have the ball, with Pinto and Brady acting as the full-backs, before turning into wing-backs when Norwich themselves are in possession. The potential problem with that is clear to see, though, as the Foxes don't offer enjoy the majority of the possession and instead play on the break, so if Brady and Pinto are caught too far upfield then it could play right into Leicester's hands.

If Neil has plumped for the 3-4-3, as the official team sheet from the club suggests, then you have to say it is a brave choice and one that is arguably focused more on exposing Leicester's defensive shortcomings than trying to prevent the hosts at the other end. Redmond, Naismith and Jerome all start in the front three, although I suspect that we will see more of Naismith behind Jerome and perhaps Redmond and Brady in wide roles and closer to a 4-5-1 formation.

What formation Norwich do come out with, it is sure to be a tricky match for them this afternoon. There is no doubt that Leicester go into this match as heavy favourites to pick up all three points, and it could be a huge three points for the club too. This is a real chance for them to put pressure on their closest rivals, with Tottenham and Arsenal not playing until tomorrow and Man City not in Premier League action due to their involvement in the Capital One Cup final.

That means that victory today would send Leicester five points clear at the top of the table and, while Spurs will be expected to close that gap back to two when they host Swansea City tomorrow, there is no guarantee that Arsenal will pick up a victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford, so the odds suggest that this could be a big weekend for the Foxes as the unthinkable goal of winning the Premier League title edges ever closer.

There is, however, a big question mark hanging over Leicester going into today's game. They suffered a huge setback last time out, and it remains to be seen how they will respond to losing in such a way against one of their title rivals. Having taken the lead against Arsenal at the Emirates and looked more than a match for Arsene Wenger's side, they were then harshly reduced to 10 men early in the second half and eventually succumbed to a 2-1 defeat courtesy of a 95th-minute winner from Danny Welbeck.

If anything was to take the wind out of Leicester's sails this season then it would be that, but crucially the Foxes have since had a two-break break to recover and take a step back from the increasing emotion of the title race. Ranieri took the unprecedented step, for him at least, to give the players a full week off after such a gutting defeat, and that break, coupled with a relatively kind fixture on their return to action, could be just the tonic Leicester need to bounce straight back to winning ways.

Taking away the emotion of that Arsenal defeat, things still look very good for Leicester. The loss was their only one in their last eight Premier League games and just their third all season, while they have kept a much-improved tally of five clean sheets in those eight matches too. They are also the joint-highest scorers in the league, and perhaps most importantly of all, have a kind run-in when it comes to fixtures. Eight of their last 12 games come against sides currently in the bottom half of the table, and they have no more matches left to play against fellow title contenders.

The Foxes have only lost one of their 15 games at the King Power Stadium this season, winning 10 of those and drawing four. That solitary defeat came all the way back in September as Arsenal ran out 5-2 winners, and they will be hopeful of bouncing back from their latest defeat to the Gunners as well as they did to that one. Incidentally, Arsenal are one of just two teams, along with Manchester City, to boast a better home record in the top flight than Leicester this season.

I mentioned their improving defensive record, and that is particularly true at home, where they have kept clean sheets in their last four Premier League outings. The last league goal they conceded at the King Power Stadium was on December 14, when they beat Chelsea 2-1 in what proved to be Jose Mourinho's last game in charge of the champions. Since then they have gone more than six hours without conceding, having only managed one clean sheet in their first eight home league games of the campaign.

It looks like a daunting task for Norwich, then, and not many people will be backing them to get a win from this game. The Canaries are only outside the relegation zone on goal difference and look like they will be battling against the drop until the very end based on recent form. The good news from today's early kickoff is that Sunderland have lost to West Ham, which means that Norwich will still be outside the bottom three when they begin this match.

They had actually dropped into the relegation zone following their 2-2 draw with West Ham last time out, and while they picked up a rare, and potentially vital, point in that game, it would have felt very much like a defeat. The Canaries looked to be on course for a shock win when they took a two-goal lead against the Hammers at Carrow Road, only to concede two more in as many minutes to blow their advantage and drop two big points.

Fortunately for Norwich, their stay in the bottom three did not last long as Newcastle dropped back below them on goal difference following their 5-1 defeat to Chelsea in the later kickoff that day, but their position is still far more precarious than Alex Neil would like. Like Leicester, they have had two weeks off following that draw with the Hammers, during which time they have gone to Abu Dhabi for a warm-weather training camp.

Just as Leicester will be hoping their time off shakes away the disappointment from the last game, Norwich will be hoping that the trip to Abu Dhabi has given them the chance to regroup. It is a much bigger job for the Canaries than it is for the Foxes, though, as Norwich have been in dire form for some time now. They are winless in their last six Premier League matches since a January 2 victory over Southampton, picking up a joint league-low one point from the last 18 on offer.

In all competitions it is no wins in seven, which included a run of six straight defeats before the draw against West Ham last time out. During that seven-match spell they have conceded 21 goals, at an average of three per game, and have lost to the likes of Bournemouth and Aston Villa - both teams around them in the relegation scrap. Things certainly look bleak for the Canaries, and with Chelsea and Manchester City coming up in two of their next three games, it may not get much better any time soon.

Their main problems this season have come in defence, where they have conceded 50 goals in 26 games - the joint-highest tally in the league at the start of the day. There aren't as many problems at the other end of the field, with only one side in the bottom eight having scored more than their tally of 30, but that still is nowhere near enough goals to make up for how leaky they have been at the back.

Away from home, Norwich have failed to keep a clean sheet all season and have lost eight of their last nine league matches, with the exception being a shock 2-1 victory over Manchester United. That includes an ongoing run of four straight away league defeats during which they have scored just one goal and conceded 11. In all competitions they have only won one of their last 13 away games, while in the Premier League alone it is just two wins from their last 24. Only Newcastle and Aston Villa have amassed fewer points on the road this term.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes away from kickoff at the King Power Stadium, which means that it is time for a prediction! There is a question mark over how Leicester will respond to that Arsenal defeat, but that two-week break came at the perfect time for them and they should have enough to comfortably beat an out-of-form Norwich side today. I'm going for a commanding 3-0 home victory.

The Foxes have won both of their last two meetings with Norwich, but both of them have come at Carrow Road. They haven't beaten the Canaries here since a 4-0 drubbing in 2008, which is their only home win in this fixture in their last five attempts - a run that stretches back to 1997.

Norwich, meanwhile, have won six of the last nine league meetings between these two sides, including a 3-2 victory on their last visit to the King Power Stadium back in March 2011. Hoolahan was amongst those on the scoresheet for Norwich that day as they overcame a Leicester side managed by Sven-Goran Eriksson.

The reverse fixture in October ended in a 2-1 victory for Leicester, with Vardy inevitably on the scoresheet for the Foxes. He scored from the spot - one of a league-high 10 penalties Leicester have been awarded this season - and that was then added to be Jeffrey Schlupp, who makes this bench this afternoon after a recent hamstring injury. Mbokani, who is on the bench for Norwich, got the home side's goal.

We're closing in on kickoff now, but before we get started let me point you in the direction of our latest edition of The Dugout, where we discuss the biggest talking points in the world of football this week. Have a listen while following the game!

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KICKOFF: Here we go then! Norwich get us underway for the first half of this clash between title chasers and relegation candidates.

It does look like Norwich are switching to the 3-4-3 formation as their team sheet suggested, with Naismith operating on the left of the front three and Jerome the focal point.

Leicester make some decent progress down the right through debutant Amartey, but his low pass into the middle is just a little behind Okazaki, who can't take it into his stride.

There have been a couple of hefty challenges made by Norwich already today, and that causes Neil Swarbrick to go over and have a word with Pinto, the latest offender.

CHANCE! An early chance for Norwich on the break as Redmond skips past one defender before slipping Jerome in down the right channel. Schmeichel comes off his line and Jerome looks to take the ball past him, but Schmeichel collects it. Jerome may have been better just looking to slide that beyond the keeper first time there.

Good spell of possession for Leicester here, and the hosts are seeing plenty of the ball at the moment - perhaps even more than they would like. They aren't getting the chance to break right now, and Norwich are able to sit in and try to frustrate the Foxes.

Leicester win a free kick inside the Norwich half, which sees the big boys rumble up from the back. Albrighton swings the ball in from deep and Huth climbs highest in the area, but nods it comfortably over.

CHANCE! Leicester have their first hint of a chance today as Vardy finds a bit of space down the right channel. He reaches the byline before cutting the ball back inside towards Okazaki, but his close-range effort is really well blocked. The ball drops towards Albrighton, but Tettey is there to poke it away.

CLOSE! The hosts are beginning to put the pressure on now. Again they come down the right, with Albrighton this time the man to feed a low pass towards the near post. There is no Leicester striker attacking it, but Martin almost does the job for them, turning it narrowly past his own post.

Norwich win a corner, but Leicester send out a message by keeping three up top for it. The visitors initially look to be gambling a bit by only leaving two back themselves, but they think better of it and send someone back.

Norwich will be relatively pleased with how they have defended so far, limiting Leicester's chances well up to this point. There is always that threat when the Foxes are involved, though.

Norwich are pressing well off the ball, which is preventing Leicester from moving it quickly as they love to do. Norwich haven't been afraid to put a foot in either, which all helps to disrupt the home side's rhythm.

SHOT! Brilliant touch from Okazaki as he completely kills a high, spinning ball while holding off a defender on the edge of the box. He then tees up Albrighton, but the winger curls his effort well over from 25 yards.

Tettey tries an effort of his own at the other end of the field having cut inside from the left, but he drags it comfortably wide. Poor effort.

Still neither goalkeeper has had a shot to save in this match so far, with the most either have had to do coming when Schmeichel prevented Jerome from taking the ball past him when through on goal.

CHANCE! Good chance for Leicester on the break as Bennett gives the ball away to Okazaki, who gives it to Vardy. The striker sends it out wide for Mahrez, who dances his way into the area with a lovely piece of skill. He just delays the eventual shot too long, however, which allows Martin to get across and make a crucial block. A couple of subsequent efforts also fail to trouble the keeper and a good opening goes begging for the hosts.

Leicester are certainly looking the more dangerous of the two sides, as expected, but Norwich have done a good job of protecting Ruddy so far. The visitors have also had a couple of half-chances in the final third to create chances of their own, to little avail.

Good attack here from Norwich as they get forward down the right and feed a low ball in to Cameron, who knocks it back towards Naismith. It takes a last-gasp challenge to deny the former Everton man a clear chance and Leicester eventually scramble the ball away.

CLOSE! Howson brings Okazaki to ground in a dangerous crossing position for Leicester, and Albrighton swings a peach of a delivery into the box. It is just too far in front of Huth, though, and the ball skims narrowly wide of the far post.

This one has certainly not been as one sided as the league positions may suggest. Norwich make good ground down the flanks again, this time on the left. Jerome is once again the target for the cross, peeling away to the back post, but his knock down is to no-one.

Mahrez again cuts inside and looks for a shooting opportunity, but once more there is a yellow and green shirt in the way. No way to Ruddy's goal for the hosts so far.

Good spell of pressure for Leicester, but still they can't get in behind the Norwich defence. The visitors quickly break and eventually win a corner at the other end of the field.

CHANCE! Huge chance for Norwich to take the lead! The resulting corner from Brady is a beauty, swinging it into the middle, and Jerome attacks it really well. However, he glances his header narrowly wide of the target when he simply had to score. Massive, massive chance for the visitors.

That may well act as a wake-up call for Leicester as they really should be behind in this game. They are not finding things easy against Norwich at all here, and a lot of credit has to go to the visitors for that.

SAVE! Finally there is a shot for either keeper to save as Redmond drives a low strike towards goal from a tight angle. Schmeichel's save isn't exactly textbook, but he at least keeps it out at the expense of a corner.

PENALTY SHOUT! Norwich want a penalty as Brady brings the ball forward, charging up the middle to the edge of the box before finding Jerome. Jerome tries to curl one goalwards and his shot was blocked by Morgan, resulting in claims for a handball. The referee says no, and the replay proves him right.

Leicester have a free kick in a decent position for what will be the final action of the half...

Fuchs goes for power from range, but it strikes the ball and is then cleared out for a throw.

Neil Swarbrick brings an end to the first half at the King Power Stadium, and it is still all square between these two sides. In truth, Norwich have arguably been the better team so far, defending really well and threatening on a couple of occasions at the other end too. It has been a lot more even than many people would have expected, and Norwich may fancy their chances of pulling off a shock here.

It was the visitors who had by far and away the best chance of the half, and Cameron Jerome will still be wondering just how he was unable to take it. Brady's corner was whipped into a great area and Jerome attacked it well, but he just didn't get enough on his glancing header to put it in. The ball flew narrowly past the far post when the Norwich striker simply had to score.

Aside from that, clear-cut chances have been hard to come by in this match so far. Leicester's best opening came courtesy of some Mahrez magic as the Algerian picked the ball up on the right flank and cut inside, beating two defenders all ends up on his way into the box. However, he just hesitated with his shot, which allowed Martin to get in and make a block, while Albrighton fired one wide moments later.

For the most part, though, the Foxes have found it really difficult to break this Norwich side down, with Ruddy as yet untested for the visitors. Albrighton has come closest for the hosts with a free kick that was intended as a cross but zipped inches past the far post, while Okazaki has also had a close-range flick well blocked after good work from Vardy.

Norwich have had chances of their own in addition to Jerome's header, though, and they are right in this game at the halfway stage. Redmond brought about the first save either keeper had made in the closing stages of the half when his low drive was turned behind by Schmeichel, while Schmeichel had also earlier prevented Jerome from taking the ball around him after being released through down the right channel.

KICKOFF: Leicester get us back underway as they look to find the breakthrough that would send them five points clear at the top of the table.

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the game goes to Naismith, and he can have no complaints for a rash lunge on Mahrez.

The resulting free kick is swung in by Albrighton towards Fuchs at the back post, but Pinto has kept a close eye on it and does enough to prevent the Leicester defender from getting on the end of it.

YELLOW CARD! Bennett goes into the book retrospectively for a foul on Vardy, with the referee playing advantage before coming back to it.

Poor from Amartey as he pulls out of a challenge with Jerome, which allows the Norwich man to storm forward down the left flank. In the end, it takes Huth to clear up the mess by sliding in inside his own box.

Important piece of play from Ruddy as he comes out of his area to mop up a long ball over the top from Mahrez, denying Vardy a clear chance.

The dancing feet of Mahrez sees him jink his way to the edge of the box and win another free kick for his side, this time in a very threatening position...

SAVE! Ruddy finally has a save to make as Drinkwater tees the free kick up for Vardy, who drills a low strike towards the bottom corner. The Norwich keeper is down in good time to make the save and hold on, though.

Leicester haven't got into their usual stride so far today, but there have just been a couple of signs in the last few minutes that they are finally beginning to warm to the task here.

Norwich have just under half an hour left to hold out here, and they will be delighted with what they have done so far. They were shipping goals for fun before that two-week break, but right now look relatively comfortable against the league's top scorers.

How long before Ranieri turns to his bench here? Failure to win this match would really ramp up the pressure on Leicester, if only for the inevitable speculation that the Arsenal defeat has burst their bubble and cost them the title.

SAVE! Chance for Leicester to break, with Okazaki, Vardy, Albrighton and Mahrez all involved. The latter again tries to weave his magic but is this time tackled, with the ball breaking to Albrighton. He tries to curl one towards goal, but doesn't really catch it and Ruddy makes a comfortable save.

LEICESTER SUBS: A double change for the hosts here as Andy King and Jeffrey Schlupp replace Okazaki and Kante.

Well, I said before the match that I thought the break could have been ideal for Leicester after that Arsenal defeat, but it seems to have knocked them off their stride. They have shown very little of the usual energy and high-tempo play that has made them such a force this season.

The clock continues to tick away for Leicester, who would edge just three points clear if everything stays the same, giving Spurs the opportunity to move top of the table tomorrow. Could the dream run being running out of steam in the closing stages of the season?

Almost a chance for Leicester as Fuchs slides the ball down the left flank for Schlupp, who swings a first-time ball into the middle. Vardy gets in front of his man, but can't steer his header on target.

More danger from the Foxes as Vardy knocks the ball down to Mahrez, who flicks it into the path of King, but it is just behind the midfielder and Norwich mop it up once again.

LEICESTER SUB: A third and final change for the home side, and it is an attacking one as Leonardo Ulloa replaces Amartey.

Interestingly, Norwich don't seem to be settling for a draw here. They would, of course, be happy with a point here, but they have not given up on grabbing a winner either. Ruddy showcases that ambition by looking to get his side moving quickly on the counter just after collecting the ball.

Norwich win a dubious free kick in a good crossing position, which Brady swings into the middle. However, it is a little too close to the keeper and Schmeichel punches it away.

NORWICH SUB: The visitors make their first change of the afternoon as Matt Jarvis replaces Naismith.

CLOSE! Norwich almost steal a winner in style! Redmond is allowed to cut inside from the left flank and arros an effort towards the far post that whistles just past the post with Schmeichel beaten.

Now Norwich are taking their time over everything, and who can blame them? I questioned their switch of tactics before the game, but you have to give credit to Alex Neil - it has really worked today. They have stopped Leicester from playing their usual game and would be worthy of a point should they hold out.

Almost a great chance for Jarvis as this game begins to open up here. He breaks forward and finds himself in space over to the left side of the area, but Morgan gets a crucial toe to the ball just as the Norwich sub was cutting inside.

Finally the breakthrough for Leicester! They take the lead in the final minute of normal time as Albrighton feeds a brilliant low ball right across the face of goal that none of the Norwich defenders dare to touch. It goes all the way through to Ulloa, who is left with a simple finish at the back post.

There will be four minutes of added time for Norwich to look for a response.

NORWICH SUBS: That goal has forced Alex Neil into action, with Bamford and Mbokani on for Jerome and Klose.

CHANCE! A late chance for Norwich as the ball breaks to Bamford in the box, but he skews his effort wide of the target.

The sign of champions? Leicester come away with a late, late win against Norwich following a difficult match in which they were far from their best. It is devastatingly cruel on the visitors, who put in one of their better performances this season and had chances of their own, but Leonardo Ulloa's late goal hands Leicester the win to send them five points clear at the top of the table.

That is all we have time for this afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's match as Leicester breathe new life into their title hopes with a late victory over Norwich. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!