Leicester City moved 10 points clear at the top of the Premier League table courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light this afternoon.
It took 66 minutes for the Foxes to find the breakthrough against their relegation-threatened hosts, but it eventually arrived through Jamie Vardy as he slotted past Vito Mannone.
The visitors looked to be on course for a fifth straight 1-0 win, but Vardy added a second in the final minute of stoppage time to put the game to bed once and for all, taking his side to within three wins of the title.
Find out how all of the action unfolded on a pivotal day at both ends of the table courtesy of Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.
That is all we have time for this afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for this huge match as Leicester open up a 10-point gap at the top of the table with a 2-0 victory over Sunderland. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction from both camps. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
The Premier League title comes one step closer for Leicester as they move 10 points clear at the top of the table with a 2-0 victory over Sunderland! Vardy got both goals at the Stadium of Light to take the Foxes to within three wins of the title, while on the flip side Sunderland remain four adrift of safety. Surely Leicester have done it now?
Vardy kills it off once and for all as he doubles his personal tally. Gray gives the striker the ball on the halfway line and he beats the final man to race clean through on goal. He then beats Mannone to the ball, poking it past the keeper and then slotting it into the empty net.
CHANCE! If Sunderland get a late goal here, they should go to thank Mannone first. He keeps them hanging on with another huge save late on as a ball is hoisted forward to Vardy, who takes it down before playing in Amartey. The rest of the Sunderland team look as though they have given up on defending, but Mannone makes a brilliant save to deny the Leicester sub.
CHANCE! Big chance for Leicester to kill the game off as the visitors keep the ball down the right flank before Drinkwater steals his way to the byline. He cuts it back to Vardy in the area, but his effort is kept out by Mannone. He should have scored there!
Time is ticking away for Sunderland, and it may be kitchen sink time soon. Leicester have the ball at the right end of the field as far as they are concerned, though, and don't seem to have given up on the idea of a second goal.
LEICESTER SUB: Leicester make their third and final change this afternoon as Daniel Amartey replaces Albrighton.
CHANCE! This game is really opening up now! Kante brings the ball forward before sliding a pass to Ulloa in space inside the area. Mannone is quick off his line, though, and makes a big save to deny the sub.
WHAT A MISS! Oh my word, Sunderland should be level here! It is an absolute sitter for Rodwell as the ball breaks to him in a glorious position inside the area. He has most of the goal to aim at, but lifts his shot over the crossbar when he simply had to score. How big could that prove to be both in the title race and the relegation battle?!
LEICESTER SUB: Mahrez cuts a disconsolate figure as he trudges off the field following what may have been his quietest performance of the season. On comes Demarai Gray in his place.
Poor from Defoe, who takes the ball down on the edge of the box and cuts inside before looking to go for goal. He gets his shot all wrong, though, firing it closer to the corner flag.
Almost a chance for Van Aanholt at the back post as a cross from the left takes a flick off Huth on the way through that takes it to the defender. He is not expecting it, though, and can't control the ball when doing so would have given him a very good opening.
SAVE! Ulloa wins the ball well and immediately plays it to Albrighton to launch a counter. The winger brings it inside from the left flank and chooses to go alone, but his low strike is comfortable for the keeper.
SUNDERLAND SUB: A third and final change for the home side here as Borini, who has missed a string of good chances today, is replaced by Jeremain Lens.
CHANCE! Big chance for Sunderland at the other end! Van Aanholt cuts a low cross into the middle and finds Borini in space, but the Italian somehow manages to hit the ball into his own face when he should have at least tested Schmeichel.
CHANCE! Decent chance for Leicester on the break here, with Kante launching it with yet another tackle on the edge of his own box. He gives it to Mahrez, who carries the ball a long way into the area but then doesn't get enough on his shot. Vardy slides in to try to make something of it, but Mannone gathers.
SUNDERLAND SUBS: Allardyce reacts to going behind with a double change as Jack Rodwell and Dame N'Doye replace M'Vila and Khazri.
Leicester finally have the breakthrough! It is brilliant from Drinkwater initially as he takes the ball down inside his own half, beats Cattermole and then pings a beauty of a pass over the top for Vardy. He races on to it and won't be caught as he cuts inside before placing his finish past Mannone. Huge, huge goal for Leicester!
It just isn't really happening for either side in the final third at the moment. There is no way through, and so far today the defences have been very much on top.
LEICESTER SUB: The hosts make their first change of the afternoon, with Okazaki being replaced by Leonardo Ulloa.
We're past the hour mark now and still we have only seen two shots on target today - one apiece. Of those, only Sunderland's has really tested the keeper, so it is fair to say that neither side have exactly been clinical so far, with both having over 10 shots.
SAVE! Good opening for Leicester again as Mahrez lays the ball back for Drinkwater, who just tries to pass one into the bottom corner from outside the area. It lacks the power to trouble Mannone, though, as the keeper gets down in good time to make the save even though the ball was heading wide anyway.
It will be interesting to see how Sunderland approach this game in the final half an hour or so. They don't seem to be sitting back and playing for a draw at the moment, with Khazri creating room to shoot here only to see his effort hit Defoe and go behind for a goal kick.
It is Leicester who are in control now having weathered Sunderland's bright start to the half. Mannone has still be largely untroubled today, though, with those in front of him doing a good job of containing Leicester's attackers.
CHANCE! That is more like the Leicester's we've come to know this season! They hound Sunderland in midfield and win the ball back in the opposition half through Drinkwater. He continues his run through the middle and is picked out by Vardy, but Yedlin gets back really well to put pressure on the England international and Mannone is able to gather.
CHANCE! Half a chance for Leicester at the other end as Okazaki shows good fight to keep hold of the ball before playing it left for the overlapping Kante. The midfielder then returns the favour by playing it back to Okazaki, who fires his left-footed strike well over.
CHANCE! Another chance falls the way of Sunderland, who have made a good start to this half. Defoe's shot is blocked by Morgan but drops to Borini, who gets it under control before lashing an effort of his own towards goal. It is always rising, though, and flies off target. Borini should have done better there!
...although they won't get it with shooting like that. Yedlin lines up a strike from range, but fires it a long way off target.
Good play from Van Aanholt as he steals in to nick the ball in front of Mahrez. Sunderland are looking to get on the front foot here and perhaps sense that they have a chance of picking up what would be a huge win here.
CHANCE! An early shooting chance for the hosts as Cattermole releases Borini down the right and the winger cuts inside before firing a deflected effort well off target. Leicester don't deal with the resulting corner and it bounces back out to Borini, but he completely mis-hits his shot from the edge of the box to send it wide.
KICKOFF: Leicester get us back underway for the second half here as they look to get the goal that would take them to within three wins of the Premier League title.
The other two penalty calls were both for handballs, with one apiece for either side. The first saw Van Aanholt's low cross strike the arm of Huth when the defender was sliding in to block it, and while it did stop the cross from coming in, it was not a deliberate handball. The same applies for the second too as Kaboul blocked Mahrez's effort from the edge of the area.
The main narrative of the first half actually surrounded penalty shouts, all of which were turned down by referee Anthony Taylor. The first of them was probably the best, with Okazaki going down under a challenge from Yedlin having beaten the defender to an aerial ball over the top. There was certainly contact, and I have seen them given, but Okazaki perhaps made a little more of it than necessary, which may have had an impact on the referee's decision.
Sunderland very nearly took the lead right at the end of the half, though, when Defoe found Borini in the area and the Italian worked space to shoot. His effort took a deflection off Morgan, which made it more difficult for Kasper Schmeichel, but the keeper reacted well to keep it out with his feet instead. Mannone has only been forced into one save, and it was a simple one in the opening minutes when he gathered Kante's dipping volley.
The biggest chance of the half fell to Wes Morgan, who scored the winner for Leicester a week ago in the 1-0 victory over Southampton. He once again found a bit of space in the area from a corner, but seemed to mistime his header and could only steer it wide when he really should have done better.
The first half comes to an end at the Stadium of Light, and we remain goalless between Sunderland and Leicester. It has been a little tense with so much on the line for both teams, with few clear-cut chances and the possession being shared more or less evenly. The best chance has fallen to the visitors, but Schmeichel has made the only difficult save from either keeper.
SAVE! Big save from Schmeichel late on here! Defoe slides a pass in to Borini, who holds off the challenge of Mahrez before going for goal. His shot takes a deflection off the Leicester skipper, which makes it difficult for the keeper, but he still manages to make the stop.
PENALTY SHOUT! Yet another penalty shout as a free kick drops to Vardy, who shifts it once more to Mahrez. He brilliantly fakes a shot to get onto his left before looking to curl one into the far corner, only for his effort to be blocked by Kaboul. Again, it does strike the arm, but it would have been harsh.
CHANCE! Another half-chance for Leicester as Okazaki races on to a floated ball down the left channel. He pings a cross back to Vardy on the edge of the box, but it is a difficult one for the England man, who can't connect properly with his first-time left-footed volley.
Good work from M'Vila as he stands up to the challenge of Mahrez, tracking the winger and holding him off to win the ball back. The Leicester man just hasn't been able to influence this game so far.
I've just seen a replay of that Sunderland penalty shout and it did hit the arm of Huth, but it wasn't intentional and it would have been a very harsh penalty to give. Another correct decision from Anthony Taylor.
Sunderland are enjoying their best spell of the match right now, keeping Leicester penned back and applying some good pressure. Can they make it count before half time?
PENALTY SHOUT! It is Sunderland's turn to appeal for a penalty now as they produce their most threatening attack of the game so far. Khazri is momentarily halted by Kante, but then produces a back-heel for the overlapping Van Aanholt down the left. He reaches the byline before pulling a low cross into the box which is block by a sliding Huth. The hosts claim that it hit the arm of the Leicester man, but Anthony Taylor does not agree.
CHANCE! Half a chance for Sunderland for the first time today as a cross from the right is met by Kaboul in emphatic fashion. The defender rises high above his man and produces a powerful header, but he is a long way out and the ball flies over the target.
The possession is actually a lot more even than it seems, with Leicester having 52% of the ball. Sunderland have certainly come into the game more as it has progressed, though, and right now it is a pretty even contest.
We're more than half an hour in here and, while Schmeichel has had nothing to do so far, Allardyce will be relatively pleased with his side's performance. Leicester have created very little from opening play, with their one clear chance coming from a corner when Morgan nodded wide.
YELLOW CARD! Fuchs joins Borini in the book for clattering into the Italian after being beaten to the ball. There can be no complaints with that one.
Sunderland have done a good job of limiting the influence of Mahrez so far. The winger is being swarmed by Sunderland players every time he gets on the ball and has not been able to make an impact so far.
There was contact from Yedlin on Okazaki there, and I have certainly seen them given, but I think that would have been a harsh penalty. Leicester win a corner moments later, though, and it is played out to Drinkwater, but he fires an ambitious first-time volley well off target.
PENALTY SHOUT! Leicester want a penalty here as Okazaki gets in behind Yedlin to latch on to Albrighton's ball over the top, before going down under the challenge of the full-back, who is the wrong side of his man. Anthony Taylor says no, though.
The resulting free kick causes Leicester a few problems and they don't get it completely clear, with M'Vila picking up possession. He arrows a pass back into the box towards Khazri racing in at the back post, but the winger just can't connect with it.
Sunderland now want a card for Huth after he kicked Defoe when trying to clear the ball, with Borini racing over to Anthony Taylor to lead the protests. The referee is having none of it, though.
YELLOW CARD! The first card of the afternoon is shown to Borini, and he can't have any complaints following a late challenge on Fuchs.
This game is quite open at the moment, with Sunderland getting a few more encouraging signs going forward themselves. You'd have to think that an open game would suit Leicester, but Sunderland don't really have much of a choice - they need wins if they are to survive this season.
This match has fallen into the rhythm that we expected so far. Leicester are seeing much more of the ball and are looking bright, but Sunderland are proving a tough nut to crack. The visitors are likely to need patience yet again this afternoon.
CHANCE! He scored last weekend, and he probably should have scored again here! The resulting corner is swung in to Morgan, who has lost his marker but gets caught under the ball, mistiming his header and sending it wide when he should have done better.
Decent break from Leicester as Kante once again wins the ball on the edge of his own area before finding Drinkwater, who launches the counter. Vardy gives it out wide to Okazaki in space, but his return cross into the middle is put behind for a corner.
CHANCE! Half a chance for Vardy as Simpson swings a cross into the middle for the striker. He is a long way out for the header, and gets his timing wrong to send his effort well off target.
Sunderland have their first chance to really break forward, and despite Defoe being a little isolated at first he is soon joined by Borini. The Italian tries to nod a pass over the top of the defence, but he puts just too much on his header and the chances goes begging.
Kante is just everywhere for Leicester. The likes of Mahrez and Vardy have dominated most of the headlines for the Foxes this season, but that man in the middle of the park has been sensational and should be considered a genuine candidate for the player of the season.
More pressure arrives from Leicester as Sunderland make a bit of a mess of clearing a free kick into the box. It bounces all over the place, but Sunderland are eventually able to clear their lines.
Sunderland just can't get out in these opening exchanges. Leicester have made a very bright start and are pushing for an early goal, but the hosts are holding firm so far.
SAVE! Kante has been heavily involved already this afternoon, and he goes for goal here. The ball drops to him around 25 yards from goal and he sends a looping volley on target, but it is comfortable for Mannone.
Lively start from the visitors as they win an early corner after Kaboul was forced to glance a dangerous Vardy cross behind. Okazaki attacks the corner, but can't threaten the target with his header.
KICKOFF: Here we go then! Sunderland get us underway at the Stadium of Light for this huge match at both ends of the table.
Right, we are very nearly ready to go at the Stadium of Light here, but before we get started allow me to point you in the direction of this week's episode of our podcast 'The Dugout'. Have a listen below!
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Their most recent visit will have more positive connotations, though, as they secured their Premier League status with a goalless draw here in the penultimate game of last season. That came in the wake of an incredible run of form over the closing stages of the campaign, which turned out to be a precursor for this season's most unlikely of title challenges.
Things have been more difficult for Leicester at the Stadium of Light, though. They are winless in their last seven league visits to Sunderland - a run that stretches back to a 2-1 win in the second tier in 1995. Indeed, they have failed to even score here since 2002, with Matt Elliott's header in a 2-1 defeat being the only goal that they have scored in their last five away games against the Black Cats.
Sunderland actually boast the better record over Leicester in recent season, with only one defeat in the last eight league meetings, drawing three and winning four of those. The exception to that came in the reverse fixture this season, though, as Leicester opened their campaign with a 4-2 triumph over the Black Cats at the King Power Stadium. Vardy, Mahrez (2) and Albrighton were all on the scoresheet as the hosts got off to a dream start, which Sunderland were set on their way to a dreadful opening to the campaign.
PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at the Stadium of Light, which means that it is time for a prediction! Sunderland will be fighting for their lives and I certainly don't expect this game to be as comfortable for Leicester as the league title may suggest. I wouldn't be too surprised to even see the hosts get another draw, but Leicester are in such good form that I have to back them, and with Sunderland's last five home defeats all being by the Foxes' new favourite scoreline of 1-0, I'm going for another one of those for the visitors!
The Foxes boast both the best home record and the best away record in the Premier League this season, and stretching back to their great escape last term, which began 12 months ago, they have only lost two of their last 19 league away games. They have picked up 23 points from a possible 27 away to bottom-half teams this season, with seven wins from their nine games, and should they improve that record even further today then they would only be three wins from the title. They could even wrap up a Champions League place this afternoon should they win and Manchester United lose to Tottenham Hotspur later in the day.
Should they also keep a clean sheet in this match then it would be the first time that they have ever managed five in a row in the top flight, having already gone exactly 400 minutes without conceding a Premier League goal. The last time they kept five clean sheets on the bounce in the league was in 1979-80 in the second tier of English football, when they went on a run of six games without conceding.
Yet another win today would see them match the club record for number of victories in a single season, having previously recorded 21 wins on two occasions - both in a 42-match campaign. It would also see them pick up a fifth consecutive top-flight victory, which is something they haven't managed since 1963-64. They seem to be setting new club landmarks every week, but should they hold their nerve over the closing stages of the season then it would be an occasion that would go down in English football history as arguably the most remarkable story ever.
They have only been beaten three times all season, and just one of those have come in the last 14 outings, and none in their last six. One of the most impressive things about Leicester's season is how quickly they have been able to bounce back from setbacks. That solitary recent defeat threatened to take the wheels off their campaign as title rivals Arsenal scored a late winner to beat the Foxes 2-1 at the Emirates, but since then Ranieri's men have won five of their last six games, all 1-0.
Simply winning games is exactly what they have been doing of late too. Last weekend's victory over Southampton made it four 1-0 wins on the bounce, and another victory by that scoreline this afternoon will see them become just the second team in Premier League history to win 1-0 five times in a row, after Everton way back in 2002. It is the sign of champions for them to grind out results like that, and while there have been comparisons with the Liverpool nearlymen of 2014, there does seem to be a lot more defensive control from Leicester than there was for Liverpool.
Leicester have kept an impressive 10 clean sheets in their last 14 Premier League games, which is a far cry from the form that simply saw them outscoring opponents in the first half of the season. They managed just three clean sheets in their opening 18 games, but since a Boxing Day defeat at the hands of Liverpool have conceded just five times. It has affected their productivity at the other end too, with just 18 goals from their last 14 games compared to 37 in their opening 18, but as long as they keep on winning games, Leicester fans will not care.
Sunderland actually now have the best defensive record in the bottom four, which is a big turnaround from when Allardyce arrived at the club, but they have kept a league-low four clean sheets all season. That would have had Leicester licking their lips earlier in the campaign, but the Foxes are a different animal now and themselves boast much better defensive statistics than they did in the first half of the season, with only Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City having conceded fewer goals this term.
Sunderland's home record is something of a puzzle this season. On the one hand they have conceded just 16 goals in front of their own fans, which is among the best records in the league and fewer than the likes of Manchester City have conceded, but they have only kept one clean sheet in their last eight and only three all season. Only three teams have scored fewer than the Black Cats in front of their own fans too, while only Everton and Aston Villa have amassed fewer home points this season.
That includes an ongoing three-match unbeaten streak in front of their own fans, which is actually their best record at home since 2014. Their only defeat in their last six home outings came at the hands of Manchester City, and they can take heart from the fact that they are very rarely blown away here. They have not been beaten by more than one goal at the Stadium of Light since their opening home game of the season, when Norwich won 3-1, with their other five home defeats this term all being by a single goal to nil. Ominously, though, that is the scoreline that Leicester have specialised in recently.
They have been tougher to beat recently, with only three defeats in their 12 games since the turn of the year, but as already mentioned, there have been too many draws in that time. Another stalemate today would equal the club's record of five consecutive Premier League draws, set between September and October 2010, but they should take some confidence from their recent home form. They have lost just one of their last six outings here at the Stadium of Light.
Wins have not been easy to come by for Sunderland, though. They have only won one of their last 10 games, beating Manchester United almost two months ago, and throughout the entire season have picked up just six victories. All of those wins have come in the 23 games under Allardyce, but there have also been 11 defeats in that time and Big Sam is averaging just 1.04 points per game with Sunderland this season - his lowest ever tally in a Premier League campaign and not enough to keep them in the division.
If they are going to do enough to survive from that run of fixtures then they will need to significantly improve their recent form over the closing weeks of the season. They come into this match on a five-game winless streak which includes four consecutive draws. While not losing games is obviously a good thing, and a regular flow of points all helps towards the ultimate goal of survival, Norwich's recent resurgence means that Sunderland will need to turn some of those draws into victories sooner rather than later.
The Black Cats face Norwich in a huge relegation clash in their next match after today, but a defeat this afternoon would put things back in the hands of the Canaries. A victory would give them a huge, and unexpected, boost, and with a tricky end to the season coming up, any such boost will be gratefully received. After the crunch match with Norwich, Sunderland finish their season against Arsenal (h), Stoke (a), Chelsea (h), Everton (h) and Watford (a).
Sunderland will know all about the threats that this Leicester team pose, but whether or not they can do anything to stop them is a different matter entirely. It is usually around this stage of the season that they begin to find a bit of form, managing to pull something special out of the hat to avoid relegation in the last few years. They may need the same again this time around, with four points the gap to safety, although Norwich's defeat to Crystal Palace yesterday does put things in their hands.
It is Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy who have been the standout performers this season, though. Both gave a glimpse of what was to come by scoring the reverse fixture on the opening day of the season, and while Leicester's scoring rate has slowed down over the second half of the campaign, they remain key players if only for the nuisance factor. Mahrez has arguably been the best player in the entire league this season, while Vardy, albeit without a goal in almost two months, is a sure fire inclusion in the team of the year too.
It is a similar story in midfield, where the form of Kante and Drinkwater has earned them international call-ups for France and England respectively. Kante in particular has been a revelation this season, combining the normal Makelele role with a fantastic work ethic that sees him cover ever blade of grass in a game. He is certainly not alone in that work rate, though, and the likes of Marc Albrighton and Shinji Okazaki deserve a mention for their selfless play in matches too.
Leicester's defence has been vastly improved over the second half of the season, and they are being ably led by captain Wes Morgan. The skipper put in another towering performance at the back last weekend against Southampton, and also popped up with his first goal of the season to hand the Foxes another vital victory. He has been in great form all season, but the same can also be said for Simpson, Huth and Fuchs, the latter of whom supplied the cross that led to Morgan's winner last time out.
Leicester are also unchanged for today's game, which is no surprise whatsoever. The Foxes have now named the same starting lineup 12 times this season, which is seven times more than any other side in the Premier League. It is obviously working for Claudio Ranieri, and crucially the players who are consistently missing out still seem to be entirely bought in to what the club are trying to do. There are never any complaints among the subs, and when they do get on they work just as hard as those starters.
It is an unchanged side to the one that drew 0-0 with West Bromwich Albion last weekend, which is no surprise at the back as the defensive unit picked up a rare clean sheet. O'Shea is only named on the bench as Kaboul and Kone continue at the heart of the defence, while the full-backs Yedlin and Van Aanholt should provide some extra attacking threat on the counter. They need to be wary of being caught out of position, though, as Leicester have been so deadly from the wide areas this season.
Leicester do, of course, pose a huge threat on the break themselves, but recently they have been forced to find other ways to win and Allardyce has looked to make that as difficult as possible today by once again naming three defence-minded midfielders in Cattermole, Kirchhoff and M'Vila. Of that trio, Kirchhoff is expected to sit a little deeper, between the defence and midfield, which should help to plug the sorts of gaps that Mahrez and co have thrived in this season.
Allardyce will also be looking to the likes of Borini and Khazri to offer an attacking threat, although they may be limited to hitting Leicester on the break. The Black Cats are expected to sit back in a 4-5-1 formation for most of the match, allowing Leicester to see more of the ball, but it is important that Borini and Khazri are quick to get up in support of Defoe when they have the chance, making it more of a 4-3-3 when they themselves are in possession.
What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, Sunderland will be looking to Jermain Defoe more than anyone else to get them the goals to stay in the division, and he certainly has the track record to suggest that he could do it. Whenever a team has a goalscorer like him in their ranks they stand a decent chance of picking up the odd good result, and one of those today could be exactly what the Black Cats need to spark another great escape. However, only three of his 12 league goals this season have come here at the Stadium of Light.
LEICESTER STARTING XI: Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez, Kanté, Drinkwater, Albrighton; Okazaki, Vardy
SUNDERLAND STARTING XI: Mannone; Yedlin, Kaboul, Kone, Van Aanholt; Kirchhoff, Cattermole, M'Vila, Khazri, Borini; Defoe
Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for Sunday's early kickoff, and it promises to be a pivotal one at both ends of the Premier League table as Sunderland host Leicester City at the Stadium of Light. The hosts now have survival back in their hands following yesterday's results, while Leicester are closing in on the most incredible of title wins and could open up a 10-point gap over Tottenham Hotspur here. Before we get into all that, though, let's take a look at the team news...
