Leicester City continued their upward journey post-Claudio Ranieri as another excellent performance saw them move clear of the relegation places and leave Hull City firmly rooted in the dreaded drop zone.

Clucas opens the scoring after early Leicester pressure

Leicester and interim manager Craig Shakespeare started with a familiar looking line-up but all of the pre-match intrigue surrounded how Marco Silva was going to approach the game. With Hull suffering on the road in recent weeks and taking on a rejuvenated Foxes side that defeated Liverpool on Monday, the Portugese boss opted to stick with his attacking philosophy and employed Kamil Grosicki and Lazar Markovic on the flanks to support lone striker Oumar Niasse.

The visitors took an offensive frame of mind into the opening stages of this relegation crunch clash, passing the ball around neatly in a raucous King Power stadium atmosphere. Yet it was the hosts who contributed a flurry of early opportunities as they got a foothold in the game. Wes Morgan nodded wide from a Riyad Mahrez free-kick, before Andrew Robertson almost diverted a Jamie Vardy cross into his own net. With pressure building winger Marc Albrighton should have registered on the scoresheet but miscued his effort wide under pressure from Harry Maguire after another Vardy ball across.

After a sharp response from Hull, Leicester saw another opportunity go begging when Robert Huth had a shot blocked by Maguire at the second attempt after failing to make contact initially. Yet the Tigers have been looking more clinical in front of goal under Silva and took their first real opportunity when it arose. Niasse played the ball to Grosicki as Hull broke away, before the Polish international squared the ball to the returning Sam Clucas and the youngster duly slotted home to give Hull the lead after an entertaining first quarter of an hour.

Fuchs levels as the Foxes go on the hunt

Clucas' first Premier League goal certainly halted the Leicester momentum as numerous moves broke down without the pinpoint accuracy they had exerted before the opener. Yet when the Foxes were able to rekindle the spark they did so with dazzling brilliance. Vardy, Mahrez and Christian Fuchs combined down the left with qucik one-touch passing, before Vardy slotted the ball to Fuchs and the left-back equalised for the hosts.

After a damp spell between the goals Leicester had certainly found their feet again, with Vardy causing havoc on both sides of the pitch and the hosts dominating preceedings. The next opportunity for the Champions fell to Albrighton though he could only blaze a half-volley high and wide from outside the box. Hull did however offer a brief sighter at goal as Grosicki struck a half-volley after a lay-off from Niasse, only for the shot to be deflected off target as the first 45 minutes drew to a close.

Fuchs celebrate the equaliser (photo: Getty Images)
Fuchs celebrate the equaliser (photo: Getty Images)

Mahrez puts Leicester ahead with his maiden goal from open play this campaign

If Hull were ineffective in the first half, they certainly looked to turn the tide in the opening moments of the second. Grosicki looks to have been a great Deadline Day signing and the dangerous winger whipped in a delicious corner that Maguire diverted onto the post just two minutes after the restart. The pair then combined again from a free-kick but this time the central defender could only head straight into the arms of Kasper Schmeichel.

Clucas had an effort blocked before Leicester gradually began to work their way back into the contest. Mahrez had been largely anonymous in the opening 56 minutes before bursting into life when the hosts needed a moment of quality. The attacking midfielder forced Eldin Jakupovic into an awkward stop, before unleashing an effort that was deflected over by Robertson. The resulting corner came out to the Algerian on the edge of the box, who jinked one way and then the other before firing the Foxes into the lead with his first goal from open play this season.

Huddlestone own goal ensures a vital three points for the Champions

Hull looked to respond with Grosicki at the centre of things oncemore, forcing Schmeichel into a diving stop at his near post. A flurry of substitutions slowed down the tempo of the game in favour of the hosts, before Niasse drove a low effort palmed away by the outstretched hand of Schmeichel.

With the game opening up in the final few minutes, Leicester substitute Demarai Gray came close to ensuring all three points as Jakupovic kept the speedster's effort out. Yet the Foxes eventually earned their reward for another industious display, as Onyinye Ndidi flicked on a corner than bounced inadvertently off Tom Huddlestone and into the back of his own net.

Leicester's third was to be the last action of an intriguing encounter, helping the Foxes move a comfortable cushion clear of the relegation zone, but leaving Hull firmly rooted in trouble.

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