Jamie Vardy scored his third goal of the season from the penalty spot
Jamie Vardy scored from the penalty spot as a dominant Leicester beat a dogged Bristol City 1-0 at the King Power Stadium to return to the top of the Championship.
The veteran striker broke the deadlock midway through the second half after Wilfred Ndidi went down in the box having fallen over an outstretched leg from Kal Naismith.
Nigel Pearson's side had until then been frustrating his former club, holding firm to keep out a barrage of chances from the Foxes including Max O'Leary scooping clear a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall first-half header off the line.
Leicester smothered the visitors with 19 shots to their five - none of which were on target - to keep their first clean sheet at home in 17 games and move back to the summit of the league.
- Relive Saturday's EFL action as it happened
There was an element of déjà vu from when these sides last met in the league in 2012-13, with Pearson then on the touchline, Matty James in the starting 11 and Andy King on the substitutes' bench - albeit all three were representing Leicester rather than Bristol City.
The Robins, beaten twice 11 years ago, did well to weather a storm from Leicester during the first half an hour, with Abdul Fatawu dragging a shot wide and O'Leary saving an on-target, but relatively tame header, from Callum Doyle.
Fatawu - making his first start as one of five changes following the 2-0 win over Norwich on Wednesday - then had a shot from distance that the Bristol City keeper also palmed away.
The Robins' defence held firm though and they ended the half fairly strongly with two set-pieces that allowed them to put the ball in the hosts' box and get a first shot away.
Yet the flow continued almost entirely one way after the break with Bristol City well and truly pegged inside their own half.
Vardy nodded wide and hit another effort over, while O'Leary produced a memorable save off the line to keep out Dewsbury-Hall's point-blank downward header and then smother a shot from Mavididi.
Vardy finally scored the crucial goal in the 67th minute from the penalty spot, rubbing salt in the wound of Bristol City supporters by running to the away end to celebrate.
Jason Knight blasted a shot over while Andreas Weimann - returning from injury - lashed the ball at the near post but saw it rebound off Mads Hermansen to safety as the visitors were limited to half-chances on goal and fell to their first defeat in five games.
- Line-upsMatch StatsLive Text
Line-upsLeicester
Formation 4-3-3
30Hermansen21Ricardo Pereira3Faes23Vestergaard5Doyle25Ndidi8Winks22Dewsbury-Hall18Fatawu9Vardy10Mavididi
- 30Hermansen21Ricardo Pereira3FaesBooked at 62mins23Vestergaard5DoyleSubstituted forJustinat 45'minutes25NdidiSubstituted forCasadeiat 88'minutes8Winks22Dewsbury-Hall18FatawuSubstituted forMcAteerat 76'minutes9VardySubstituted forIheanachoat 88'minutes10Mavididi
Substitutes
- 2Justin4Coady7Casadei11Albrighton14Iheanacho17Choudhury29Akgün35McAteer41Stolarczyk
Bristol City
Formation 4-2-3-1
1O'Leary19Tanner16Dickie4Naismith3Pring6James8Williams17Sykes12Knight20Bell21Wells
- 1O'Leary19Tanner16Dickie4Naismith3Pring6James8WilliamsBooked at 51minsSubstituted forGardner-Hickmanat 58'minutes17SykesSubstituted forYeboahat 58'minutes12KnightBooked at 53minsSubstituted forMehmetiat 88'minutes20BellSubstituted forWeimannat 58'minutes21WellsSubstituted forCornickat 74'minutes
Substitutes
- 9Cornick10King11Mehmeti14Weimann22Gardner-Hickman23Bajic24Roberts29Yeboah30Nelson
Referee:James BellAttendance:31,674Match StatsHome TeamLeicesterAway TeamBristol CityPossessionHome69%Away31%ShotsHome19Away6Shots on TargetHome7Away1CornersHome9Away0FoulsHome11Away10Live Text Post update
Match ends, Leicester City 1, Bristol City 0.
90'+5'Full Time
Second Half ends, Leicester City 1, Bristol City 0.
90'+5'Post update
Attempt saved. Taylor Gardner-Hickman (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
90'+3'Post update
Foul by Jannik Vestergaard (Leicester City).
90'+3'Post update
Ephraim Yeboah (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
90'+3'Post update
Attempt missed. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
90'+3'Post update
Attempt blocked. Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Stephy Mavididi.
90'+1'Post update
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Rob Dickie.
90'Post update
Foul by Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City).
90'Post update
Kal Naismith (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
88'Substitution
Substitution, Bristol City. Anis Mehmeti replaces Jason Knight.
88'Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Kelechi Iheanacho replaces Jamie Vardy.
88'Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Cesare Casadei replaces Wilfred Ndidi.
87'Post update
Attempt blocked. Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
86'Post update
Attempt saved. Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
84'Post update
Attempt blocked. Andreas Weimann (Bristol City) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is blocked.
83'Post update
Attempt blocked. Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
81'Post update
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Cameron Pring.
80'Post update
Attempt missed. Andreas Weimann (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Jason Knight.
77'Post update
Foul by Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City).
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Source: bbc.com