Jamie Vardy returns to lead Leicester to first league win in 2022

James Maddison and Jamie Vardy came off the bench to deliver Leicester's first Premier League win of 2022 as late goals beat Burnley 2-0 at Turf Moor.

Vardy, back from a hamstring injury, set up the first as he laid the ball off for Maddison to bend the ball beyond the excellent Nick Pope.

And Vardy got his first goal in the league since November in the final minute, left alone at the far post to head home Harvey Barnes’ cross.

It was no coincidence that this was Leicester’s first league win since Vardy’s last appearance, the 1-0 victory over Liverpool on 28 December – this has not been a good season by the Foxes’ recent standards but a win rate of 40% with Vardy drops to 12.5% without him.

The positives did not end there – a first-half Maxwel Cornet strike for Burnley was ruled out for offside, and with Kasper Schmeichel barely tested otherwise, this was a first clean sheet away from home in the league this season.

While Brendan Rodgers could start looking up again, Burnley missed the chance to move out of the bottom three as the recent momentum which had seen them pick up seven points from three was halted. With Chelsea the visitors here on Saturday, things get no easier for Sean Dyche’s side.

Leicester might have had the win wrapped up much earlier but for a superb display by Pope.

Early on he got down smartly to his left to keep out Ricardo Pereira’s shot as it was fired through a crowd of players then, after a miscommunication with James Tarkowski allowed Patson Daka a clear sight of goal from a tight angle, Pope stuck out a foot to divert the ball to safety.

Cornet, back in the Burnley side after an ankle injury, then arrived to turn home Aaron Lennon’s cross, but the Ivorian had strayed a foot offside.

Burnley then