Match Report: Leicester City 0 Sunderland 0

LEICESTER CITY survived some late Sunderland pressure to prevent Gus Poyet’s from leaving the King Power Stadium with more than a point.

After a largely even encounter in wet conditions there were chances at both ends but neither side did enough in and around the penalty box to claim a win.

Sunderland, sitting three points above the Foxes towards the wrong end of the Premier League table, will be more satisfied with the outcome, although the men from Wearside could quite easily have nicked it in the closing stages.

The draw means Poyet has seen his side avoid defeat in the last three matches, claiming five points from a possible nine ahead of next Saturday’s meeting with league leaders Chelsea at the Stadium of Light. Leicester edged out of the bottom three, but are without a goal in 500 minutes of football.

Sunderland, who had Lee Cattermole back at the heart of the midfield after suspension, almost made the worst possible start. When Anthony Reveillere's back pass was poorly controlled by Wes Brown, Jamie Vardy nipped in and rounded Costel Pantilimon.

Fortunately for the visitors, the ball had too much pace on it and rolled for a goal kick. That provided Leicester with the encouragement they needed after failing to score in any of their previous four games.

Pantilimon also had to hold a decent Riyad Mahrez effort from range at a time when Sunderland struggled to make any sort of progress in the final third. Mahrez was responsible for a brilliant pass in behind John O'Shea and Santiago Vergini which appeared perfect for Jeff Schlupp. The winger, however, found the side netting from a right angle.

Sunderland struggled to stay level in the opening exchanges, but Kasper Schmeichel had to make the best of the early saves by denying Steven Fletcher following some clever work by Adam Johnson.

Whenever Johnson got on the ball in the final third, Sunderland looked dangerous. The former Manchester City winger’s speculative strike from distance almost crept in too, bouncing off the wet surface, and Schmeichel did well to turn behind for a corner.

After Fletcher had wasted a good opening, following a well worked Johnson corner, Leicester came close to grabbing the first goal five minutes after the restart. Pantilimon had to be alert to get down low and turn away Matty James’ effort on goal.

Mahraz then hit the side netting when he was faced with just the keeper to beat after a brilliant turn in the penalty area got him away from Brown. Despite the scoreline, it was an entertaining game.

And Leicester’s Algerian was also in the spotlight when he had decent shouts for at least a foul on the edge of the Sunderland box.

When he brought down Leonardo Ulloa’s excellent long ball, he was behind the backline. He appeared to go down cheaply, despite contact, under a challenge from Anthony Reveillere and referee Robert Madley waved play on the edge of the area.

That incensed the home support and bench and immediately brought some extra bite in to proceedings. Cattermole’s crunching tackle on Esteban Cambiasso – which heralded a yellow card – also led to some pushing and shoving.

If anything that seemed to play in to the hands of Leicester, but they could not find that spark in the Sunderland box to end a goal drought which has put them back in to the relegation mix after a bright start to life in the top-flight.

When Ulloa did unlock the Sunderland back four with a deft touch in to the path of James, the midfielder’s low shot was well held by Pantilimon when it was destined for the bottom corner.

Leicester’s failure to find the breakthrough could easily have opened the door open for a late winner at the other end and Sunderland occasionally threatened. The best effort was when Schmeichel thwarted Fletcher’s strike at the near post when he was played in down the left.

LEICESTER CITY (4-1-3-2): Schmeichel; De Laet, Wasilewski, Morgan, Konchesky; Cambiasso; Mahrez, James, Schlupp (Knockaert 78); Vardy (Nugent 72), Ulloa (Wood 89). Subs: Drinkwater, King, Hamer (gk), Moore.

SUNDERLAND (4-1-4-1): Pantilimon; Vergini, O’Shea, Brown, Reveillere; Cattermole; Johnson, Gomez (Buckley 86), Larsson (Bridcutt 75), Wickham; Fletcher. Subs: Mannone (gK), Rodwell, Coates, Robson, Altidore.