EPL: Leicester manager Ranieri all smiles even after a draw against West Brom

"I am more happy now than against Norwich when we won (in the 89th minute on Saturday). We were much better tonight," Ranieri told the BBC. (Getty Images)

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri was still smiling on Tuesday after his side suffered a setback in their romantic Premier League title push by dropping two crucial points at their King Power Stadium fortress.

Craig Gardner's brilliant second-half free kick for West Brom thwarted the victory charge that could have taken Ranieri's men five points clear at the summit of the table.

Yet the Italian, whose side could now instead find themselves knocked off the top by Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night, reckoned he was still delighted with his side's performance and said the draw had not altered their self-belief.

"I am more happy now than against Norwich when we won (in the 89th minute on Saturday). We were much better tonight," Ranieri told the BBC.

"We believe in ourselves. It is the same, I don't see the title. I just watch my team. We must believe until the end. Every match is important for us to understand what we can do in our life."

A fortuitous deflected shot from Danny Drinkwater and a brilliantly-executed first goal of the season for Andy King on the stroke of halftime seemed to have put the Foxes in control after an early setback.
King's goal, in particular, had the home fans in raptures because the Welsh midfielder, given only his seventh start of the season following injury to N'Golo Kante, is such a popular stalwart at the King Power, as the one remaining squad member from their third division days.
Albion, though, were in the mood from the start to play party poopers and ruin any possible 'King of the King Power' headlines.

Salomon Rondon became the first opposition player to score a league goal at the King Power in 2016 after just 11 minutes and, even when under huge pressure after halftime, Albion again struck with Gardner's 25-metre free kick leaving Kasper Schmeichel rooted to the spot.

Leicester, who had spent most of the match besieging West Brom's goal, will reflect ruefully on efforts from Jamie Vardy and Shinji Okazaki that struck the woodwork and Leonardo Ulloa almost scored in the dying seconds just as he had against Norwich.

Yet while Ranieri maintained the brave face, the result means that Spurs will leapfrog them on goal difference if they beat West Ham on Wednesday.

Premier League goals mid-week: Kenedy scores in 40 seconds, Gardner free-kick, Mahrez flick as Leicester draw with West Brom, Chelsea beat Norwich, Everton beat Aston Villa

PREMIER League leader Leicester City have dropped two crucial points in their unlikely bid for the title by drawing 2-2 at home to West Bromwich Albion.

Craig Gardner curled in a 50th-minute free kick to deny Leicester a win that would have pushed them five points clear of the chasing pack - with title rivals Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City all playing on Wednesday.

Leicester fell behind to a goal by Salomon Rondon in the 11th minute, but roared back when central midfielders Danny Drinkwater and Andy King scored in the 31st and 45th minutes, respectively.
Leicester squandered a slew of late chances to grab all three points, and could now surrender top spot on the ladder should Tottenham beat London rivals West Ham on Wednesday.

“We should have won the game. They only had a couple of shots and they scored,” King said.
“We’ve got that belief, so we always thought we would score. It’s disappointing.”

Fabio Borini scored a 90th minute equalizer to earn Sunderland a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace that lifted his team out of the Premier League relegation zone on Tuesday.

The substitute scored from a seemingly impossible angle to rescue a point for Sam Allardyce’s side. Dame N’Doye had given the hosts a first-half lead with a deflected that shot wrong-footed goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

Conor Wickham scored both of Palace’s goals after the break with two fine finishes against his former club.

Sunderland, which is still without a clean sheet in 14 matches, climb out of the relegation zone on goal difference, swapping places with Norwich.

Palace, which now hasn’t won in 11 Premier League games, remains in 14th place, nine points above the drop zone.

The quickest goal in the English Premier League this season set Chelsea on its way to a 2-1 win over Norwich.

Young Brazilian Kenedy scored after 39 seconds with a fine finish into the bottom corner from just outside the penalty area. Diego Costa added Chelsea’s second goal just before halftime, chipping over onrushing goalkeeper John Ruddy.

Norwich winger Nathan Redmond scored from a tight angle after 68 minutes, but Chelsea hung on for a win that provisionally left the team five points off a Europa League place as its fine run of form under interim manager Guus Hiddink continued.

Norwich is now without a win in its last seven league games, and has dropped into the relegation zone on 24 points.

Aston Villa were pushed closer to the relegation trapdoor on Tuesday as the Premier League’s bottom club slumped to a miserable 3-1 defeat against Everton.

Remi Garde’s troubled side were crushed by goals from Ramiro Funes Mori, Aaron Lennon and Romelu Lukaku as they surrendered in front of their furious fans at Villa Park.

Villa’s fourth defeat in their last five league matches was played out against the dispiriting backdrop of a 74th minute walkout from supporters in protest at their club’s humiliating decline.

Villa last played in the second tier in 1988 but they remain eight points from safety and with games against Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea still to come this month, their fate could effectively be sealed before Easter.

Everton’s victory -- their fifth in their last six games in all competitions -- was the ideal way to welcome Iranian billionaire Farhad Moshiri, whose muti-million pound arrival as majority shareholder over the weekend has raised hopes of an exciting new chapter in the club’s history.

Bournemouth moved further away from the Premier League relegation zone with a 2-0 victory over Southampton in the south coast derby.

Bournemouth took the lead with a volley by defender Steve Cook from inside the area in the 31st minute, and striker Benik Afobe sealed the victory in the 79th minute, heading home a free kick from Matt Ritchie.

The home side moved onto 32 points, eight clear of the drop zone, while seventh-place Southampton missed a chance to press its case for European football next season.
In a bizarre incident at the end of the first half, fourth official Kevin Friend struck his head on the dugout, and was taken to hospital.