Crystal Palace 0 Leicester City 1: Eagles lose again as Foxes increase lead over Tottenham and Arsenal

Mahrez of the Match: Algerian star scores again as Leicester win at Selhurst Park
Giuseppe Muro19 March 2016

Leicester moved eight points clear of Tottenham at the top of the Premier League with a win against Crystal Palace.

Riyad Mahrez scored the only goal at Selhurst Park as Leicester took another step towards the title.

Claudio Ranieri refuses to accept his side are favourites for the title but history is now within their grasp.

Leicester have won their last three games with a 1-0 scoreline and are showing no signs of nerves as we enter the home straight.

Second-placed Tottenham will look to close the gap to the leaders tomorrow when they play Bournemouth at White Hart Lane.

Arsenal are 11 points behind Leicester after their win at Everton in the lunchtime kick-off.

Defeat for Palace means they are now without a win in 13 Premier League matches.

The Eagles are eight points above the bottom three and should avoid being dragged into trouble.

But Alan Pardew knows their form needs to improve ahead their FA Cup semi-final against Watford next month.

Mahrez won it with his 16th league goal of the season after 34 minutes.

Leicester worked the ball well on the left before Jamie Vardy crossed for Mahrez to finish well at the back post.

Shinji Okazaki had chances to kill the game early in the second half and the Foxes were almost made to pay when Damien Delaney hit the bar in injury time.

But Leicester held on for another crucial win.

Before the game, Pardew had used his programme notes to criticise Jamie Carragher for his comments on the penalty given to Liverpool against Palace two weeks ago.

Carragher felt Christian Benteke was right to go down when he felt contract from Damien Delaney and Pardew has hit back at the Sky Sports pundit.

Pardew said: “It is a shame that so many former and current players share his opinion that diving is a valid tactic. Would Carragher have had the same opinion if Wilf had gone down in the box in the 94th minute of a massive game at Anfield? I suspect not, but loyalties can blur opinions at time.”

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