Leicester City vs West Brom match report: Baggies inflict more misery on Foxes' stuttering season

Leicester City 1 West Brom 2: The home side suffered their first league defeat at home in more than a year

Matt Phillips added West Brom's second to hand all three points to the visitors (Getty)

Matt Phillips delivered another blow to Leicester City’s stuttering Premier League title defence as West Brom inflicted the Champions’ first home league defeat for more than a year.

Phillips made James Morrison’s opener on 52 minutes and scored Albion’s winner 20 minutes later.

That came via a horrible error from Danny Drinkwater as Leicester’s proud unbeaten home record in the Premier League was halted at 20 games.

The Champions levelled through Islam Slimani just three minutes after Morrison broke the deadlock but they could have few complaints about their fifth league defeat of the season.

While their first venture into the Champions League could hardly have gone better, Claudio Ranieri’s champions are effectively out of this season’s title race already after indifferent domestic form.

A general stadium view as the teams and fans observe a minute's silence in honour of Remembrance Day (Getty)

And Jamie Vardy, who was left on the bench for a second straight Premier League game, could not break his long goal drought despite playing the second half as a substitute.

West Brom might have led in the third minute when some casual play by Leicester gave them a good chance.

Matty Phillips pounced on a poor touch by Andy King in midfield and drove to the edge of the box before his cross-shot was turned around the post by Ron-Robert Zieler with his fingertips as he began his spell deputising for the injured Kasper Schmeichel in Leicester’s goal.

That typified a generally sluggish start from Leicester and a purposeful opening from West Brom, who seized repeatedly on sloppy passes from the hosts’ midfield.

The visitors had another opening when Phillips swung a dangerous cross from the left for Salomon Rondon, who could not quites direct his header well enough to trouble Zieler.

The Baggies remained on top and Chris Brunt almost collected a clever through ball from James Morrison after more wasteful passing from the champions.

James Morrison opened the scoring for the visitors (Getty)

But Zieler again did well to race from his goal and beat Brunt to the ball by a yard.

Leicester finally gained some momentum as the first half ticked past 20 minutes and record signing Islam Slimani might have done better after a sweeping forward move from the hosts.

But the Algerian mistimed his jump and could not control his header from a teasing cross by Christian Fuchs.

Slimani was the target for another cross moments later, this time from fellow Algerian Riyad Mahrez on the right.

But the ball just evaded the striker and Gareth McAuley made an important clearance ahead of Shinji Okazaki, who was ready to collect the loose ball.

There was a nervous moment for Zieler when a heavy touch from a backpass gave Rondon encouragement that he could steal the ball.

But the German gloveman recovered well to hack it clear ahead of the advancing West Brom forward.

Leicester’s moment of promise passed and half-time approached with the home crowd growing in frustration at the lack of cohesion from their side.

And the groans intensified when Mahrez was caught needlessly offside to end a rare promising attack.

A misplaced pass from the normally reliable Danny Drinkwater sent a simple pass straight for a goal kick in first-half stoppage time.

Leicester introduced Vardy from the bench at half-time in a bid to provide their misfiring forward line with some extra impetus.

But it was the visitors who took the lead seven minutes after the restart courtesy of a decent passing move.

Islam Slimani levelled the score for the Foxes (Getty)

Rondon recovered an apparent lost cause after a corner, Darren Fletcher spread play wide to Phillips and his cross deflected off Fuchs and onto the head of Morrison, who stole ahead of King to score from eight yards.

But the lead lasted just three minutes before Leicester levelled the scores with their first effort on goal.

West Brom gave Mahrez time to cross from the left and allowed Slimani a free header at the far post to equalise for his side.

Things might have got better for Leicester just before the hour-mark when Robert Huth rose to meet a Fuchs corner but the German’s header was hooked off the line by Phillips.

West Brom went close on 69 minutes as the game began to improve as a spectacle and Craig Dawson’s header from a Phillips corner was clawed away by Zieler.

But they restored their lead on 72 minutes as Phillips made the most of Drinkwater’s horror moment.

The England midfielder played a hopelessly under-hit backpass which the winger raced onto before finishing neatly past Zieler.

That was almost cancelled out moments later when Drinkwater drove to the byline and his cross was diverted by Dawson towards goal, but keeper Ben Foster was on hand to save.

Leicester (4-4-2): Zieler; Simpson, Morgan, Huth (Ulloa 86), Fuchs; Mahrez, King, Drinkwater, Musa (Gray 67); Okazaki (Vardy HT), Slimani. Subs not used: Albrighton, Hamer, Amartey, Schlupp, Ulloa.

West Brom (4-2-3-1): Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Nyom; Fletcher, Yacob; Brunt, Morrison (Robson-Kanu 90), Phillips (Gardner 83); Rondon. Subs not used: Myhill, Galloway, Leko, Field, Wilson.

Referee: Craig Pawson

Attendance: 31,879