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Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Palace rout Leicester to step up pressure on Puel

Soccer Football - Premier League - Leicester City v Crystal Palace - King Power Stadium, Leicester, Britain - February 23, 2019 Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha scores their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

Feb 23 - - Crystal Palace piled further pressure on Leicester City manager Claude Puel on Saturday with a comprehensive 4-1 Premier League win over his team, who have now gone seven games without a victory.

Two goals from Wilfried Zaha, another from Michy Batshuayi and a penalty from Luka Milivojevic inflicted a fourth consecutive league defeat on Leicester -- their worst run since 2000.

But it was the manner of the performance that will have most alarmed Puel, with two goals conceded late on to set sections of the crowd booing.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Leicester City v Crystal Palace - King Power Stadium, Leicester, Britain - February 23, 2019 Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha scores their fourth goal REUTERS/Jon Super

By contrast, 71-year-old Roy Hodgson was in delighted mood as he officially became the oldest ever Premier League manager.

Leicester conceded the first goal for the 19th time this season when Batshuayi was hit by James McArthur's shot, the ball ricocheting past Kasper Schmeichel at great pace. It was the Belgian's first Premier League goal in 19 months.

Although Evans responded with his first goal for Leicester, after 64 minutes, Palace quickly restored their lead with a finish from close-in by Zaha, who was returning from suspension.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Leicester City v Crystal Palace - King Power Stadium, Leicester, Britain - February 23, 2019 Leicester City's James Maddison and team mates look dejected at the end of the match REUTERS/Jon Super

Milivojevic put the game beyond doubt with a spot kick after 81 minutes after Evans, making an eventful 250th appearance in the Premier League, fouled Jeffrey Schlupp.

Zaha added his second goal, and Palace's fourth, late on after mistakes by Harry Maguire and Schmeichel.

Interviewed on television immediately after the game, Zaha appeared surprised when James Tomkins was awarded the man-of-the-match award. Asked to present it, Zaha joked: "Oh wow, really? Okay."

Soccer Football - Premier League - Leicester City v Crystal Palace - King Power Stadium, Leicester, Britain - February 23, 2019 Leicester City's Jonny Evans scores their first goal REUTERS/Jon Super

The win put Palace six points clear of the relegation zone as they moved one place and two points behind 12th-placed Leicester.

(Reporting by Neil Robinson; editing by Clare Fallon)

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