Two of the three Championship pacesetters met in Saturday's lunchtime game as Leicester City hosted Burnley.
Visitors Burnley came into the game on top of the pile on goal difference and earned a point thanks to Danny Ings's goal just after half time, which cancelled out David Nugent's first-half penalty.
Read how it all unfolded at the King Power Stadium in our minute-by-minute updates below.
Morning all! Cracker of a game to start us off today as pacesetters Leicester and Burnley clash at the King Power Stadium. Team news on the way...
LEICESTER XI: Schmeichel, De Laet, Morgan, Moore, Konchesky, Knockaert, James, Drinkwater, Dyer, Nugent, Vardy
LEICESTER SUBS: Hammond, King, Schlupp, Taylor-Fletcher, Miquel, Logan, Wasilewski
BURNLEY XI: Heaton, Trippier, Mee, Shackell, Duff, Kightly, Marney, Arfield, Jones, Ings, Vokes
BURNLEY SUBS: Cisak, Lafferty, Stock, Long, Edgar, Treacy, Stanislas
Leicester manager Nigel Pearson has made four changes to the side that went down 3-1 at Brighton last week. Ritchie De Laet, Liam Moore, Anthony Knockaert and Matty James replace Marcin Wasilewski, Ignasi Miquel, Andy King and Dean Hammond.
Sean Dyche, meanwhile, makes just one change to the team that came past Barnsley last time out as Brian Stock makes way for Dean Marney.
REFEREE WATCH: The man with the whistle today is Andy D'Urso.
It's almost a whole year since these two last met. Both games went Leicester's way last season as they won 2-1 at home in September before snatching a 1-0 away victory just after Christmas in 2012. David Nugent scored in both of those games and it wouldn't be surprising if he did again today.
PREDICTION! Ten minutes until the first blow of D'Urso's whistle so it's time for my prediction. I expect the hosts to arrest their run of two straight defeats with a 2-1 win today.
Click here to see how the table looks in full ahead of today's 11 games in the second tier. Leicester will go top with a win but could be ousted out if QPR win at Blackpool later this afternoon. Burnley will go three clear with victory.
Here come the two sides out of the tunnel. It's a fine winter's afternoon in the East Midlands. Leicester are in their royal blue home colours while Burnley opt for their white away kit with claret shorts.
A lot of people will focus on the strikers on both sides but this game could be lit up by two of the division's best but largely unnoticed players. Burnley's Kieran Trippier has been the best right-back in the league this season but Leicester left-sider Lloyd Dyer should restrict Trippier's ventures forward with his attacking intent.
KICKOFF! Off we go at the King Power Stadium.
Leicester start brighter and almost work a shooting opportunity as Dyer feeds it into Nugent who tries to lay it back for the winger but can't find him.
SHOT! Even closer for the Foxes as De Laet bursts through three men down the right before crossing low. It misses the first two blue shirts but there's Dyer who opens his body and looks for the corner but sidefoots it straight into the body of Trippier.
Another couple of important blocks from the Burnley defence. Moore and James were the ones who tried their luck but there were a number of white shirts in the way.
SAVE! Almost a stunning opener as Leicester continue to pile on the pressure. This time it's Knockaert who shoots and he gets it through the crowd with a sweet volley that's straight at Heaton. The Burnley keeper couldn't hold on but pounced quickly to prevent anyone poking home.
The Burnley fans are taking up one of the corners today:
Burnley fans today pic.twitter.com/5DH9Yg1ADO — Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) December 14, 2013
Vokes is flagged offside after a lovely ball from Trippier over the top. The Burnley striker missed anyway but replays show that he was level with the last man.
PENALTY TO LEICESTER!
GOAL! LEICESTER 1-0 BURNLEY (NUGENT, PEN.)
Nugent tucks home from 12 yards after Vardy was bundled over in the area. Burnley will feel hard done by but there was contact and you can see why D'Urso blew up. It all came from a loose pass at the back by Shackell and that's what will annoy Dyche most.
Leicester do fully deserve their lead though. They've been all over Burnley in the early stages, attempting six shots with Burnley yet to register one.
STAT! That goal is Nugent's 11th of the season, seven of which have come from the penalty spot.
Almost a howler from Schmeichel as he slides in to claim the ball ahead of Ings but then allows the ball out of his grasp for a moment. Luckily for the Dane, there's no-one there to take advantage of his error.
Nugent is lucky not to get booked after blatantly hacking down Arfield as Burnley looked to break. Moments before, Dyer's pace took him past three Burnley defenders but he was then let down by a poor Vardy return pass.
OFF THE POST! Closest Burnley have come by a mile as Trippier uses his left foot to swing in a cross that Ings flicks towards the corner. Schmeichel sprawls but he can't get a touch as the ball hits the outside of the post.
Leicester work a short corner down the other end, with Dyer dinking to the back post where Nugent's header is weak and straight at Heaton.
YELLOW CARD! BOOKING! De Laet is the first name to go into the book after coming through Arfield from behind.
Great one-touch football from Leicester down the left but Nugent wastes the opportunity to shoot, instead looking right for De Laet whose cross is rubbish.
Burnley have managed to ease Leicester's dominance but they haven't really threatened apart from that Ings header. They just sent a free kick into the middle but Vokes couldn't bring it down to shoot.
Leicester's Twitter describes Vardy's endeavour in the first-half as "machine-like". The Foxes' number nine has certainly not made it easy for Burnley's back four.
CHANCE! Big, big chance for Leicester to double their lead as Drinkwater threads it through for Nugent, who takes it in his stride well. He finds strike partner Vardy who moves the ball past one defender before dragging his shot agonisingly wide with Heaton well-beaten.
MISS! Leicester will massively regret these missed opportunities if Burnley equalise. They have another wonderful opening as Knockaert's deep free kick just goes over the head of Morgan but drops for Moore who can only poke it miles over the bar on the stretch.
Three minutes added on at the end of the first half. Burnley have a free kick 30 yards out that Trippier takes but blasts into the wall.
SHOT! Ings is given way too much space on the edge of the box so volleys at goal. Schmeichel is worried but isn't troubled as the ball bobbles a yard or so wide.
Last chance of the half falls Leicester's way as Nugent unselfishly finds Knockaert. The Frenchman tries to roll a cheeky one through Mee's legs but it tamely goes wide.
HALF-TIME: LEICESTER 1-0 BURNLEY
The Foxes go in ahead thanks to Nugent's seventh penalty of the season. He has now scored in four of the last five games against the Clarets.
If you're just joining us and want a quick recap of the opening half, read our half-time report here.
Leicester really should be more than one ahead and you have to feel that they might regret not taking a number of first-half chances.
PHOTO: @nuge101235 gives #lcfc the lead from the penalty spot v @BurnleyOfficial. @SkyBetChamp @Neil_PlumbImage pic.twitter.com/Vse9j23dZC
— Leicester City (@OfficialFOXES) December 14, 2013
In the big Premier League game it's now 1-1 between Man City and Arsenal with half an hour played. Sergio Aguero and Theo Walcott on the scoresheet. Follow our live coverage of that by opening this link in a new tab.
KICKOFF! We're back underway at the King Power.
GOAL! LEICESTER 1-1 BURNLEY (INGS)
I said that Leicester might regret those missed chances in the first half and it's taken just over a minute for Burnley to punish them. Trippier and Ings have linked up a number of times this season and they do so again as the former's cross finds it way to the striker who takes a touch before tucking home.
Poor defending from Leicester to allow a low cross like that all the way into the middle.
SAVE! Almost a horror show for De Laet as he fails to see that Vokes is stood on his own miles offside and plays a backpass straight to him. The Burnley number nine has all the time in the world but is denied by a fantastic save by Schmeichel.
Worrying signs for Burnley as Trippier stays down after what looked like an accidental stamp on the ankle by Nugent.
The now joint-top assister in the division is OK to continue though.
Neat footwork from Knockaert before squeezing it through for Dyer, who does really well to dig out a cross for Nugent but the striker can't keep his volley down.
Today's attendance at the King Power is 23,143, with 840 travelling Claret fans.
De Laet's hacked clearance bounces off James and straight to Jones who looks to find the far corner with his weaker right foot but has his shot blocked.
Big penalty appeal from Vokes as he looked to flick the ball over Moore, who actually used his head to clear even though his arms were raised.
One quarter of the game left to go and it's really starting to open up. Neither side looks content with a point which is great as they're both going for the win.
Konchesky goes for goal but he's on his right foot and tamely rolls it to Heaton.
LEICESTER SUBS: With 20 minutes left, Pearson makes the first changes of the afternoon by bringing on Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Marcin Wasilewski for goalscorer Nugent and De Laet.
BURNLEY SUB: Moments later, Dyche plays his next card by sending on Keith Treacy for Kightly.
Audacious effort from Ings as the ball sits up nicely 25 yards out and he volleys at goal with his left. Well-struck, but always over and not worrying Schmeichel.
Vardy with a lovely return ball to Dyer, who fizzes in a low cross that Taylor-Fletcher connects with brilliantly but has his shot blocked by Shackell.
CHANCE! Golden opportunity for the home side to retake the lead as Dyer's pace gets him to the byline and he picks out Vardy in the middle. The striker has to stoop to meet it but should still at least get it on target but heads wide.
Ings and Vokes almost link up brilliantly but good defending from Morgan in the middle stops Ings's cross reaching his strike partner. Between them, they've scored 26 goals already this season.
BOOKING! Comical yellow card earned by Marney as he misjudges the bounce of the ball and blatantly uses his hand to take the ball with him.
LEICESTER SUB: Final change from Pearson as Jeffrey Schlupp is sent on for Vardy, who has worked really hard but lacked a cutting edge in front of goal.
You have to say that if Burnley hold on here they will be over the moon with a point. Yes, they've had chances but nowhere near as many as Leicester, who have been ever so wasteful in front of goal.
Schlupp cuts in from the right and has a pop with his left foot but drags it wide.
THREE minutes of time added on for either side to find a winner.
Knockaert's cross deflects up awkwardly and Heaton pushes it up but not away. Mee has to head out for a corner and Leicester have one last chance but it's a poor delivery from Knockaert.
FULL-TIME: LEICESTER 1-1 BURNLEY
The points are shared then as Leicester remain a point shy of Burnley, who move clear at the top.
Leicester were the best side by a mile in the first half but could only score once thanks to David Nugent's 11th goal and seventh penalty of the season. They came to regret those chances inside two minutes of the second half as Danny Ings tucked home from close range.
Anyway, that's all we've got time for here on Sports Mole. Thanks for joining us. Make sure you stick around on site for scores, reports and commentaries all afternoon!
Written by
Pascal Lemesre
Pascal Lemesre
