Match Analysis: Leicester City 0-1 Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace moved six points clear of the relegation zone by beating Leicester City 1-0 in their Premier League match this afternoon.

The Foxes dominated the first half, with Riyad Mahrez seeing a low shot saved by Julian Speroni and David Nugent heading an effort against the bar.

However, the visitors took the lead shortly after the break when Joe Ledley headed in following a corner.

Substitute Jamie Vardy saw two late attempts saved by Speroni as the Foxes lost for the third successive league match.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the events that unfolded at the King Power Stadium.

Match Statistics:

LEICESTER CITY: Shots 19 On Target 5 Possession 62% Corners 8 Fouls 15

CRYSTAL PALACE: Shots 14 On Target 2 Possession 38% Corners 6 Fouls 6

Was the result fair?

Leicester will feel very hard done by after their performance today. They were the better side in the first half and they had plenty of opportunities to take the lead. However, Palace came out strongly after the break and they scored with their first effort on target. The hosts struggled to respond to that goal and a great defensive display from the Eagles helped to seal the points.

Leicester City's performance

The Foxes made a bright start to the match and they were the team who looked most likely to score in the opening half. Mahrez was causing the Palace backline plenty of problems and he forced Speroni into a decent save from his strike across goal. Leicester were also creating some good chances from set pieces and Nugent was unlucky to see his header come back off the bar. They failed to keep up that intensity after half time and Nigel Pearson would have been disappointed that his side conceded from a corner. Despite a couple of late efforts on goal, they never really looked like getting back into the match and they are still three points adrift at the bottom of the table.

Crystal Palace's performance

Palace may not have been at their best, but their fine form under Alan Pardew has continued. They have won three of their past four league games under their new manager and they now have a healthy cushion between themselves and the relegation zone. The Eagles were fortunate to get to half time still level, but they were much better after the break. They made it harder for Leicester to get in behind and the introduction of Yaya Sanogo gave them a powerful presence up front. It was a nervous finish to the match, but they held out and will now head into their next two home games full of confidence.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Julian Speroni: The Palace keeper made some vital saves this afternoon to help his team escape with the three points. He made a top save to deny Mahrez in the first half and made two great stops in the final 10 minutes to keep out Vardy.

Biggest gaffe

Just moments after Ledley had given Palace the lead, he poorly gave the ball away in a dangerous positon to Nugent, who rounded the keeper and squared the ball across goal. Esteban Cambiasso was unable to get a strike on target, meaning that Ledley could breathe a sigh of relief following the mistake.

Referee's performance

It was not the most difficult of afternoons for Lee Mason, but the referee was forced to show five yellow cards. They were all fully deserved and he helped to ensure that things did not end up boiling over.

What next?

Leicester City: The Foxes make the trip to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal on Tuesday evening.

Crystal Palace: Palace manager Pardew will face his former club on Wednesday evening as Newcastle United visit Selhurst Park.