Leicester City have moved five points clear of the relegation zone courtesy of a 3-1 victory over fellow strugglers Hull City at the King Power Stadium this afternoon.
The Tigers took the lead through Sam Clucas after less than 15 minutes, but Christian Fuchs levelled things up before a Riyad Mahrez strike and late Tom Huddlestone own goal saw the champions register back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.
Having picked up their first league win and scored their first league goals of 2017 with a 3-1 win over Liverpool on Monday night, caretaker Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare opted to name an unchanged side for the visit of Hull, and it was the hosts who began the match brighter.
Jamie Vardy in particular was causing problems down the channels in the opening exchanges, with one low ball across the face of goal needing to be put behind by Andy Robertson before another moments later saw Marc Albrighton denied a tap-in at the far post by a combination of Harry Maguire and Robertson.
It was Hull who took the lead against the run of play, though, hitting Leicester on the break after Wilfred Ndidi had gifted the ball to Clucas. The Hull midfielder drove into the Leicester half before finding Oumar Niasse, who in turn poked the ball through for Kamil Grosicki. The Pole's low ball into the box was palmed out by Kasper Schmeichel, but Clucas had continued his run and reacted well to steer the rebound home for his first ever Premier League goal.
Leicester had failed to win any of the Premier League matches in which they had conceded the opening goal this season, but they responded shortly before the half-hour mark when a string of passes between Fuchs and Vardy released the latter down the left wing. Fuchs continued his run into the penalty area to latch on to Vardy's cutback, putting just enough on his finish to beat Eldin Jakupovic.
That proved to be the last significant moment of the first half as the two sides went into the break all square, but Hull almost regained the lead within two minutes of the restart when Maguire steered Grosicki's corner against the outside of the post.
Grosicki delivered another good cross for Maguire just a minute later as Hull continued their bright start to the second half, but this time the angle was against the defender and Schmeichel was able to make a comfortable save.
Clucas then worked his way into a shooting position only to fluff his lines when pulling the trigger, before Mahrez tested Jakupovic twice in quick succession shortly before the hour mark.
It would prove to be third time lucky for the Algerian, though, as he collected the ball on the edge of the area after Hull had failed to clear their lines before twisting and turning his way into shooting space and squeezing his finish past the keeper.
It was Mahrez's first goal from open play in his last 28 Premier League outings and his fourth in five career appearances against the Tigers, making them his joint-favourite opposition.
Hull struggled for a response to falling behind, but the hosts needed a fingertip save from Schmeichel to stay in front just six minutes from time when the Dane turned a low effort from Niasse around the post.
Niasse continued to look for an equaliser in the closing stages and had another half-chance when he got himself on the end of a lofted ball into the area from Grosicki, but he could only cushion his volley into the side-netting.
Leicester were not giving up on a third goal themselves, though, and after Demarai Gray had forced a smart low save from Jakupovic in the last minute of normal time they did finally kill the game off when the resulting corner was flicked on by Ndidi against the head of Huddlestone for an own goal.
The result sees Shakespeare become only the second Leicester boss - after his predecessor Claudio Ranieri - to win his first two Premier League games in charge of the club, strengthening his case to be appointed on a more permanent basis.
Hull, meanwhile, are now winless in their last 13 Premier League away games stretching back to August and sit four points adrift of safety due to wins elsewhere for Crystal Palace and Swansea City.
Barney Corkhill
