AGENCIES
London
Leicester City stumbled on their march towards the Premier League title by dropping two points in a 2-2 draw with West Ham United despite a last-minute equaliser from Leonardo Ulloa at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp made 10 changes from the team that beat Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League and watched his experimental side overcome Bournemouth 2-1 in a low-key game in the south coast sunshine.
But all eyes were on Leicester as they finished the match with 10 men after goalscorer Jamie Vardy was sent off early in the second half for a second yellow card. Leicester coach Claudio Ranieri praised his side for saving a point, which put them eight clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur with four matches to play. Spurs' match in hand is at Stoke City on Monday and if they win that they will narrow Leicester's lead to five points.
"The sending-off changed the whole match, but I judge my players, not the referee," Ranieri said without commenting on the red card. "This was our soul, we play every match with blood, heart and soul, it was magnificent," added the Italian, whose team had won their last five games to close on their first English top-flight title.
West Ham almost scored in the second minute when Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel saved a header from Cheikhou Kouyate, tipping the ball on to his left-hand post before it rolled across the line and hit the other upright. Vardy put Leicester ahead after a lightning counter-attack in the 18th minute with a left-foot shot into the corner of the net before picking up his first booking for a late challenge on Kouyate. His second yellow came early in the second half when referee Jon Moss ruled he dived looking for a foul and the match gradually swung West Ham's way.
They equalised through an 84th-minute Andy Carroll penalty after Wes Morgan hauled down Winston Reid and looked to have won the game two minutes later when Aaron Cresswell scored a stunning goal with a fierce shot from the edge of the box which dipped and swerved as it flew past Schmeichel. But with only seconds of stoppage time remaining Leicester equalised when Ulloa scored from the spot after Carroll fouled Jeffrey Schlupp.
At Bournemouth, both Liverpool goals came at the end of the first half, Roberto Firmino ending a superb move with a close range tap-in after 41 minutes before Daniel Sturridge made it 2-0 with a header from a Jordan Ibe free kick. Bournemouth replied in stoppage time when Josh King half-volleyed in from the edge of the box.
Before the kick-off flowers were laid on the pitch in memory of the Liverpool 96 fans who died at Hillsborough in April 1989 with the club's anthem 'You'll Never Walk Alone' played as the short ceremony took place.
