Leicester title challenge dented by West Ham, Liverpool win despite changes

Leicester City stumbled on their march towards the Premier League title when they drew 2-2 with West Ham United and had goalscorer Jamie Vardy sent off at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.

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 Cheikhou Kouyate.

He picked up his second yellow card for a dive early in the second half and West Ham gradually came back into the game against Leicester’s 10 men, equalising through an 84th-minute Andy Carroll penalty after Wes Morgan hauled down Winston Reid.

Two minutes later Aaron Cresswell scored a stunning goal for the Hammers with a fierce shot from the edge of the box which flew past keeper Kasper Schmeichel, but Leicester equalised with virtually the last kick of the game when Leonardo Ulloa scored from the spot after Carroll fouled Jeffrey Schlupp.

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 on Sunday.

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 kickoff 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.

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