Sunderland moved off the bottom of the table by beating reigning Premier League champions Leicester – their third win in four matches.
The Black Cats took the lead when Robert Huth turned a corner into his own net midway through the second half.
And before Leicester could mount a response, David Moyes’ side added a second when Jermain Defoe drove in after Duncan Watmore’s shot was blocked.
Substitute Shinji Okazaki flicked Demarai Gray’s cross in at the near post to set up a tense finish, but Sunderland held on.
The result moves them up to 18th and within two points of the Foxes, who are yet to win away in the league this season.
False dawn or a genuine revival?
Two wins from their three games prior to the visit of Leicester had given Sunderland fans some hope that their side have turned the corner under Moyes.
They lost in their previous outing – a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool after which Reds boss Jurgen Klopp said the Black Cats were the most defensive team he had ever seen.
However, they looked nothing of the sort against Leicester, attacking with pace and intent. Victor Anichebe – reborn under Moyes – has forged an impressive partnership with Defoe and the continuation of that will be crucial to Sunderland’s hopes of climbing out of the relegation zone.
And the club’s players also appear to have forged a strong team spirit, something that was exemplified in the final few seconds of the game as they threw themselves in front of the ball in a tense scramble before Jordan Pickford superbly punched away Wes Morgan’s goal-bound shot.
This time last year, Vardy was being congratulated on social media by Ruud van Nistelrooy for breaking the Dutchman’s record of scoring in 10 consecutive Premier League games.
Fast forward to today and the striker’s form has dipped dramatically – his blank against Sunderland was his 16th game for Leicester without scoring.
Vardy got into good positions against the Black Cats. He was unlucky with a clever cushioned header that landed on the roof of the net and also nodded just wide from dangerous Marc Albrighton cross. However, the England international is not getting the service he enjoyed in an electric 2015-16 campaign.
During Leicester’s title-winning season he linked up superbly with Riyad Mahrez, but the pair have rarely been on the same wavelength this season. Mahrez has found Vardy with just three passes in their past nine games and only once did the two combine against Sunderland.
There were suggestions that Ranieri was considering dropping Vardy for the Sunderland game and another match without scoring may increase the threat to his place in the side.
Pause button pressed on Vardy fairytale
