Leicester City secured Christmas number one in the Premier League with a 3-2 victory at Goodison Park over Everton this afternoon.
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Two penalties from Riyad Mahrez and a third goal from Shinji Okazaki saw Leicester record their sixth win in seven games, and they will be four points clear on Christmas Day if Arsenal and Manchester City draw on Monday night.
Everton started today's match on top, but they could not make their early dominance pay and fell behind in the 27th minute. In-form Mahrez tucked home from 12 yards after Ramiro Funes Mori had brought down Okazaki in the box.
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The hosts levelled before the break, though, and it was yet another goal for Romelu Lukaku, who scored for the seventh league game in a row by firing home a loose ball after Ross Barkley had been denied twice.
The teams went in all square, but Leicester restored their advantage 20 minutes into the second half when Toffees goalkeeper Tim Howard felled Jamie Vardy and once again Mahrez slotted home for his 13th goal of the season.
Vardy has 15, but he did not add to his tally today. The Englishman could have gone for goal shortly after Mahrez restored the Foxes' lead, but instead he unselfishly squared for Okazaki to make it three.
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Everton made it a nervy finish with Kevin Mirallas's 89th-minute goal, but Leicester hung on for the win, preserving their unbeaten away league record in the process.
Five of the last six teams that have been top at Christmas have gone on to win the Premier League. This time last year, Leicester were bottom.
Pascal Lemesre
