Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy made history on Saturday by scoring for the 11th Premier League match running in his side’s 1-1 draw at home to Manchester United.
The England forward struck in the 24th minute, running onto Christian Fuchs’s pass and arrowing a shot past David de Gea to break a record he had previously shared with former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.
“I’m delighted to have got the goal,” Vardy, the league’s top scorer with 14 goals, told BBC Sport. “It’s a bit disappointing the way we conceded their goal because it could have been three points.
“I’ve just been taking each game as it comes. The record was not in my mind. It would have affected my performance and the team’s, and that’s the last thing I wanted to do.”
Van Nistelrooy, whose record had stood since 2003, was quick to congratulate Vardy, writing on Twitter: “Well done @vardy7! You’re number one now and you deserved it. #11inarow.”
The record caps a remarkable rise for 28-year-old Vardy, who was playing non-league football in 2012 and had been playing in the seventh tier of English football as recently as 2010.
While Vardy took the plaudits, Bastian Schweinsteiger’s 46th-minute header from a Daley Blind corner – his first United goal – earned the visitors a point that left them in third place, a point off the summit.
“I am disappointed,” said United manager Louis van Gaal. “I have the feeling we could have won this match.”
Leicester finished the day in second place, a point above United, with Manchester City going top on goal difference after overcoming Southampton 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium. Kevin De Bruyne scored for the first time in six games to put City ahead and went on to create goals for Fabian Delph and Aleksandar Kolarov, with Shane Long replying for Southampton.
Palace humble Newcastle
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew oversaw a 5-1 victory for his side that sent his former employers Newcastle United into the relegation zone, increasing the pressure on his struggling successor Steve McClaren.
Papiss Cisse put Newcastle ahead with a 10th-minute header, but Palace hit back through Wilfried Zaha and braces from Yannick Bolasie and James McArthur.
Bournemouth moved above Newcastle, but remain in the bottom three, after a thrilling finale at Dean Court saw them hit back twice to hold Everton to a 3-3 draw.
Sunderland climbed out of the relegation places at Newcastle’s expense with a 2-0 home win over Stoke City.AFP
I’ve just been taking each game as it comes. The record was not in my mind. It would have affected my performance and the team’s, and that’s the last thing I wanted to do.
