Vardy closes in on 200 goals as Leicester beat Southampton in dramatic clash

Jamie Vardy netted his 199th goal for Leicester City to help the Foxes hit bottom side Southampton 2-0 at King Power Stadium.

Vardy Scores in Final Home Stretch

Jamie Vardy moved closer to a major career milestone as Leicester City defeated Southampton in a chaotic and eventful match. The 37-year-old striker, set to leave Leicester at the end of the season after 13 years, fired a powerful strike into the roof of the net after 17 minutes — his 197th career goal. It was also Leicester’s first home Premier League goal since December 8.

Ayew Doubles Lead After Unusual Incident

Leicester doubled their lead just before half-time through Jordan Ayew, who scored with a clean half-volley after his initial free-kick rebounded off the Southampton wall. Earlier in the half, Ayew was involved in a strange moment when he accidentally struck referee David Webb in the face. Webb, making his Premier League debut, was forced off injured. In a light-hearted moment, Vardy picked up the whistle and jokingly blew it to halt play.

Fourth official Sam Barrott replaced Webb after an 11-minute stoppage, and Leicester took advantage of the pause in play. Bilal El Khannouss earned a free-kick that led to Ayew’s goal, energizing the home crowd.

Saints Struggle and Remain Bottom

Southampton failed to threaten Leicester’s goal meaningfully and had a potential goal disallowed in the second half. Paul Onuachu was judged offside when his header bounced off Leicester keeper Jakub Stolarczyk, before Mateus Fernandes tapped it in — but it didn’t count.

The defeat ensures that Southampton will finish bottom of the Premier League table for a record-equalling third time. They still need at least one point in their remaining games to avoid matching Derby County’s all-time low of 11 points from the 2007-08 season.