CHAMPIONS LEICESTER CITY weathered the first-half dismissal of Jamie Vardy to come from 2-0 down and force a 2-2 draw at Stoke City.
Leicester avoided a ninth defeat of the campaign thanks to an impressive fightback at Stoke, which left Claudio Ranieri’s men three points above the relegation zone in 15th place.
Vardy was shown a straight red card in the 28th minute for a two-footed challenge on Mame Biram Diouf, ruling the England striker out of Leicester’s entire festive programme.
Bojan Krkic put Stoke ahead with a 39th-minute penalty after Danny Simpson was adjudged to have handled his cross, with Joe Allen tapping in a second in first-half stoppage time.
But Leonardo Ulloa halved the deficit, smuggling a header over the line from fellow substitute Demarai Gray’s cross, before Christian Fuchs teed up Daniel Amartey to head in an 88th-minute leveller.
Middlesbrough moved above Leicester to 14th place after beating Swansea City 3-0 courtesy of a first-half Alvaro Negredo brace and a Marten de Roon volley.
Swansea dropped to second-bottom, with Sunderland climbing off the foot of the table after Patrick van Aanholt’s 49th-minute goal secured a 1-0 home win over Watford.
Hull City are now bottom following a 1-0 defeat at West Ham United, who prevailed through Mark Noble’s 76th-minute penalty after the visitors had hit the post three times.
Sixth-place Manchester United visit West Bromwich Albion in the day’s late game, bidding to erode the six-point gap that separates them from the Champions League places.
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