For once Jamie Vardy’s absence made no difference. This was a game defined by James Maddison, whose cockiness on the ball and eye for a killer pass ensured that Leicester remembered how to win without their main goalscorer. Fulham could not live with Maddison, who was at the heart of an improved Leicester performance, producing two bewitching assists to settle the game before half-time.
It was a wonderful, imaginative performance from a 24-year-old midfielder who thrived on the responsibility of stepping up with Vardy missing, shaping the contest in his image by creating goals for Kelechi Iheanacho and James Justin. This is a player in the form of his life. Leicester needed his inspiration and Maddison, who has six assists and six goals in his last 12 appearances, did not disappoint.
Brendan Rodgers’s side had floundered without Vardy of late, picking up one point from their previous two games, but they were far too strong for Fulham.
