Riyad Mahrez thrived on the extra responsibility created by Jamie Vardy’s absence as Leicester gained their first win in six matches and were finally able to give a debut to £22million midfielder Adrien Silva.
With Vardy nursing a groin injury and restricted to cheerleading from a corporate box, all hopes were pinned on Mahrez to lift his team-mates.
The Algerian didn’t disappoint, breaking the deadlock with a brilliant left-footed volley after 53 minutes and then setting up compatriot Islam Slimani for the second goal shortly afterwards.
Riyad Mahrez, Marc Albrighton and Islam Slimani were all on target to ease Leicester to a 3-0 victory over Huddersfield
Algerian Mahrez opened the scoring after 53 minutes when he latched on to Albrighton’s ball in with a side-footed volley
Huddersfield stopper Jonas Lossl was powerless as the ball was guided superbly into the far corner by the Algerian forward
Slimani then doubled the lead for the Foxes just six minutes later when he expertly chipped the Terriers goalkeeper
Slimani, who was found by fellow goalscorer Mahrez, watches as the ball flies over Lossl and towards the Huddersfield goal
It was a perfect afternoon for the Foxes, who were finally able to hand £22m signing Adrien Silva his Premier League debut
Albrighton then made certain when he calmly slotted home to make it three goals and three points for the Foxes
Even so, the ovation when he left the pitch after 76 minutes was only the second loudest of the afternoon.
That was reserved for Silva who ended one of the stranger transfer sagas of recent times when he replaced Matty James after 85 minutes.
Silva was signed from Sporting Lisbon at the end of the summer window but has been left kicking his heels since because FIFA decided the paperwork was filed 14 seconds after deadline.
The Portuguese international received a rapturous welcome when he entered wearing the No 14 shirt – possibly a cheeky dig at the authorities – and he was able to join in the on-pitch celebrations when Marc Albrighton deservedly added a third goal at the end.
Foxes new boy Silva warms up in preparation for his Premier League debut following a frustrating four months in limbo
Wilfred Ndidi fends off a challenge from Huddersfield flyer Tom Ince during the opening exchanges of the match
Visiting goalkeeper Lossl makes a brilliant save to keep Huddersfield on level terms early on in the piece
Foxes magician Mahrez skips over a challenge from Christopher Schindler as he looks to mount an attack
As for man-of-the-match Mahrez, six of his eight goals this season have come since Puel joined the club in late-October.
Asked what he’d done to transform the winger back into the title-winning PFA Player of the Year of 2016, Puel quipped: ‘I speak better French.’
The downside to Mahrez’s hot streak is that bigger fish might try to take him in January.
‘It’s speculation. Riyad is with us and I would like to keep all my best players,’ added Puel.
‘It was a fantastic game for him. He was fresh, played with quality and intensity with and without the ball.
A pensive Claude Puel — the Leicester boss — watches on from the sideline as his team look to break the deadlock
Referee Graham Scott waves away penalty claims from Huddersfield’s Danny Williams after a challenge from Harry Maguire
Leicester captain Wes Morgan winces after twisting his knee in a challenge on Steve Mounie on the halfway line
Morgan, who received a yellow card for the challenge on Mounie, was forced off after just 28 minutes had been played
‘Riyad and other players are enjoying games. We are getting the ball to him more and he can make a bigger difference on the pitch. I’m happy of course to play in a team with Riyad. You’ll have to ask him (about what he wants for his future).’
Huddersfield arrived at the King Power protecting a four-match unbeaten run. They had the only shot on target of a dreadful first half but wasted their best chance when Danny Williams went down looking for a penalty instead of shooting when past Harry Maguire.
‘I thought at the time that with the right desire he could really go for goal,’ said Terriers boss David Wagner in a rare outbreak of candour for a Premier League manager.
Amartey places the captain’s armband on Kasper Schmeichel following Morgan’s early departure from the tie
Lossl towers above Leicester players in the box to punch away a ball which had been knocked into a dangerous area
Huddersfield boss David Wagner gestures to his players as the hosts begin to turn up the heat in the second half
The second-half pressure finally told and Mahrez was the beneficiary – curling his effort into the corner to put his side 1-0 up
Leicester, minus skipper Wes Morgan who limped off with a hamstring injury, made Huddersfield pay in the second half with Mahrez making the difference.
The visitors did a decent job of clearing a long throw from Christian Fuchs but when Albrighton’s hook back into the area fell to Mahrez, he brilliantly wrapped his left foot around the ball to fire past Jonas Lossl.
‘We lost the man. We know after 22 games, small margins can decide the game at this level,’ bemoaned Wagner.
Once in front, Leicester never looked like ceding control. Mahrez played a perfect pass to Slimani who made the most of Vardy’s absence to accelerate and clip a tidy finish over Lossl for his first Premier League goal since April.
Mahrez sprints to the crowd to celebrate starting the new year with a bang by scoring on his first outing in 2018
Stand-in skipper Schmeichel clenches his fists and yells with delight after his side open the scoring at the King Power
Slimani then heaped more misery on Wagner’s men when he cutely dinked it over Lossl in the Huddersfield goal to make it 2-0
Slimani points to the sky as fellow goalscorer Mahrez, who assisted the strike, runs in to congratulate the forward
The roof nearly came off when Silva was sent on by Puel as Leicester’s final change.
He has spent the last couple of months training at Leicester without being able to play. ‘It’s been hard for him but he’s kept fantastic positivity all the time. He’s made a lot of effort, more than anyone, to stay fit,’ said the Foxes manager.
‘He deserved to come into the game. Now he can bring a good feeling to the team in the future.’
Albrighton should also be mentioned. He gave another tireless performance and it’s incredible that he’s never won an England cap whilst many inferior players have.
Team-mates rush in to celebrate Slimani’s goal as a dejected Lossl appears shell shocked following the quickfire double
Silva warms up on the sideline in the hope he would get a run out as the game draws nearer to a close at the King Power
Shinji Okazaki looks to pull the trigger but Schindler is on hand to slide in and dispossess the forward at a crucial time
Zanka comforts the Japanese forward after he feels the pain from that crunching Schindler challenge moments earlier
Certainly, he deserved his goal at the end, tapping in after Slimani’s barnstorming run and a deflected cross by Demarai Gray had landed at his feet.
Leicester are now only four points behind Burnley and must fancy their chances of being ‘best of the rest’ this season behind the Big Six.
Their next match is in the FA Cup third round tie at Fleetwood, Vardy’s former club. Puel wants to give the striker every chance to play. ‘We won’t take risks but it’s not a big injury,’ he said.
Silva then finally got his chance when he replaced James with just four minutes left of normal time on Monday afternoon
Albrighton took his chance well at the death when he side-footed home after Demarai Gray’s cross deflected into his path
Silva consoles Aaron Mooy at the end of the game as the Portuguese is victorious in his first game in the blue shirt
The £22m midfielder shows his appreciation to the King Power faithful after a glorious day for Puel’s side