Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani scored brilliant efforts as Leicester City handed Huddersfield Town a 3-0 defeat in New Year Day’s English Premier League encounter at the King Power Stadium.
After an impressive start to the busy December, with three wins in as many games, the Foxes ended the year on a low after they could only muster a point from their last four matches.
And it took the interventions of Mahrez, his compatriot Slimani - who netted his maiden league strike of the season in his his second start after Chelsea’s game in September - and a late Marc Albrighton strike to ensure Claude Puel’s team begin the year on a positive note.
Nigeria international Ahmed Musa was not included in the matchday squad with Kelechi Iheanacho restored to the bench. Wilfried Ndidi was, expectedly, at the heart of midfield.
After a first half that failed to see much goalscoring action, it took until the 63rd minute for the hosts to take the lead off the trusted left foot of their Algeria wing wizard.
Mahrez met Albrigton’s clearance back into the box with a sublime curler to gift his side the lead. And seven minutes later, the 26-year-old cushioned a pass into the path of a sprinting Slimani who cleverly dinked the ball over an onrushing Jonas Loessl in the Terriers’ goal.
Winger Albrighton netted a late third as Puel's men coasted to a 3-0 victory.
Mahrez took his season’s tally to seven goals in 22 English top-flight games and was taken off in the 77th minute for Demerai Gray while Slimani, 29, played the entire duration of the tie and got his first Premier League goal this term, thus, making a claim to feature more prominently for his side.
Ndidi was at his best at the heart of the midfield and was unlucky not to register a goal of his own after seeing a headed effort, off a corner kick, crash the crossbar.
Leicester City with their eighth win of the season are placed eighth in the English Premier League log with 30 points.