EPL: Jamie Vardy scores brace as Leicester maintain pressure on Liverpool

Jamie Vardy continued his red-hot form as ruthless Leicester dismantled Aston Villa 4-1 to keep English Premier League leaders Liverpool in sight.

The former England international bagged a brace to net for an eighth straight game and ensure the Foxes closed the gap on the Reds at the top to eight points.

Kelechi Iheanacho and Jonny Evans also scored to help Leicester set a new club record of eight consecutive top-flight wins.

Villa skipper Jack Grealish did make it 2-1 just before the break but the Foxes were rarely in danger.

Brendan Rodgers' second-placed side are 14 points clear of fifth-placed Manchester United and refusing to budge in the title race.

In contrast, Villa sit 17th after they were thumped, slipping to a fifth defeat in seven games.

Newcastle on the rise 

Elsewhere, Federico Fernandez scored a late winner as Newcastle came from behind to beat Southampton 2-1.

The central defender smashed home his second goal of the season from close range after goalkeeper Alex McCarthy could only parry substitute Sean Longstaff's 87th-minute piledriver.

His effort came after Jonjo Shelvey had cancelled out Danny Ings' opener with his fifth goal of the season and third in as many games as he headed in substitute Andy Carroll's cross.

Norwich fall to surging Sheffield United 

Sheffield United came from behind to seal a 2-1 victory over struggling Norwich.

The Canaries took the lead through Alexander Tettey inside the opening half-hour after starting the match brightly.

However, in the second half, it was Sheffield United who dominated. Enda Stevens' header drew his side level with George Baldock firing home just three minutes later to put his side ahead.

Impressive Wolves keep unbeaten run alive 

Diogo Jota's double stretched Wolves' unbeaten record to 11 matches after a 2-2 draw in the late game at Brighton.

The Portuguese frontman struck either side of quickfire goals from Neal Maupay and Davy Propper in a crazy 16-minute spell at the end of the first half.

Another point on the road lifted Nuno Espirito Santo's spirited side back up to sixth, while Brighton's encouraging start to the season continued as they moved level with Arsenal.

Reuters