Jamie Vardy’s early header was enough for EFL Championship leaders Leicester City to return to winning ways with a 1-0 success over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night.

Vardy pounced in the 13th minute to net the only goal of the game and secure City’s 26th league victory of the season, enough to maintain their three-point advantage at the top of the table. Leicester are on 81 points and Ipswich Town have 78, two more than Leeds United. Southampton, with a game in hand, sit on 70.

Conor Coady, Callum Doyle, Yunus Akgün and Vardy were the four players to come into the XI after Saturday’s 2-1 home reverse to Queens Park Rangers.There was encouragement on the bench, too, with Wilfred Ndidi back from injury after over two months on the sidelines.

The Nigerian would eventually emerge in the second half to make his first outing since the 2-0 victory at Cardiff City on 29 December last year. Naturally, after three consecutive losses in the league, there was some anxiety among the Blue Army ahead of kick-off, but the message from Enzo Maresca has been one of calm determination to protect and extend their lead at the summit.

The eighth minute brought City’s first big chance of the night. Stephy Mavididi broke away down the left channel and, before he knew it, the former Juventus man was in the box.

He elected to square it across goal, with Abdul Fatawu barrelling into the area, but the pass was too far behind the Ghanaian and the moment was lost for the visitors. Soon after, they had an even better opening. Doyle – against his former club – cut Sunderland open with a superb through-ball, putting Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in behind the backline.