Match ends, Stoke City 2, Leicester City 2.
Stoke City 2-2 Leicester City
- From the section Football
Leicester came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Stoke City and maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
Foxes striker Jamie Vardy held off the home defence to equalise after Riyad Mahrez scored his fifth goal of the season from the penalty spot.
Bojan, making his first start of 2015-16, had given Stoke an early lead from Marko Arnautovic's reverse pass.
Striker Jonathan Walters doubled the advantage but Stoke are still searching for their first win of the season.
Relive how Stoke and Leicester drew 2-2
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Kings of the comeback
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Claudio Ranieri's Leicester have been one of the stories of the season so far, as three wins and three draws have taken them into second spot in the Premier League, behind only Manchester City.
Last Sunday they scored three times in the last 20 minutes to win 3-2 against Aston Villa and while they could not quite match that feat, their skill and spirit secured them a deserved point.
Vardy's equaliser was his fourth goal of the season and reward for how he unsettled the Stoke defence after the break.
Algerian winger Mahrez has now been involved in eight goals this season and he was always a threat on an afternoon when his side struggled in the first half.
After Bojan's opener, Leicester captain Wes Morgan was badly at fault for Stoke's second goal, attempting an ill-conceived backpass that fell perfectly into the path of Walters. But his side were again able to retrieve the situation.
Victory thrown away by Stoke?
Mark Hughes's side went into the game with only two points and having lost both their home games.
They appeared set to get their season going when Bojan, who had last made a league start in January against Leicester, slotted past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel after a brilliant turn, run and pass from Arnautovic.
However, it was the Austrian forward who allowed Leicester a route back into the game, forcing down Leicester's Danny Drinkwater early in the second half for the penalty converted by Mahrez.
They then failed to deal with a long ball forward for Vardy's equaliser, although Stoke players angrily claimed that Walters was being held by Morgan in the lead-up to the goal.
Bojan brings invention to Potters
The cruciate ligament injury suffered by Bojan in January was a cruel blow to player and club with the 25-year-old Spaniard so often the inspiration for Stoke last season.
Hughes has eased him back into the team, restricting him to only substitute appearances before this game and he was rewarded with a good display before he tired in the second half and was replaced in the 82nd minute.
He made 39 passes with 74% accuracy and his threat was vital for a Stoke side without top scorer Mame Biram Diouf who has a hamstring strain.
Man of the match
Manager reaction
Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri: "The first 12 minutes before Stoke scored we played very well but after that they scored a very, very good goal and we were making too many mistakes, losing a lot of balls in the middle of the pitch.
"We need to start games better so we are not always fighting back."
Stoke boss Mark Hughes: "We were good value for being 2-0 up and talked at half-time about not letting Leicester back early in the second half and that's what happened.
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"We made a mistake on the penalty and at 2-1 we had to deal with their momentum. We then made a mistake for their second goal but maybe we were distracted by the foul on Jonathan Walters at the other end. We picked up a point but should have had three.
"Bojan was a huge positive and scored a good goal. We have got to get him up to speed but I was pleased with him."
The stats you need to know
- Jonathan Walters (35) is now two clear of Peter Crouch (33) as Stoke City's all-time leading Premier League scorer.
- Stoke have suffered just one defeat in their last seven meetings in all competitions with Leicester, winning three and drawing three.
- Riyad Mahrez has scored seven goals and assisted three in his last nine PL appearances.
- Leicester are the first team since Everton in 2012 (6) to claim at least a point from behind in four successive Premier League fixtures.
- Leicester are unbeaten after six games for only the second time in a PL season (they were unbeaten through eight in 2000-01).
What's next?
Stoke travel to Fulham in the third round of the League Cup on Tuesday (19:45 BST), while Leicester host West Ham in the same competition on the same night.
Line-ups
Stoke
- 1Butland
- 8Johnson
- 20Cameron
- 12Wilson
- 3Pieters
- 6Whelan
- 15Van GinkelSubstituted forIrelandat 79'minutes
- 22Shaqiri
- 27BojanBooked at 70minsSubstituted forOdemwingieat 82'minutes
- 10ArnautovicSubstituted forCrouchat 75'minutes
- 19Walters
Substitutes
- 5Muniesa
- 7Ireland
- 9Odemwingie
- 11Joselu
- 24Given
- 25Crouch
- 26Wollscheid
Leicester
- 1Schmeichel
- 2de Laet
- 6Huth
- 5Morgan
- 15SchluppBooked at 81mins
- 26MahrezBooked at 58mins
- 4DrinkwaterBooked at 78mins
- 33InlerSubstituted forAlbrightonat 45'minutes
- 14KantéBooked at 60minsSubstituted forKingat 86'minutes
- 20OkazakiSubstituted forUlloaat 64'minutes
- 9Vardy
Substitutes
- 10King
- 11Albrighton
- 17Simpson
- 19Kramaric
- 23Ulloa
- 29Benalouane
- 32Schwarzer
- Referee:
- Andre Marriner
- Attendance:
- 27,642
Match Stats
Home TeamStokeAway TeamLeicester
- Possession
- Home54%
- Away46%
- Shots
- Home11
- Away12
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away5
- Corners
- Home3
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away12
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Stoke City 2, Leicester City 2.
Attempt missed. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Leonardo Ulloa.
Geoff Cameron (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jamie Vardy (Leicester City).
Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Andy King replaces N'Golo Kanté because of an injury.
Foul by Jonathan Walters (Stoke City).
Wes Morgan (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match N'Golo Kanté (Leicester City) because of an injury.
Substitution
Substitution, Stoke City. Peter Odemwingie replaces Bojan.
Offside, Stoke City. Erik Pieters tries a through ball, but Peter Crouch is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Booking
Jeffrey Schlupp (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jeffrey Schlupp (Leicester City).
Substitution
Substitution, Stoke City. Stephen Ireland replaces Marco Van Ginkel.
Attempt missed. Geoff Cameron (Stoke City) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Xherdan Shaqiri with a cross following a set piece situation.
Booking
Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jonathan Walters (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City).
Substitution
Substitution, Stoke City. Peter Crouch replaces Marko Arnautovic.
Jonathan Walters (Stoke City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Wes Morgan (Leicester City).
Offside, Stoke City. Glenn Whelan tries a through ball, but Xherdan Shaqiri is caught offside.
Booking
Bojan (Stoke City) is shown the yellow card.
Goal!
Goal! Stoke City 2, Leicester City 2. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez with a through ball.
Erik Pieters (Stoke City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City).
Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Leonardo Ulloa replaces Shinji Okazaki.
Attempt missed. Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Glenn Whelan.
Attempt missed. Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Jamie Vardy.
Attempt saved. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Daniel Drinkwater.
Attempt saved. Marco Van Ginkel (Stoke City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Xherdan Shaqiri.
Booking
N'Golo Kanté (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Bojan (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by N'Golo Kanté (Leicester City).
Booking
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Erik Pieters (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City).