Swansea downed by Championship promotion chasers Leicester City

Stunning strikes from Jordan James and Abdul Fatawu helped Leicester return to winning ways with a 3-1 victory at Swansea.

Wales midfielder James, on loan from Rennes for the season, gave Leicester a 13th-minute lead with his second goal in successive games.

Adam Idah equalised from the penalty spot after 70 minutes – his first Swansea goal since joining from Celtic in a deal worth around £6 million in September – but Leicester were not to be denied.

Fatawu produced another sensational strike seven minutes later and Jannik Vestergaard sealed matters with a close-range header.

The win ended a sequence of four consecutive draws for Leicester – their longest such run since 2004 – and moved them up to third in the Sky Bet Championship table.

James signalled his goal threat after eight minutes by latching onto a misplaced header and sending a snapshot over.

Swansea were not so fortunate when Leicester recycled the ball from a cleared corner and found James just outside the box. He shifted the ball onto his right foot and curled a superb angled 18-yard shot past the diving Lawrence Vigouroux and into the corner of the Swansea net.

The watching Wales manager Craig Bellamy must have been impressed ahead of Thursday’s friendly against England at Wembley.

Swansea were forced to rely on scraps in the opening quarter, with Leicester first to every ball.

Jakub Stolarczyk was untroubled by meek efforts from Eom Ji-sung and Ronald but the Foxes goalkeeper had to get down smartly at his near post to keep out Josh Tymon.

Liam Cullen saw another attempt blocked as Swansea improved, but Leicester kept a tight leash on six-goal striker Zan Vipotnik.

Jeremy Monga had been at the heart of some of Leicester’s first-half moments, and the 16-year-old winger wriggled through just after the restart to fire straight at Vigouroux.

Swansea responded by Ronald breaking onto Josh Key’s pass and cutting back a ball that Vipotnik directed goalwards and Stolarczyk did well to parry from close range.

James was inches away from a second after striking the post but Swansea levelled after Wout Faes was adjudged to have brought down Ethan Galbraith.

Fellow substitute Idah stepped up to send Stolarczyk the wrong way but parity was brief as Fatawu produced another goal of the day contender.

James slid the ball down the side and Fatawu cut in on to his left foot from 20 yards to leave Vigouroux grasping thin air again.

Fatawu almost bettered that with an audacious effort from just inside the Swansea half which had Vigoroux backpedalling frantically.

The ball struck the crossbar and Patson Daka followed up with a header that Vigouroux, having got back on his feet, tipped over the bar.

It was a short reprieve however as Vestergaard glanced home a header six minutes from time for his second goal of the season.