Leicester 3-1 Huddersfield: James Maddison & Jamie Vardy on target for Foxes

Leicester manager Claude Puel praised James Maddison for his "creativity" after the midfielder scored an impressive free-kick in Leicester's comfortable win over Huddersfield.

"Maddison improves game after game and he scored a fantastic free-kick," said Puel.

"We didn't know what he could give at the beginning of the season, he had only played in the Championship, but he has the quality to improve with us."

Huddersfield took an early lead when Mathias Jorgensen squeezed the ball past Kasper Schmeichel from close range after a flick-on from Laurent Depoitre.

But Leicester hit back with a well-executed counter-attacking goal from Kelechi Iheanacho as Huddersfield committed men forward in search of a second.

The hosts dominated possession after the break and took the lead when Maddison stepped up to fire a free-kick into the top corner from 25 yards after a foul on Nampalys Mendy.

The Foxes then took charge, Vardy rounding off an impressive performance by bursting through on goal before lifting the ball nonchalantly over Terriers goalkeeper Jonas Lossl.

Victory sees Claude Puel's men move into eighth, while the Terriers drop to the foot of the table.

Pressure off Puel or a stay of execution?

Pressure has been mounting on Puel in recent weeks after Leicester's poor run of form, which had seen the Foxes lose back-to-back league matches against Bournemouth and Liverpool.

The hosts could not have got off to a worse start, something Puel later admitted is a recurring issue, as Jorgensen gave the visitors the lead after just five minutes.

Leicester drew level when Huddersfield lost the ball high up the field, but the hosts struggled to break down their resilient opponents in the first half.

Puel's men had 62% of possession but lacked cutting edge in attack as the Frenchman employed Maddison on the left, instead of in the more central role he has been accustomed to since his £20m move from Norwich.

Leicester continued to struggle in their attempts to break Huddersfield down after the interval, but it was a moment of brilliance from the England Under-21 international that was the difference, as the midfielder scored for the second successive game.

The King Power was noticeably louder after Maddison's strike - and the noise from the stands transferred energy to the players on the pitch, as Leicester played with more freedom.

They went on to have 11 shots in the second period, compared with four in the first half, and while bigger challenges in Puel's reign lie ahead, Vardy's third consecutive goal against the Terriers rounded off what was ultimately a comfortable win.

Terriers pay for lack of goals again

Goals have been a real issue for Huddersfield and David Wagner's men came into the game having failed to score in 24 of their past 43 Premier League games - the most of any club.

Jorgensen's opener was only their third goal in six games, but it could have been so much better for the west Yorkshire club.

With the scores level, and Leicester offering little attacking intent, striker Depoitre had a great chance to regain the lead for his side.

The Belgian went clean through on goal before attempting to go around Schmeichel, but Harry Maguire managed to nudge the ball behind with a crucial touch off his toe.

Huddersfield could only manage two shots at goal in the second half, although Depoitre had another opportunity to find the back of the net.

The 29-year-old, who replaced Steve Mounie in the starting line-up, had a free header inside the Foxes' box but sent it straight at Schmeichel.

Wagner later said his side had gifted "presents" to their opponents for all three goals, but it is the poor conversion rate at the other end that remains a cause for concern.

Man of the match - James Maddison (Leicester)

'We have often had difficulties at the start of games' - what they said

Leicester manager Claude Puel: "It was a bad start and we have often had difficulties at the start of games. I would like to prevent this start and we have to correct this situation. It is always difficult to find space and come back into games but I am happy about our desire and our mentality.

"It is a fantastic feeling to overcome this opponent who plays deep and defends well and it was important to come back in the second half with more desire and put them under pressure. We have quality on the pitch but our beginning is not enough."

Huddersfield manager David Wagner said: "We made so many big mistakes in my point of view. We got the lead but we gave them presents. We conceded two counter-attack goals against Leicester, and we didn't use our chances in the offensive side.

"Apart from that, the performance and the attitude was there. If I compare the gap between us and the other teams, there is not a lot and I can see we are closing the gap in terms of performances and the talent we have, but the opponent didn't have to invest anything to score today and that is what we have to stop."

Jorgensen's first club goal not enough for Huddersfield - the stats

• Leicester have won nine of their past 10 league games against Huddersfield (D1), netting 28 goals in the process.
• Leicester have won their past eight home league meetings versus Huddersfield - the Foxes' longest current winning streak of that kind against any side in the league.
• Huddersfield have scored in five of their past six Premier League away games, finding the net in more away trips than in their first 16 in the competition (four games scored in).
• Leicester's Jamie Vardy has scored in his past three league appearances against Huddersfield, also providing an assist for Kelechi Iheanacho's goal.
• James Maddison has either scored or assisted in four of his past five Premier League starts for Leicester City (three goals, one assist).
• Huddersfield defender Mathias Jorgensen scored his first goal for the club in all competitions in his 45th appearance for the club.

What's next?

Leicester travel to Wolves in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday at 19:45 BST while Huddersfield host Tottenham in the Premier League on Saturday, 29 September at 15:00 BST.