Match ends, Leicester City 1, Queens Park Rangers 2.
Substitute Sinclair Armstrong struck the vital goal with his first touch as QPR held off a Leicester City fightback to earn a shock win that consigned the stumbling leaders to a third consecutive Championship defeat.
Armstrong ran on to Sam Field's lay-off to make it 2-0 after Ilias Chair had tapped in a simple opener with Rangers' only effort on target before the break.
Ben Nelson scored his first Foxes goal to give Leicester hope with 30 minutes remaining.
The home side piled forward in the closing stages, finishing with 19 attempts on goal, but Rangers defended resolutely to move three places above the relegation zone.
Victory means the R's lead a group of four relegation-threatened teams on 38 points in an enthralling battle at the bottom, while Leicester have seen a 12-point advantage cut to three in just over two weeks.
Ipswich Town beat Plymouth Argyle 2-0 to go second, ahead of Leeds United, whose nine-match league winning run ended with a 1-1 draw away against Huddersfield Town.
But a third consecutive Rangers win - and third away win in four - seemed unlikely early on as a lively Leicester looked to get their promotion run back on track following defeats against Middlesbrough and Leeds.
Yunus Akgun and Abdul Fatawu both impressed out wide for the hosts, the former driving a dangerous ball across goal and Fatawu going close with a decent volleyed strike.
However, Rangers led when Chair had the simple task of knocking the ball in at the far post after Chris Willock found Lyndon Dykes in space on the right flank and the centre-forward set up his team-mates' fifth goal of the season.
The belief grew and a frustrated home support saw their side slip further behind when Armstrong brilliantly anticipated a half-cleared free-kick to shoot low into the net.
Lengthy celebrations seemed very premature when Nelson reacted quickly to turn the ball in from 12 yards following Asmir Begovic's save from a lovely Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall free-kick, but Rangers saw out a win which means they have now lost just once in eight games.
Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca told BBC Radio Leicester:
"I am disappointed. It's a bad feeling, especially in this moment, but it is what it is.
"We struggled to find a solution. At the end we shot many times and dominated the game, but we lost. It is three games in a row where we have had incredible effort and created chances but we are not able to score goals and in this sport that is the most important thing.
"Today we created chances. Some of them were clear, some not, some were shots from outside the box. We are trying to do everything. It is incredible effort but we need to do more.
"We have just 11 games to go. When you don't win and drop points and the rest behind you win then the mood is not a good one. Even when we win we always try to see what is not working well.
"After three defeats we are concerned. But it is a matter of balance. If you worry too much it is not good and if you relax too much, it is not too good."
QPR boss Marti Cifuentes told BBC London:
"It's a very important win, especially because we managed to achieve three points against a very good team, a top team.
"Despite three defeats in a row I think they will go up because they are fantastic in the they way they play and the players they have.
"The guys are working really hard so that is why I am so happy for them. But we need to be aware the other teams are pushing as well.
"I don't know how many points we need (to stay up). The other teams are doing a great job and are very close.
"We need to push until the last minute of the last game because we will not be sure how many points we need.
"We had the sharpness to score. We were clinical and we defended very well for 95 minutes; that is the kind of performance we need against a top team like Leicester."
Line-ups
Leicester
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 30Hermansen
- 17ChoudhuryBooked at 84mins
- 45NelsonBooked at 90mins
- 3Faes
- 2Justin
- 8Winks
- 22Dewsbury-Hall
- 18Fatawu
- 26PraetSubstituted forAkgünat 16'minutesSubstituted forCannonat 78'minutes
- 10MavididiBooked at 90mins
- 20DakaSubstituted forVardyat 61'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Coady
- 5Doyle
- 9Vardy
- 11Albrighton
- 15Souttar
- 28Cannon
- 29Akgün
- 40Marçal-Madivadua
- 41Stolarczyk
QPR
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Begovic
- 3DunneBooked at 87mins
- 5S CookBooked at 90mins
- 6Clarke-Salter
- 22Paal
- 14Hayden
- 8Field
- 7WillockSubstituted forFoxat 73'minutes
- 25AndersenBooked at 43minsSubstituted forSmythat 56'minutes
- 10Chair
- 9DykesBooked at 54minsSubstituted forArmstrongat 56'minutes
Substitutes
- 11Smyth
- 12Frey
- 15Fox
- 16Hodge
- 19Dixon-Bonner
- 20Cannon
- 21Larkeche
- 30Armstrong
- 32Walsh
- Referee:
- Andy Davies
- Attendance:
- 31,439
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home74%
- Away26%
- Shots
- Home18
- Away3
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away2
- Corners
- Home9
- Away0
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Leicester City 1, Queens Park Rangers 2.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Harry Winks (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jamie Vardy.
Booking
Steve Cook (Queens Park Rangers) is shown the yellow card.
Booking
Ben Nelson (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Attempt missed. Ilias Chair (Queens Park Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Sinclair Armstrong.
Post update
James Justin (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Morgan Fox (Queens Park Rangers).
Post update
Foul by Hamza Choudhury (Leicester City).
Post update
Paul Smyth (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Jimmy Dunne.
Post update
Attempt blocked. James Justin (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Stephy Mavididi.
Booking
Hamza Choudhury (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Hamza Choudhury (Leicester City).
Post update
Kenneth Paal (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt missed. Abdul Fatawu (Leicester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall with a cross following a set piece situation.
Post update
Stephy Mavididi (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Jimmy Dunne (Queens Park Rangers).
Post update
Wout Faes (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Sinclair Armstrong (Queens Park Rangers).
Comments
Join the conversation
And thank you Stan. You have obviously found that betting show in the sky and are having a pint of heavenly amber fluid - beer that is! So am I!
I'm sick of all the passing at the back, sideways, backways, goalkeeper way.
You win games by scoring goals.
I'm asleep by half time with all that passing.
Just saying....
That's the prime example of "against the run of play"!!!!!!!
Way to steal it, boys!!!!!!!