Leicester City 2-0 Stoke City
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Both of Wilfred Ndidi's goals for Leicester have come from outside the box
Leicester City boss Craig Shakespeare continued his 100% winning start as a Premier League manager as his side edged further from the relegation zone with a convincing win over Stoke City at the King Power Stadium.
The Foxes, who have now won four consecutive league games, had the better of the opening stages before Wilfred Ndidi put them ahead with a superb strike from 25 yards out, the ball curling past Stoke goalkeeper Lee Grant and into the top corner.
Stoke were unable to put Leicester under any sustained pressure and paid the price when Jamie Vardy exploited the space in front of the goal to beat Glen Johnson and volley home.
The visitors grew into the second half but were left infuriated when Marko Arnautovic, after sliding Mame Diouf's pass into the net, was wrongly judged offside.
Grant's agility in goal kept Leicester from scoring again but Peter Crouch fluffed a simple header from close range in the final minutes to add to Stoke's woes.
The result means that Shakespeare, who took over at the club in February, is the first British manager to win his first four Premier League games in charge.
The Foxes are now 13th in the league and six points clear of the relegation zone, while Stoke, who have only won three away league games this season, remain ninth.
Foxes grow in confidence
Jamie Vardy (left) as been directly involved in six goals in his last four Premier League games
When Shakespeare took over at Leicester the Foxes were low on confidence, hovering one point above the relegation zone and searching for the fluency and unity they had last season as they won the Premier League title.
They will face sterner tests than Stoke as the season winds down but they looked fresh and energetic here, with Demarai Gray outpacing Stoke's defence throughout the match.
The Foxes, for all their struggles, are the only Premier League side yet to drop a point from a winning position this season and Ndidi put them ahead in emphatic style, taking a touch from Danny Simpson's cross before volleying powerfully past Grant.
Vardy's goal - his 11th of the season - brought back memories of last year's successful campaign as he darted around Johnson to meet Simpson's floated cross, and he received a standing ovation from the Foxes fans as he left the pitch.
The home side dominated possession and were only denied a further goal by Grant's athleticism, the Stoke keeper twice diving at full-stretch to deny the Foxes.
Stoke struggles on the road continue
Stoke have picked up just four points away from home since the start of December, and their fragile defence against Leicester hinted at those struggles.
While Leicester looked rejuvenated after the international break, Stoke seemed more cautious. They struggled to find their feet as Leicester continued to press, and Gray and Riyad Mahrez were able to work the ball into the box with relative ease.
When they attacked, they looked more solid, with Joe Allen twice sending well-flighted deliveries into the box, but their final touches lacked enough quality.
The offside decision against Arnautovic came when Stoke were on top, pushing Leicester's defence, and they struggled to regain that fluency afterwards.
It means Stoke have failed to score in four consecutive top-flight away games - their worst run since a five-match streak between January and March 2011.
Shakespeare joins big-hitting names
Craig Shakespeare was assistant to Claudio Ranieri after being brought to the club by Nigel Pearson
Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti are the other four managers to win their first four Premier League matches in charge.
Shakespeare is a more unassuming figure than some of those names but has undoubtedly had a positive effect on Leicester, with the Foxes showing more belief in their play.
"I am proud of the record but I'm proud for everyone associated with the football club, especially the players," Shakespeare said after the match.
He has overseen a turn in form that has seen Leicester reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League and begin to look more composed.
Their defence still has moments of weakness but Leicester seem more controlled and more willing to attack. Gray's extra pace has lifted them while Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Shinji Okazaki seem to have found a fluidity that was missing for much of the season.
Man of the match - Demarai Gray (Leicester City)
Demarai Gray (left) outran and outfoxed the Stoke defence and was responsible for Leicester's bright start to the game
Vardy's good run continues - the stats you need to know
Craig Shakespeare is the first British manager to win each of his first four Premier League games.
Leicester City have won three successive home games in the Premier League for the first time since February 2016 - a run that also included a victory against Stoke City.
Leicester had 10 shots on target against Stoke; their most in a Premier League game since 2003-04.
The Potters have failed to score in four consecutive Premier League away games for the first time since March 2011 (five in a row).
Jamie Vardy has been directly involved in six goals in his last four Premier League games (four goals and two assists).
The England striker has now either scored or assisted in each of his last four Premier League outings; his longest such run in the competition since December 2015 (a run of 15).
Both of Wilfred Ndidi's goals for Leicester City have been scored from outside the box (one in the Premier League, one in the FA Cup).
Stoke have now kept just one clean sheet in their last eight Premier League away games (won one, drew one, lost six).
Danny Simpson assisted both of Leicester's goals, while his only other assist in the competition came in his first Premier League appearance (October 2007 for Man Utd v Wigan).
What the managers said
Leicester City manager Craig Shakespeare: "I always thought there was moments in the game where Stoke came back into it.
"I always thought the first goal in the game would be crucial. It gave us a foothold in the game. The second goal just after half-time gave us that confidence to go on and win the game.
"We're still not safe. I'm really not looking too far ahead - we've got to concentrate on each game and there's still a lot of points of play for. We're on a good run and full of confidence but we've got another tough game against Sunderland."
Leicester 2-0 Stoke: Foxes still not safe - Craig Shakespeare
Stoke City manager Mark Hughes: "We didn't perform. What you don't want to happen is to go behind against Leicester. It becomes more of a basketball game, end to end, and we ended up chasing the game.
"Whatever we said at half-time didn't work because straight away we conceded the second. From that moment it was difficult to see a way back for us.
"We never produced the quality that was required. It was not a great day for us and we didn't make it hard enough for Leicester. We've got a difficult fixture against Burnley and we will have to be better than we were today."
Leicester 2-0 Stoke: Potters lacked quality - Hughes
What's next?
Leicester host Premier League strugglers Sunderland at the King Power Stadium on 4 April (19:45 BST) while Stoke are away at Burnley on the same day (19:45 BST).