Josh Maja scored a late equalizer for West Bromwich Albion but their hopes of salvaging a point were dashed by a stoppage-time strike from Harry Winks, handing Leicester City a hard-fought 2-1 win.

Maja’s 89th-minute goal, his first for the club, had momentarily sparked jubilation among the Hawthorns faithful, but their celebrations were cut short as Winks capitalized on a defensive lapse to seal the victory for the Foxes in the 94th minute.

Leicester’s dominance had been evident throughout the match, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall opening the scoring in the 72nd minute following a precise pass from Wilfred Ndidi. The Foxes, who have now won 15 of their 19 games this season, extended their lead at the top of the Championship table to one point.

West Brom, in contrast, struggled to create clear-cut chances and were left to rue their missed opportunities. The defeat leaves them fifth in the standings, 14 points behind the league leaders.

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Leicester manager Enzo Maresca hailed his team’s performance, particularly Ndidi’s assist for the opening goal. “We’ve worked on that (the move for the first goal) many times since we started. We’ve already scored some goals [from that] and we did again today. The important thing is that they are in the right position because Wilfred Ndidi was in the right position and we were in the right position for Kiernan,” he remarked.

Josh Maja, who came on as a substitute for Grady Diangana in the 75th minute, showcased his attacking prowess, while Ndidi played a pivotal role in midfield before being replaced by Cesare Casadei in the 87th minute. His compatriot Kelechi Iheanacho was a constant threat upfront for Leicester, while Semi Ajayi provided solidity at the back for West Brom.