Leicester City 0 Southampton 0

Leicester City remain unbeaten at home in the league for over a year, but mainly thanks to wasteful finishing by Southampton. The visitors forged several opportunities to plunder maximum points from the King Power but had to settle for just one from this entertaining contest.

Charlie Austin struck an upright in the first half and missed a couple of good chances, with Nathan Redmond, Steven Davis and James Ward-Prowse also guilty of rashness in front of goal.

Leicester did not have the swagger of champions. Then again, swaggering was never their style, even when they were bearing down on the title last season. But back then they exuded confidence and solidity, whereas here they betrayed signs of uncertainty and vulnerability. Perhaps there was an element of fatigue, too, as nine of the home team’s starting lineup began Tuesday’s Champions League victory Porto. Southampton, who had contested a gruelling draw in Israel two days later, made seven changes, reverting to the lineup that won at West Ham last weekend. They should have won here, too.

It was really only when the visitors’ poise lapsed casualness that Leicester threatened to score, particularly in the first half.

Austin, hoping to impress the watching Gareth Southgate before the new England manager unveiled his first squad, was presented with an early chance to net his sixth goal in five matches thanks to a fine cross by Cédric Soares. But Kasper Schemichel saved the striker's tame header. Three minutes later Dusan Tadic swung in an equally good cross but Austin nodded wide.

Austin went much closer in the 15th minute, running on to a delightful chip by Davis before firing a shot past Schmeichel from an acute angle. But the ball bounced out off the far post.

Leicester, outnumbered and outmuscled in central midfield, were reliant on Riyad Mahrez for creativity but despite a couple of teasing runs, the Algerian was unable to help make a breakthrough. Instead Virgil Van Dijk became an unwitting assistant, the normally infallible Dutchman teeing up Jamie Vardy by leaving a back pass short in the 29th minute. Oriel Romeu rescued the visitors by making a remarkable triple block, first foiling Vardy after Fraser Forster forced the striker wide, then stopping Islam Slimani's follow-up shot before getting in the way of a second attempt by Vardy.

Romeu, along with Emile Hojbjerg, was running midfield in a way that may have had the home fans reminiscing about N'Golo Kanté. But then he almost sullied his brilliance by playing a slack pass to Slimani. This time Jose Fonte came to the rescue.

A vigorously contested game was very much up for grabs as it entered the second period. Leicester started that one stronger than the first but still could not prise the visitors apart. Southampton remained the more inventive and cutting. Davis had a shot from 18 yards deflected over by Daniel Amartey on the hour. Two minutes later the Northern Irishman slipped a ball through to Redmond, who confirmed that finishing is an art that he has yet to master, shooting weakly at Schmeichel.

Austin, by contrast, is normally an expert finisher but here his sights were misaligned. The ever-artful Davis made a chance for the forward to open the scoring in the 66th minute but, after shrugging off Christian Fuchs, Austin did not get the right weight on an attempted lob, which Schmeichel saved well after dashing off the line.

It was far from one-way traffic even though Southampton were making most of the chances. Danny Drinkwater gave a reminder that the home side were still well in the game by stinging Forster's hands with a drive from 25 yards. Claudio Ranieri replaced his front players as they came approached the end. Shinji Okazaki, introduced instead of Vardy, made his presence felt immediately, heading just wide.

Southampton's substitutes should have mad an even bigger impact. Two of them, Shane Long and Ward-Prose, undid the home defence in the 83rd minute, only for Ward-Prowse to waft a shot over the bar from 14 yards. The manager Claude Puel reacted to that miss with despair. But this performance was further evidence that Southampton can hope for a successful season under the Frenchman.

(Guardian service)