da leao： After thrashing hapless Swansea 4-0 last Sunday, Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester are on the verve of arguably the most memorable achievement in modern footballing history.
da bwin： The Foxes now need just three points from their remaining three games to secure the Premier League title, having moved sevem points clear of closest rivals Tottenham following their 1-1 draw with West Brom on Monday night.
At the start of April last year, Leicester sat rock bottom of the Premier League table and looked doomed to relegation. A remarkable run of seven wins in their final nine games saw Nigel Pearson and his side escape the drop in the greatest of all great escapes.
The appointment of former Chelsea manager Ranieri at the King Power was intended to boost the club’s chances of survival for the coming season. No-one – except maybe a few lucky punters and apparently Tom Hanks – saw the tidal wave of results coming that now sees the Italian and his men one step away of Premier League glory.
A win at Old Trafford on Sunday would secure victory, so as Leicester City look forward to having their named etched into football immortality, we look at the top TEN defining moment’s of the season for the soon-to-be champions…
Pearson Out – Ranieri In
Despite saving Leicester from relegation, Pearson’s time at the club was undoubtedly up following several high profile incidents throughout the season. Pearson’s replacement, former Chelsea and Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri, was a world class alternative with a proven record of winning. The Italian, however, has never won a league title… until (probably) now, finishing second with five different clubs. It is probably fair to say the Leicester board hadn’t considered winning the title a possibility back then.
Opening Day Thriller
Following their antics towards the end of the 2014/15 season – where the Foxes escaped relegation with a late run – Leicester started as they meant to go on. Continuing their fine form under a new manager, Ranieri’s side were rampant as they scored three in the first 25 minutes. The game finished Leicester 4-2 Sunderland, and kicked off their season in style.
Vardy’s A Record Breaker
Blowing Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s 12-year-old goalscoring record out of the water, Englishman Vardy notched his 11th in 11 games during the 1-1 draw against – you guessed it – Manchester United to surpass the Dutchman’s 10 in 10.
Top At Christmas
Leicester gave their fans and Gary Lineker a Christmas present to remember as Riyad Mahrez and his team-mates ensured the club would be top on Jesus’ birthday with a thrilling 3-2 victory at Goodison Park. The omens were good, as the leaders at Christmas for five of the previous six seasons had gone on to win the league; and the lowest finish for a Christmas leader was Aston Villa who finished 6th in 1998/99.
Huth’s Header
Having dropped points over the Christmas period The Foxes had slipped to second position behind Arsenal. Without a win in three, Leicester travelled to Tottenham and Robert Huth’s bullet of a header late in the game secured victory bringing them back level on points with Arsene Wenger’s men. Other than Newcastle, they are the only the only team to come away with three points from White Hart Lane this season.
Out of the Cups
The Foxes met their closet title rivals Tottenham in the FA Cup Third Round back in January. Having drawn the first leg 2-2, Spurs went on to knock Ranieri and Co. out of the tournament winning the replay 2-0. Already out of the League Cup, this left Leicester to focus solely on the Premier League. They have since lost only once, winning 10 of their last 13 league games.
Etihad Triumph
When The Foxes took on Manchester City at the Etihad in February, the Sky Blues were their closest rivals trailing only by two points. An unlikely brace from Robert Huth and a fabulous goal from Mahrez secured an emphatic 3-1 victory and turned the question from ‘can Leicester really win the title?’ to ‘who can catch The Foxes?’
PFA Takeover
In only his second season in the top flight after signing from Le Havre in 2014, Algerian Mahrez was crowned PFA Player of the Year. The 25 year old became not only the first African player to win the award, but also holds the title of being the ‘cheapest’ ever player to bring home the award. Jamie Vardy, N’Golo Kante and Wes Morgan also made the PFA Team of the Year in a fantastic night for both the club and the players.
Ulloa to the Rescue
After the club’s talismanic forward Jamie Vardy was suspended for two games following his questionable sending off during the 2-2 draw with West Ham, Leicester fans feared the worst. Up stepped Leonardo Ulloa. The Argentine scored twice as Leicester thrashed Swansea 4-0 and proved The Foxes have more a squad, not just a starting XI, worthy of winning the title.