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Dream deferred for Leicester City, but Premier League title a matter of time
Leicester City failed to oblige the headline writers by concluding its dream run to the Premier League title at “The Theater of Dreams” on Sunday. Yet the 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford does simplify the math.
Leicester can ensure its first top-flight league crown in its 132 years as a club with draws in its last two matches–at home to Everton on Saturday and away to Chelsea on the final Sunday–otherwise a victory in either game or any slip by Tottenham in its three remaining games will be enough.
As it stands, Leicester’s players could win the title sitting on their sofas on Monday evening watching Dele Alli-less Tottenham play at Stamford Bridge.
A draw at Old Trafford is a good result at any time for any team. After a difficult start, against an opponent desperate to keep its own hopes of a top-four finish alive, Leicester looked every part the champion.
“It’s Man United at the end of the day and it’s Old Trafford and we knew it was going to be tough,” Danny Simpson, the Leicester right back, told Sky TV. “We dug deep, done what we done all season and showed our character. It would have been nice to win it here but it’s a good point. We’ll see what happens tomorrow and keep going.”
When Anthony Martial found a huge hole in the Leicester penalty area and drilled the home team ahead after eight minutes, Manchester United looked capable of sweeping Leicester aside.
Timeline: Leicester City's incredible Premier League title run
“The first 15 minutes we was a little, little scared,” Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri said. “United started very well and moved the ball very well and was very difficult for us.
“After the goal I said ‘we have to react immediately’ and, fortunately, at the first free kick we score a goal.”
Wes Morgan leveled with a headed goal from a set piece after 17 minutes. After that, even though Leicester had only 30% of possession, it was in control.
“After our goal, I think we play the better,” Ranieri said.
GALLERY: Top 20 moments on Leicester's run to EPL title
Leicester City's Top Moments of 2015-16
The first points; Aug. 8, 2015
In what turned out to be a sign of things to come, Jamie Vardy scored the club's first goal 11 minutes into the season and Riyad Mahrez scored two of his own to give Leicester a 3-0 lead 25 minutes into a 4-2 win over Sunderland at King Power Stadium.
Immediate response vs. Spurs; Aug. 22, 2015
Riyad Mahrez answered Dele Alli's 81st-minute goal a minute later, and even though Leicester suffered its first non-win of the campaign in the 1-1 home draw against Tottenham, it showed a promising resiliency against a club it would be fending off down the stretch.
Comeback vs. Villa; Sept. 13, 2015
Facing a 2-0 deficit at home to lowly Aston Villa, Leicester mounted a furious comeback, with Ritchie De Laet, Riyad Mahrez and Nathan Dyer scoring in the 72nd, 82nd and 89th minutes, respectively, to steal three points in dramatic fashion.
Another 2-0 comeback; Sept. 19, 2015
Again down 2-0, Leicester rescued another point from a losing position at Stoke City. The Potters raced out to their lead within 20 minutes, but Riyad Mahrez's penalty and Jamie Vardy's 69th-minute equalizer salvaged the point.
Vardy rescues a point; Oct. 17, 2015
Leicester found itself down 2-0 to Southampton (sensing a theme here?) but roared back late. Jamie Vardy scored twice, once in the 66th minute and the dramatic equalizer a minute into stoppage time, earning the Foxes another point from a losing position.
Clean-sheet pizza; Oct. 24, 2015
It took 10 games and a promise of a pizza party from manager Claudio Ranieri for Leicester to keep a clean sheet, but the Foxes did just that in a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. The pizza promise became an instant part of Leicester lore, and the club went on to keep 14 more clean sheets–including six in seven games down the stretch.
Vardy's scoring record; Nov. 28, 2015
Jamie Vardy set a Premier League record scoring in his 11th straight game in a 1-1 draw vs. Manchester United. Ruud van Nistelrooy previously held the mark.
Sweet revenge for Ranieri; Dec. 14, 2015
With manager Claudio Ranieri facing Chelsea–the team that ushered him out in 2004–and squaring off against Jose Mourinho–the man who replaced him–Leicester wound up with the bragging rights and three points. Jamie Vardy scored off a perfect Riyad Mahrez pass, Mahrez added a gorgeous goal of his own, Leicester won 2-1 and Mourinho was promptly fired.
Schmeichel saves a point; Dec. 29, 2015
On the heels of a Boxing Day loss to Liverpool, Leicester proved its title chops by holding contender Manchester City to a 0-0 draw. Kasper Schmeichel made a pair of key first-half saves, and Leicester bounced back three days after the setback to secure a meaningful point.
Huth's header beats Spurs; Jan. 13, 2016
Defender Robert Huth's perfect 83rd-minute header from Christian Fuchs's corner–his first goal since last April–gave Leicester a 1-0 win over Tottenham at White Hart Lane, snapping a three-game winless run. Given how the title race would come down to the two clubs, the point swing has proven to be massive.
Vardy's wonder-volley vs. Liverpool; Feb. 2, 2016
Jamie Vardy scored twice in a February win over Liverpool, but it was his first goal that had the world talking. After running down a long ball from Riyad Mahrez, Vardy unleashed a 25-yard volley off the bounce to stun the Reds and help Leicester exact revenge for one of its three losses on the season.
Huth scores two at Man City; Feb. 6, 2016
A match at Manchester City was supposed to be the start of Leicester's downfall, but the Foxes were having none of that. Robert Huth scored in the third minute to shock the Etihad faithful, and he added another later to proclaim Leicester's intentions in a 3-1 win.
Ulloa beats Norwich late; Feb. 27, 2016
Both times Leicester lost to Arsenal it followed up with wins over Norwich City to right the ship. The second time was far more thrilling, with Leonardo Ulloa scoring an 89th-minute winner at King Power Stadium to put the title ship back on course.
Officially safe! March 1, 2016
Not that it was ever remotely in doubt, but Leicester ensured safety from relegation with a 2-2 home draw vs. West Brom. Given Claudio Ranieri's cautious approach to overstating goals, the preseason expectations and last season's heroic charge out of the drop zone, the achievement was still notable and allowed Leicester to officially look ahead to bigger things.
Kante returns, Mahrez scores vs. Watford; March 5, 2016
Vital midfielder N'Golo Kante returned from an injury and Riyad Mahrez scored a highlight-reel goal–again–as Leicester won at Watford 1-0 to keep pressure on Tottenham and Arsenal in the title chase. The club's record away from home (11-2-4) is a big driver of its overall success.
Okazaki's bicycle kick beats Newcastle; March 14, 2016
Shinji Okazaki's bicycle kick goal gave Leicester a nervy 1-0 win over Newcastle on a day which Leicester entered leading Tottenham by just two points in the Premier League table.
Captain Morgan helps Leicester extend lead; April 3, 2016
With Tottenham dropping points to Liverpool the previous day, Leicester took full advantage. Defender and captain Wes Morgan scored his only goal of the season in a 1-0 win over Southampton that stretched the club's lead atop the table to seven points.
Leicester clinches Champions League place; April 10, 2016
It went overlooked given the club's title aspirations, but Leicester clinched an almost equally improbable place in next season's Champions League with a 2-0 win at Sunderland, cementing a top-four place. Jamie Vardy's two goals did the honors.
Ulloa's late equalizing PK vs. West Ham; April 17, 2016
Leonardo Ulloa calmly converted a penalty kick deep into second-half stoppage time to cap a game full of controversy and secure a vital point in a 2-2 draw with West Ham.
Ulloa scores two in Vardy's absence; April 24, 2016
With leading scorer Jamie Vardy suspended because of a referee altercation in the previous match vs. West Ham, Leonardo Ulloa stepped into the starting lineup and scored twice in a 4-0 rout of Swansea City. A Tottenham draw the following day put Leicester in position to clinch the title with three points from its final three games.
The Vardy Party; May 2, 2016
Leicester players gathered at Jamie Vardy's house to watch Chelsea take on Tottenham in the decisive match in the title race. It was the Vardy Party to top all Vardy Parties, as Leicester was crowned champion following the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.
Ranieri's Guard of Honor; May 14, 2016
Claudio Ranieri returns to Stamford Bridge, where he was jettisoned in 2004 for Jose Mourinho, and steps through Chelsea's guard of honor, which the outgoing champions provided for Leicester City.
Ranieri said that Leicester has missed striker and leading scorer Jamie Vardy, who has been suspended, but he will return against the unpredictable Everton on Saturday.
Leicester won't be at full strength upon his return, though. Danny Drinkwater, one of Leicester’s midfield workhorses whose free kick assisted on Morgan's goal, was sent off with four minutes to play for a second yellow card.
Leicester City's unsung heroes: Beyond the Foxes' star trio
The match, which always had a hard edge, offered plenty of scope for one-eyed Leicester fans to scream conspiracy (along with a few more obscenities), with the tension rising with each passing minute.
Marouane Fellaini of United could have been sent off for elbowing Robert Huth in the face. Marcos Rojo brought Riyad Mahrez down in the United penalty area, but no spot kick was given.
On the other hand, Drinkwater’s second yellow card, for a foul on Memphis, was in the area and should have been a penalty. Simpson gave Jesse Lingard a tug when the United player was racing in on goal. That too could have been a red card had referee Michael Oliver seen it a different way.
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The match also provided a reminder that goalkeepers are footballers too. Kasper Schmeichel has a long and accurate clearance and is one of the best in the Premier League at starting counterattacks. On Sunday, his two best moments were wild scrambles and clearances just outside his area.
Whatever their strengths, Morgan and Huth are not quick. They can be caught by a rapid attack. On Saturday, Schmeichel twice saved them by racing out to boot the ball off the toes of attackers.
As likely as Elvis being alive: Leicester City defies odds in EPL title pursuit
The first was in the first half, as Lingard bore down. The second came in added time. Huth, struggling to keep up with Martial, slid the ball across his own area toward Memphis. As Schmeichel dived and slid, Memphis, showing discretion, jumped out of the way. The ball flew off the keeper and out toward Wayne Rooney. Schmeichel bounced to his feet and sprinted after the ball, hacking it away as Rooney took aim.
So after the draw, Leicester can win the title on Monday, with the squad watching the outcome of a different match instead of competing on the field.
“Tomorrow I think we’ll try to get together as a team,” Simpson said. “We’ll see what the manager decides.”
Well, the manager is off home for a quick visit to his mother in Italy and could miss the moment his club seals its place in history. "I'll be the last to know," he told reporters.
Leicester City phenomenon sparks all kinds of stories, inspiration
Yet there was an emotional edge in his voice as he spoke after the game. He seemed on the verge of tears. Perhaps watching the Spurs match, especially with his players, does not appeal to him.
In any case, he knows that if he and his team do their work, it does not matter what Tottenham does at Stamford Bridge.
“For us it’s important to continue to dream, continue to work,” Ranieri said. “Three matches ago I said in my mind Tottenham will win all the matches.”
Tottenham, of course, slipped up against West Brom last week. Even if Ranieri’s right about the remaining matches, and he’s been right a lot this season, then Leicester are in a position to ignore Spurs. It just needs to win once more. Sunday’s draw probably just delayed the inevitable.
But, as Morgan told Sky: “It’s not ours till we’ve got both hands on the trophy.”
