Are you watching Tottenham? Vardy-less Leicester retake control of the title race

 
The Foxes may have been without their suspended topscorer, but, as they have done all season, responded to the adversity in typically positive fashion to pick up three points

 

 As Tottenham cruised to victory at Stoke on Monday evening, there was a feeling that all the momentum in the title race was now with the north London outfit. But if there is one thing this Leicester City side will not do, it is go down without a fight, and their performance against Swansea suggested it will be far from straightforward for Spurs to wrestle the Foxes’s grip on the Premier League trophy away.

After their dramatic draw against West Ham seven days previously, the nervous atmosphere that hung in the air around the King Power Stadium prior to kick-off could be forgiven. Leonardo Ulloa’s penalty may have rescued Claudio Ranieri’s side a point, but the prospect of playing without the suspended Jamie Vardy for at least one match and Tottenham relentlessly breathing down their necks could have proven too much even for the most hardened supporter.

They need not have worried. An edgy opening 10 minutes apart, they remained in total control once Riyad Mahrez had taken advantage of Ashley Williams’s ill-advised pass out from the back to open the scoring. The goal certainly required an element of luck, but it was fortune that was earned by a player who was relishing the situation.



Mahrez has been subdued in recent weeks, particularly in home matches where sides have doubled-up in defence on the Algeria international in a bid to keep him out of the game for as long as possible. But in Vardy’s absence, the winger took it upon himself to do the striker’s dirty work and chase down what seemed a lost cause. His reward was a goal on the same day he will likely be crowned the PFA Player of the Year.

From there the Foxes were able to cruise against a Swansea side that seem to have written off this season after securing their survival in the top flight. The uneasy tension that had filled the air in the build-up turned to a party atmosphere, with the home faithful keen to remind all those watching on elsewhere of both their league position and their plans to take on Europe’s best next term. Ulloa’s header from Danny Drinkwater’s delicious free-kick to make it 2-0 was the least that they deserved.

Attacking changes from Franceso Guidolin promised a more committed showing from Swansea after the break, but if anything they were even more inept than in the first half. Ulloa’s second highlighted the gaps in the visitors’ defence, and though the superb Jeffrey Schlupp’s pace was difficult to handle all afternoon, the way he opened up the Swans’s defence with just two touches left a lot to be desired.







Ranieri’s role in both Schlupp and Ulloa coming to the fore should not be downplayed, as The Tinkerman’s two changes worked far better than he could ever have imagined. To add a cherry to an already extremely tasty cake, his three substitutes all combined as Marc Albrighton completed the scoring. Everything the Italian touches is turning to gold at present, and finally allowing himself and his players to admit they can win the title seems to have paid dividends.

But after such a procession, the hard work starts now. In all likelihood Spurs will cut the gap back to five points with a home win against West Brom on Monday, and Leicester face a trip to Old Trafford in their next outing. Manchester City and Arsenal’s recent slip-ups have allowed Manchester United back into the race for a Champions League berth, and an FA Cup final place is unlikely to be the limit of Louis van Gaal’s aspirations for this campaign.

The title is not yet won, and Leicester’s fans and players need only look back to last week at the scares that come with looking to win an unlikely title. But as supporters sang ‘Are you watching, Tottenham?’, there was a feeling that the biggest hurdle – self-belief – had been overcome in a performance that summed up all that has been great about the club’s miracle campaign.