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. |
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