Leicester City nearing historic finish in Premier League
With Champions' League ticket guaranteed, Foxes look to secure domestic title
Manchester United. Chelsea. Arsenal. Manchester City.
Well-known to casual and avid football fans alike, those are the only teams to have won the Premier League since 1996.
The team looking to become just the fifth team to join that group in the last 20 years? Well, they're not exactly a household name.
However, with a seven-point lead at the top of the standings and just five matches left in the season, the spotlight is firmly on Leicester City.
It wasn't that long ago the Foxes were toiling in relative obscurity; on this date last year, they were fighting to avoid relegation to the second-tier Football League Championship. Leicester City hadn't been in the top flight of English soccer since the 2003-04 season, so staying there for another season was a tremendous accomplishment in itself.
Leicester City started the campaign strong, with striker Jamie Vardy breaking a Premier League record by scoring in 11 consecutive games. Led by new manager Claudio Ranieri, the team has been near or at the top of the Premier League throughout the campaign.
While the Foxes still have to finish the season strong (three of their final five matches are against teams in the top 10), the team has already secured a historic victory. Sunday's 2-0 win guaranteed them a top-four finish and a first appearance in the UEFA Champions League for next year.
Good morning, everyone. <a href="https://t.co/O6Kwbi4jVj">pic.twitter.com/O6Kwbi4jVj</a>
—@LCFCRanieri's expectations were modest at the beginning of his tenure.
"Forty points. That was the goal. That was the total we needed to stay in the first division," Ranieri said in a recent entry in The Players' Tribune.
Ranieri goes on to praise the supporters in Leicester and the chemistry his squad developed both on and off the pitch.
Despite a recent six-game goal drought, Vardy's brace on April 10 brought him within one goal of Tottenham's Harry Kane and his league-leading 22 tallies. Vardy also became the first Leicester City player to score 20 or more goals since the 1985-86 season.
The rest of the team largely consists of unheralded players performing exceptionally well, including midfielder Riyad Mahrez's 11 assists, and 14 clean-sheets from second-generation goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
One of the biggest contributions to the team's success and stability has come from the £100 million ($184 million CAD) contribution from owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. Srivaddhanaprabha, who took over in 2010, is under investigation for financial violations dating back to the team's promotion season of 2013-14.
Here's a look at Leicester City's remaining schedule:
- April 17: vs. West Ham
- April 24: vs. Swansea
- May 1: @ Manchester United
- May 7: vs. Everton
- May 14: @ Chelsea
Leicester City can clinch the title with three wins over their final five matches. Depending on how second-place Tottenham fares though, the Premier League trophy could make its way to East Midlands even sooner.