Tuesday, 3 May 2016

Leicester City Wins the English Premier League Title


Leicester City has pulled off one of football's greatest upsets by defying the odds to win the English Premier League title. 

Leicester City made history by writing one of the most remarkable football stories as they become the English Premier League champions after Tottenham Hotspur failed to beat Chelsea on Monday night.

The Foxes became the first club since Nottingham Forest in 1977-78 to win the English top-flight league title for the first time, having only once before -- in 1928-29 -- finished as runners-up in their 132-year history, ESPC reports.

They were able to win the league after drawing 1-1 with Manchester United at the weekend. Tottenham needed to beat the Chelsea to keep the title race alive, but failed after a super Eden Hazard equalizer extinguished their hopes gifting the title to Claudio Ranieri's men who are now seven points clear of their rivals with two games left to play after Spurs' 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Second-half goals from Gary Cahill and Eden Hazard were enough to hand Leicester the league title. The story will be one re-told for years to come as the club barely survived relegation last season after finishing 14th which led to the sacking of the former coach, Nigel Pearson.

Ranieri was appointed in July, while the club spent less than £30 million on their squad since last summer, with their entire squad costing just £54.4m.

After their troubles last season, Leicester were 5,000-1 to win the title in 2015-16, with the highest cashout being £72,000 on a £50 bet, which was collected in March, according to Ladbrokes.

The 64-year-old Ranieri was far from the only knight in shining armour at the King Power Stadium this year.

Midfielder Riyad Mahrez and striker Jamie Vardy had already picked up the PFA's Footballer of the Year and Football Writers' Association awards. It is the first time that two players from the same club have claimed both awards in the same season since Everton's Neville Southall and Peter Reid in 1985.

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