Leicester City are English Premier League champions for the first time in their history, after title rivals Tottenham failed to beat Chelsea at Stanford Bridge.

The new champions didn’t even have to put on their boots to be crowned champs, with Tottenham’s dropped points leaving the Foxes with an unassailable seven point lead with just six points left to play for.

The rank outsiders' – bookmakers put them at 5,000-to-one to win the title back in August – triumph is one of the most unlikely footballing stories in recent history. They avoided relegation from the UK’s top flight by the skin of their teeth last year, and were playing Championship football until 2014.


Having sacked their manager Nigel Pearson in the 2015 offseason, the club’s Thai owners entrusted the team to ‘Tinkerman’ Claudio Ranieri, who had just ended a dismal spell as Greece’s national manager.

Ranieri’s arrival was met with widespread scepticism in the British press, but the veteran Italian manager soon had reporters eating their words. The club lost just three games on their romp to the title, scoring 64 goals in the process.

Onetime journeyman striker Jamie Vardy was transformed into the league’s top scorer, scoring in 11 consecutive games at one point and breaking a record held by former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy in the process.

And in Moroccan playmaker Riyad Mahrez, Ranieri found the creative genius necessary to weave the Foxes’ compact defending and blistering counterattacking play together. Mahrez’s play was recognised by his fellow professionals with him being awarded the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award.

Leicester captain Wes Morgan celebrates his equaliser against Man Utd. Photo: Reuters/Darren StaplesLeicester captain Wes Morgan celebrates his equaliser against Man Utd. Photo: Reuters/Darren Staples

Ranieri himself was among the last to know that he'd been crowned champion, as he said he would be on a flight to Italy during the Chelsea - Tottenham game, to visit his 96-year-old mother and "take her out to lunch".

Leicester got a point at Old Trafford yesterday, with Wes Morgan equalising after Antony Martial had fired Manchester United ahead. That draw put them eight points ahead of Tottenham with two games to play, and meant Spurs had to win all their remaining games if they were to have a shot at winning the title.

But despite going two goals ahead against Chelsea courtesy of first half strikes by Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, Mauricio Pocchetino’s players allowed the 2014-15 champs back into the game in the second half. Gary Cahill scored following a lose ball from a corner to make it 1-2, and then Eden Hazard scoring in the 85th minute to make it 2-2 and send Leicester fans into seventh heaven.

 

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