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10th April 2016
07:32pm BST
When Jamie Vardy scored a second goal at the Stadium of Light, there was a sigh of disappointment among some neutrals that Leicester’s sequence of 1-0 wins was now at an end.
Their achievement, which is the most extraordinary in modern sport, has almost become run-of-the-mill, mainly due to the failure of the clubs who have shared the title between them over the past twenty years to put up any kind of fight.
Claudio Ranieri’s side qualified for the Champions League on Sunday thanks to Tottenham’s victory against United, which kept the lead to seven points and, at least, makes the run-in, that was in danger of becoming an anti-climax, interesting.
But Leicester need only three more wins which means they could claim the title at Old Trafford next month. It would be a suitable venue to underline the failure of those big clubs who feel they belong at the top.
Chelsea, Arsenal and the two Manchester clubs have all fallen away at different points in the season, with Wenger’s ambitions ending over the weekend.
Tottenham did what they had to do at White Hart Lane, beating Manchester United at home for the first time since 2001, but the dropped points against West Ham, Arsenal and Liverpool as Leicester kept winning may be too much to make back at this stage.
Spurs give the impression that they will keep going at least, unlike Louis Van Gaal’s United. In theory, this was the defeat that ended their title hopes but only a theoretician like Van Gaal would have believed they had any hope before the game began.
It began late, of course, as United were stuck in traffic, something Van Gaal refused to rule out as a factor in the game until he saw what happened.
In fact, the game only began in the second half as neither side had a shot on target in the first. United lost their best player when Timothy Fosu-Mensah went off injured and eight minutes later they were three goals down.
They had done little up until then. “We were at least the equal team,” Van Gaal said, which was true as long as nothing was happening. Anthony Martial had a chance to score but that was it. Van Gaal seemed to think it was enough and if it had been taken, they would have been in with a chance of victory.
Tottenham made sure they never had a chance with a typically dynamic display which also underlined how little life there is in this United side.
Van Gaal issued a rallying cry about their fading Champions League hopes by saying that “everybody can lose to everybody”. United can lose to everybody too, that’s the problem.
The stories this week that Van Gaal may yet stay at United should end with their defeat at Spurs. Pochettino underlined once again why he would be a more suitable replacement as manager at Old Trafford than Jose Mourinho, but Spurs may be a better project right now.
They still have a chance at the title this season but if Leicester keep doing what they do, then it will be beyond them.
Ranieri cried on the pitch at the Stadium of Light, the Sunderland supporters applauded them off and Sam Allardyce took the opportunity to make a point about clubs wanting to play a certain way.
Leicester is the kind of unlikely story which will allow everyone to take whatever moral they like from the tale.
But the story isn’t over yet. Leicester City could still blow it. Stranger things have happened. Stranger things are happening. But I think they already know that.
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