Leicester City have claimed the English Premier League title this morning (AEST), after their closest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, could only manage a draw against London rivals Chelsea.
Having shared the spoils with Manchester United themselves on the weekend, Leicester sat eight points clear of Spurs atop the table.
For Mauricio Pochettino’s men, the equation was simple: win against Chelsea and stay alive for another week. And heading into halftime with a 2-0 lead, it looked like they would do just that.
But Chelsea clawed it back, with Gary Cahill netting in off a corner in the 58th minute, before Eden Hazard scored the equaliser in the 82nd.
Perhaps it is fitting that last season’s title holders ultimately determined who this season’s champions would be.
The ladder now stands with Leicester on 77 points to Spurs’ 70. With only two matches left in the season (and a win being worth three points), there is now no scenario where Tottenham can overhaul the Foxes.
It’s being touted as one of the greatest stories in sports history.
Leicester started the season at 5000-1 odds, having barely managed to avoid relegation the previous year.
Making matters worse, the club was involved in a sex scandal at the start of the season, which saw manager Nigel Pearson replaced by Claudio Ranieri.
Yet a season many fans would have been happy to see end with their side avoiding relegation has seen them claim English football’s ultimate prize.
Along the way their ragtag crew of journeymen and never-had-beens have become the most clinical outfit in the English game.
Jamie Vardy, yesterday voted Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association, was essentially playing park football and working 12-hours shifts in a factory only a few short years ago.
Yet during his side’s incredible run to the title, Vardy broke Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring goals in ten consecutive matches, the Englishman netting in an 11th match on the trot against Manchester United – the very side van Nistelrooy set the old record playing for – last November.
Of Vardy’s teammates, Riyad Mahrez was named the Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year, while midfielder N’Golo Kante signed with Foxes for £5.6 million prior to the season and is now being talked about as worth five times that amount.
They didn’t always play pretty, or win by much, but they were aware of that most simple of sporting rules: you only need to win by one to win.
In terms of league champions, the Foxes’ win represents a massive fracture. Since 1995, only four clubs have taken the title: Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea. As such, taking the trophy to Leicester will be the first time it’s left London or Manchester in over 20 years.
Since the formation of the Premier League in 1992, only one other side has taken the title: Kenny Dalglish’s Blackburn Rovers in season 1994-95.
As such, Leicester City have given hope to every supporter of a smaller club – sure there’s a big four, but nothing’s guaranteed.
And while Europe’s major clubs are sure to swoop on Leicester over the summer and break the team up with big-money transfer offers, you’d still put a buck of two on them to go back-to-back.
Especially if they’re at 5000-1 again.
Fussball IUL
Roar Rookie
Interesting. Would be terrific if they can pull this off.. Sth Australia's minister for Sport is keen to bring Leicester City to Adelaide for a pre-season friendly. http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2016/05/04/adelaide-want-leicester-city-friendly
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
"Please join the conversation if you wish… a hint the Mariners fans forum is a tad hhhmmmm the mods like to keep things sorta quite so its not like a forum to rant and scream on.." Haha. Seems like an awfully civilized place where actual genuine discussion occurs. Btw Pjennings post is a goldmine. His thoughts on a Second division: "Given that we had nation-wide semi-professional league in 1977 (40 years before the upcoming media deal) I cannot see why we cannot do that again in 2017.NPL clubs operate as semi-pro at the moment so it is only the travel and accommodation that needs to be found. Some of that could be by increased sponsorship as well as some subsidisation from the new media deal." Loving this! I think I will join the discussion there actually! Cheers midfielder.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
"Subhuman filth" Casper makes Cancer Jokes about Johnny warren... Are you defending the subhuman filth are you? And you didn't answer my question, do code wars errupt on the afl tab? Because we football fans certainly don't have code wars with ourselves...
clipper
Guest
yes, skipped the EPL bit, takes a bit of the gloss about oldest ever to play when it's 24 years as opposed to over 100 years, although I'd imagine it would be a lot harder to achieve now.
marron
Guest
I haven't really been following this argument that seems to have happened over a number of threads. But Rick, it looks like you are saying that what counts is what most people call something. That's an interesting line to take. :lol: Welcome to the football tab....
Kurt
Guest
"Sub human filth"??? Horto, when you start referring to people on a sports website using terms like that, all I can say is please get some perspective, for your own sake. Life's too precious to carry around that sort of hate.
Midfielder
Guest
H I have a post with the mods for you.... have a look when it shows up. When you read it let me know what you think especially the pjenning post.
Midfielder
Guest
H Totally off this topic you may be interested in a conversation thats just stating on the Mariners forum on the new media deal. I refer you to in the link a poster called pjennings who has a longest post you may agree with. Please join the conversation if you wish... a hint the Mariners fans forum is a tad hhhmmmm the mods like to keep things sorta quite so its not like a forum to rant and scream on.. here is the link and as I said look for the post by pjennings https://www.ccmfans.net/community/threads/new-media-deal.5669/page-5#post-221958
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
Well done to The Filberts, as a lifelong Villa fan it had such irony with it 35 years to the day that we were the last midlands team to clinch the top division title everyone loves Ranieri, and seeing a team assembled with heady buys win for once, rather than backed by billonaires,,,,
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
Kurt We are obviously specifically talking about proverbial-black-face-guy. Are you a "football illiterate egg-handler, who came down in the last shower?" Not all afl fans fall into this category,... If you do, then you can politely f$&@ off too. If you don't, then welcome to the football tab.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
Midfielder you don't need to explain yourself or apologise. Your replies are fitting, for the sub human filth that you describe. You're a scholar of the game. They need to learn the word respect. I feel the same as you. Sometimes you just have to unleash on this sub human filth. Kurt You do realise code wars couldn't exist on the football tab if AFL trolls didn't continue to make forays onto the football tab... Who are we going to have a code war with???! Ourselves???? The answer is in your question. You may be an AFL fan, that's cool. AFL trolls? Not cool. And mark my words I will tell them what I think of them. Answer this question, because I sincerely don't know, how many code wars errupt on the AFL tab? If the answer is none, or not many, then I rest my case.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
Haha. Resorting to correcting my grammar now. Pathetic. Sounds like the death throes of a dying troll. Can't answer the question. Lack the dignity to admit you're wrong. And you actually think that bombarding us with inane post after inane post will mask that fact. Sad little worm. Not you. Just your comments remind me of sad little spineless worms.
Griffo
Guest
Perhaps but I wouldn't count them out for making it through past the group stages. Half of the teams do. You would expect Barca would. Then there's a chance
monday QB
Guest
oh dear...you need a new hobby fuss.
Kurt
Guest
Fuss - you may be interested in a concept from cognitive psychology sometimes referred to as 'expertise bias'. https://thoughtrefuse.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/study-supports-expert-bias/ Basically it says that the more of an expert you are in something, the less capable you are of predicting a 'black swan' type event simply because every single thing you know about the topic tells you it can't happen. And also how we 'non-experts' tend to bias the opinions of experts even when they conflict with our own experience. I'll leave it to you to work out why I'm mentioning this to you.
Midfielder
Guest
Fuss Great read that'...... interesting on the speed thing in the article I have always believed that speed is as important as technical ability.
Daws
Guest
You must be fun at parties
jamesb
Guest
One of the all time great sporting stories. Well done Leicester City!
Colin N
Guest
Unfortunately, I would say it's unlikely. As Premier League champions, I believe they automatically go into pot 1 despite not having a coefficient to speak of, which means they would avoid the likes of Barcelona in the group stages. The question then is whether they would be able to qualify for the last-16 and, as Man City showed, the Champions League is a very different beast to domestic football.
Colin N
Guest
For what Leicester have done, look at Atletico Madrid. Atletico are a better team with a bigger budget and better players but, on paper, they really should not be competing at the highest level of European football. However, they play a similar style to Leicester, have an incredibly impressive scouting system and are superbly coached.