Leicester claim Premier League title as Spurs held

LONDON – Leicester City’s Premier League title dream finally became reality as nearest pursuers Tottenham Hotspur squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 in a thrilling game at Chelsea on Monday.

With Leicester’s players watching on television 160km away in the East Midlands, first-half goals from Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Son Heung-min looked like extending the title race to the penultimate weekend of an unforgettable season.

But after the break Gary Cahill gave Chelsea a lifeline and Eden Hazard’s superb equaliser effectively handed the title to Leicester and their former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri.

With two games left, Leicester are an unassailable seven points of second-placed Tottenham with their title triumph sparking joyous scenes across the East Midlands city.

Leicester, 5 000-1 outsiders at the start of the season, are champions for the first time and the first team to win a maiden English title since Nottingham Forest in 1978, having left the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal in their wake.

Strangely the biggest match in Leicester’s history was one they were not involved in as the final act of an absorbing title race was played out in west London between last year’s champions and a Tottenham side who have refused to give up the chase.

But Claudio Ranieri’s intrepid Foxes had already done the damage, churning out consistent results to stay on top of the table since Jan. 23 as their rivals fell by the wayside. (Reuters)