Leicester City: Premier League title one win away after Tottenham draw

Media caption,

Foxes' players so hungry - Ranieri

Leicester City will win the Premier League if they beat Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Tottenham, the only team who can pip them to the title, lost ground when they drew 1-1 with West Brom on Monday.

Even if they fail to beat United, the Foxes only need three points from three games to be certain of finishing top.

Spurs are now seven points adrift with three games left, but boss Mauricio Pochettino said: "We still need to believe. We are not going to give up."

Tottenham striker Harry Kane added: "Hopefully Manchester United can do us a favour. It has not gone. We need to keep fighting. All we can do is keep fighting."

Claudio Ranieri's Leicester side started the campaign as 5,000-1 outsiders for the title, having narrowly escaped relegation last season.

They are now 1-16 to claim their first top-flight success after leaving Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and defending champions Chelsea in their wake.

How Leicester's odds have plunged

1 August: 5,000-1; 1 September: 1,500-1; 1 October: 1,500-1; 1 November: 500-1; 1 December: 66-1; 1 January: 16-1; 1 February: 7-1; 1 March: b; 1 April: 4-7. 25 April: 1-16.

"There's still work to do but, in most people's eyes, it is done and dusted," former Foxes defender Matt Elliott told BBC Radio 5 live.

"Leicester can win the title at Old Trafford... it sounds incredible.

"I'm covering it on the radio and there are three of us going up in the car. If they win, it won't be me driving home."

Former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas said Leicester's title win would be one of the "biggest ever" sports stories.

"Everyone's pinching themselves because it's an unbelievable achievement," the Match of the Day pundit added.

Image caption,

Leicester can still win the title at home to Everton or away at Chelsea if they fail to beat Manchester United

"These players will be legends at Leicester. They will have done it with class and quality and it's good for football. It's a beautiful story."

West Brom manager Tony Pulis told BBC Radio 5 live he wanted the East Midlands club to win the title.

"Leicester is such a wonderful story and I don't think it can happen anywhere else but in this country," he said.

"I just think it's a wonderful, wonderful story, but they still have a lot of work to do."

Leicester, owned by Thai billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, have already qualified for the Champions League, external for the first time.

They started the season as one of the favourites for relegation, with only the three promoted sides - Watford, Norwich and Bournemouth - longer odds for the title.

Ranieri, who took charge when Nigel Pearson was sacked, external in the summer, was seen as an uninspired choice by some fans and pundits.

"Claudio Ranieri, really?" tweeted former Leicester striker Gary Lineker after the Italian's appointment.

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Now or never for the title - Ranieri

Match of the Day presenter Lineker has previously suggested his hometown club were on the "edge of sporting immortality" and said it would be the "most unlikely triumph in the history of team sport".

MOTD pundit and former England striker Alan Shearer, who won the title with Blackburn Rovers in 1995, has also described a potential Leicester title victory, external as "the best story of all time".

If Leicester are to win at Old Trafford, they will have to do so without leading goalscorer Jamie Vardy.

He misses the game after the Football Association gave him an additional one-match ban for improper conduct following his dismissal against West Ham.

Social media reaction

Image source, Gary Lineker
Image caption,

Match of the Day presenter and Leicester fan Gary Lineker

Image source, Dan Walker
Image caption,

BBC presenter Dan Walker

Image source, Rio ferdinand
Image caption,

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand won six Premier League titles - clinching two at Old Trafford in 2009 and 2013

Image source, Andrew Cole
Image caption,

Five-time Premier League champion with Manchester United, Andy Cole

Image source, chris waddle
Image caption,

Former Spurs, Newcastle and Marseille midfielder Chris Waddle

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