Leicester to be crowned EPL champions if Spurs slip up at Chelsea
Leicester missed their first
opportunity to clinch the Premier League title, drawing 1-1 at
Manchester United today to move within two points of the most unlikely
championship in English soccer in a generation.
Anxious moments as Leicester made to wait for EPL glory
00:47
A 1-1 draw at the 'Theatre of Dreams' has left the door slightly ajar for more EPL drama
Source: NBC
Second-place Tottenham, who are eight points behind Leicester, must beat Chelsea away tomorrow to keep alive the title race.
Leicester fought back at Old
Trafford after going behind to Anthony Martial's eighth-minute goal,
with captain Wes Morgan heading in a free kick to equalize in the 17th.
Leicester midfielder Danny Drinkwater was sent off in the 86th for a second yellow card.
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win would have sealed the title for Leicester, a modest team from
central England that narrowly escaped relegation last season and entered
bankruptcy protection only seven years ago while in the third tier.
Leicester's remaining games are against Everton at home next weekend and
Chelsea away on the final day of the season, but it might not go that
far.
Leicester manager Claudio
Ranieri was flying to his native Italy later Sunday to visit his
96-year-old mother. He will return tomorrow, during the Chelsea-Spurs
match.
"I will be the last man to know the result," Ranieri said with a laugh.
United's failure to win kept
the team fifth and dented its ambitions of qualifying for the Champions
League. But this game was all about Leicester, and whether Ranieri's
team - a 5,000-1 longshot for the title with British bookmakers before
the season - could achieve the seemingly impossible feat that would rank
among the biggest underdog stories in sports.
The team known as "The Foxes"
are still heavy favorites, and their vocal, flag-waving travelling
contingent made that very clear as they chanted, "We're going to win the
league" over and over after the final whistle.
It would be the most
implausible top-flight title triumph since Brian Clough's Nottingham
Forest won in 1978. So endearing is Leicester's story that even United
supporters applauded the Leicester players off the field at Old
Trafford.
"We had to dig in and be resilient," Morgan said. "It's a point and it's a step in the right direction."
Ranieri's team of rejects,
journeymen and unheralded foreign players has been confounding the
doubters all season and they did so again at the so-called "Theatre of
Dreams."
Leicester had barely got out of
its own half by the time Antonio Valencia cut inside from the right and
sent over a cross that fell at the feet of Martial, who sidefooted
powerfully past Kasper Schmeichel at the far post.
The response by Leicester was
swift. Morgan was just too strong for Marcos Rojo as he barged his way
into the six-yard box to meet Drinkwater's inswinging free kick with a
header past goalkeeper David de Gea, who had little chance of keeping
the ball out.
"We shall not be moved," cried the Leicester fans, who were in full voice throughout.
Sunday’s gossip column: Man Utd scout £65m Griezmann, Real Madrid working on new Bale deal
Manchester United have sent
scouts to watch Atletico Madrid striker Antonie Griezmann who is likely
to cost at least £65-million. Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are
also interested in the France international who has scored 31 goals this
season. (The Sun)
Chelsea are interested in signing teenage sensation Leon Bailey from
Belgian side Genk. The 18-year-old Jamaican under-23 international has
impressed scouts this term but he is also wanted by Borussia Dortmund. (Daily Star)
Liverpool have entered negotiations with Monaco for their
20-year-old winger Thomas Lemar who has also attracted interest
from Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich. However, Monaco
want a similar fee for the star that Man Utd paid for Anthony Martial
last summer. (Express)
Arsenal are hoping to complete the signing of Bayern Munich defender
Medhi Benatia this summer as Arsene Wenger is eager to strengthen his
options at the back as Per Mertesacker is likely to leave at the end of
the season. (Daily Star)
Leicester City’s N’Golo Kante has emerged as a major target
for Man Utd, who has received the blessings of Sir Alex Ferguson. The
Frenchman could cost £30m and the Foxes will allow him to leave if he
wants to. (Daily Star)
Should Kante leave, Leicester will target Sporting Lisbon’s William
Carvalho as a replacement. The Portuguese international could cost £20m
but has also been linked with moves to Man Utd and Arsenal in the past. (The Sun) Real Madrid are said to be working on a new contract for
Gareth Bale in a bid to ward off interest from Manchester City. A pay
rise of £50,000-a-week could be on the table for the Welsh international
in a deal lasting until 2021. (Express)
Jose Mourinho could land a substantial compensation pay off from Man
Utd even if he doesn’t land the job. A deal is said to have been agreed
with the Portuguese which includes a “substantial” compensation clause
if they decide to stick with Louis van Gaal. (Mirror) Germany manager Joachim Low has emerged as a shock contender
to succeed Roberto Martinez as the next Everton manager. Low has a deal
with the Deutsche Fussball-Bund which would allow him to talk to any
club interested in his services but he is more likely to be interested
in a Champions League caliber team. (Mirror
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Guus Hiddink urges Chelsea not to offload Willian to Chinese Super League
Guangzhou Evergrande are reportedly willing to pay 50 million for the player and double his current wages of 120,000 a week
Chelsea’s Willian has been one of the shining lights for the club this season with 11 goals and 3 assists.
Interim
Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink has urged incoming Chelsea boss Antonio Conte
not to sell Brazillian winger Willian. Reports surfaced last week that
Chinese Super League giants Guangzhou Evergrande were willing to pay £50
million for the player and double his current wages of £120,000 a week
to £240,000.
Willian would not be the first player to move to the
Chinese Super League from Chelsea, with the club accepting a £25 million
offer for Ramires from Jiangsu Suning in January.
But Hiddink
claims it would be a big mistake to sell the Brazillian, who he says can
play an integral role for the club now and in the future.
“I have known Willian for many years and as a person he is very down to earth and a nice guy,” Hiddink told Standard Sport.
”When
they defend and sacrifice themselves, he has the attitude to do. That’s
why he is already, and can be in the future, a key player for this
club. On top of that, he is doing a very good job. This year, in a
difficult year (for Chelsea), he has been working very hard with his
natural ability. “
Willian, who has arguably been Chelsea’s best
performer this season with 11 goals and another three assists, was
bought from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2014 for £30 million. While it was
initially believed the player would play a bit part role, the winger has
been one of the few success stories to come out of Chelsea’s season and
has regularly demonstrated his hard work rate and consistency.
Having
signed a five-year deal upon arrival, Willian still has two years to
run on his current contract and while he has apparently been offered an
improved deal, he has yet to commit his future to the London outfit.
With
the player not yet signing a new deal, new manager Antonio Conte may
not be able to say no to a fee of £50 million which could help him buy
new players and put his own stamp on an ageing squad.
Chinese
clubs demonstrated their immense spending power in the last transfer
window when they outspent the Premier League by more than US$100 million
on international transfers.
Jiangsu Suning shocked the football
world when they signed Liverpool target Alex Teixeira for almost £39
million in the biggest deal of the transfer window, with the club also
buying Chelsea’s Ramires.
Overall, Chinese clubs spent £208 million on international signings between January 1 and February 26.
Willian
would not feel out of place at Guangzhou Evergrande, with fellow
countryman Phil Scolari managing the team, who also signed Brazillian
Paulinho from Tottenham for £10 million last year.
Colombian striker Jackson Martinez is another big name to feature for the club after he was signed for £38 million.
Five transfers that could define summer, featuring reported Arsenal and Liverpool targets
The domestic football season is coming to an end but the
excitement does not. The summer transfer window offers as much
entertainment as the season itself. All Premier League clubs will be
keen to add to their squads for the new season so let’s take a look at
the stories that will dominate the gossip columns throughout the window. Mats Hummels
The German international has ‘signed’ for Manchester United
around ten times in his career according to the press. Every transfer
window there is a new rumour surrounding the Borussia Dortmund centre
back, United the common destination in most of the stories.
A defender of the highest quality, Hummels has made 297 appearances
for the club since moving from Bayern Munich in 2008. But it looks like
it’s finally time for the boy who left Munich to return as a one of the
best centre backs in the world. In a statement issued by Dortmund, they
have announced that Hummels has requested to leave in the summer to
return to his old club.
Having joined on the cheap in 2008 Dortmund are set to make a very nice profit if he does leave. Bayern
are yet to comment on the situation and have not made an offer but no
doubt it will be well in excess of the €4 million he was bought for.
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