We can stop pinching ourselves. Leicester. Will. Be. Champions.
Claudio Ranieri is a special coach (as opposed to The Special One). In the 64th minute after Riyad Mahrez clumsily overhit a cross into the box, betraying nerves, the Tinkerman gestured to his players to take a deep breath and calm down. That human connection is what makes Ranieri so likeable and one big reason Leicester have been able to dodge the pitfalls of pressure heaped on them as they see off match after match without dropping off the top of the table. Leicester was able to stop a determined Southampton come back from Wes Morgan’s first half goal, his first of the season. That goal came after sustained pressure, the latest rope a dope enactment, where the Foxes absorb waves and then dismantle their opponents by an opportunistic and clinical counterattack. Christian Fuchs curling in a cross and Morgan stealing in to head home. What a way to knock the wind out of the sails. It is deflating.
1-0 to the Foxes, their 14th this season, their 5th in 6 matches with their defence, the story the second half of the season, closing everything down.
The longer the game went on, more the realization this would not be the match to spoil the narrative. Just as Ranieri is special, M’Golo Kante, is a special player. He reminds one of Claudio Makelele, the Real Madrid legend, a diminutive spoil sport, a motoring whirlwind, the minority report of football sniffing out attacks. Leicester will be very well advised to retain his services.
The Saints took to the air with crosses and corners but Wes Morgan, Robert Huth, Fuchs, and Danny Simpson did not allow Graziano Pelle and Charlie Austin within sniffing distance of goal. The defence has been the story this second half of the season. Simpson was magnificent in snuffing out Southampton’s most dangerous chance as Sadio Mane racing on free towards goal was forced out wide by the charging full back who had to cover considerable ground and with Kasper Schmeichel out of position was able to block the shot with his elbow. An unhappy Ronald Koeman claimed it was a handball. Mane had his options, possible a chip or laying off to Victor Wanyama for an easier angle into goal. However, Koeman had a stronger case against Huth when Austin whipped in a cross in the box with German clearly handling the ball. It was not given but that would go against the narrative wouldn’t it? To be fair, Fraser Forster was the Saints best player, stopping three sure goals, including an almost own goal from Fontes and then a point blank Simpson chance.
Seven points clear of second placed Spurs and 12 needed to claim the title, six more matches. It’s karma. It was also Leicester’s CEO Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s birthday. What can stop them?