Will Leicester Defy The Odds

They are tough games while Leicester play Sunderland... A team desperate for points; its that time of season where strange results happen, I can actually envisage Arsenal winning every game and Leicester dropping points to teams like Sunderland... As the climax to the season approaches they will get more jittery, Mahrez looked tired yesterday, Drinkwater would do something brilliant and then give it away with a slack pass.

However they have been incredibly consistent and are now showing amazing resilience. So hopefully they still have enough in the tank to get over the line.

Nah, Arsenal aren't suddenly going to do something they've not done all season and win game after game without dropping a point. They're just as likely to drop points to Sunderland too when they play them, and they've Man City in their 2nd last game as well.

I'm sure I read somewhere that in the past calendar year, Leicester have won 91 points in the league. The next team was Arsenal with 78 points or similar. They've been the most consistent team in England this season, and deserve it. Wouldn't be surprised at all if they win the next three 1-0 to take the title.

Liviforever wrote:Nah, Arsenal aren't suddenly going to do something they've not done all season and win game after game without dropping a point. They're just as likely to drop points to Sunderland too when they play them, and they've Man City in their 2nd last game as well.

I know its unlikely but they usually end strongly; Man City started the season superbly but injuries decimated their side & results fell apart; Arsenal should have capitalised but they are notorious for starting slowly & coming good to secure 4th. This season, because of City, United & Chelsea all being so poor by their normal standards, Arsenal have plodded along and are 3rd with a game in hand & they have also had injury woes to contend with. But they are very capable of going on a run. But you are right in saying they could just as easily drop silly points as they have been all season (they have taken 6 points off Leicester funnily enough).

Told you Arsenal would drop points, and the ref helped them big time to even get a draw today. WH had 2 perfectly good goals chopped off as well as a possible penalty.

I did concede that it could happen... But if Leicester get surprised at Sunderland today then they will have closed the gap.... But bottom line, you know I'm always leaning towards the pessimistic view

Looks like a definite 2 horse race now, albeit that Leicester look like they'd need to do a "Devon Lock" to lose it now.

But 2 bad results can change it, see La Liga for an example of that

Gutting that the ref knackered up West Ham's 3 points against Arsenal, would've loved them to have gotten 4th place to oust the big money teams from CL football. Both Leicester and Spurs look certs for the top 2 spots and CL places though, excellent for them.

Almost want Leicester to lose next week as they can afford to drop 3 points, so WH go above Man U into 5th place, but I really want Leicester to win the league so best to wrap it up as quick as they can with 3 more wins.

West Ham (H)
Swansea (H)
Man Utd (A)

Win those games and the league is won, mon the Foxes.

I don't agree with the pundits today. For me Vardy's first booking is never a booking. For his second booking, he is being pulled by the defender which means he has to manoeuvre his body, this causes the tangle of legs but it is never a dive, I think it is a pen but can also see a case for it being a "coming together" but it is never a dive. Had it been Ashley Young, it would have been a pen and the defender would have been given a straight red.

Until the ref gave the Leicester pen at the end I was convinced he was a Spurs fan.

Yeah ref was shocking, looked like he had Spurs to win the league in a betting slip the way he was making one sided decisions to try and get a West Ham win and Leicester to drop points. Vardy was in a head lock being forced to the ground earlier at a set piece in the box, Huth was being pulled down after the pen, if the ref is going to give penalties for players holding and pushing then there should've been about 3 awarded to both teams in that game.

The two that were actually given looked the softest out of the lot of them, were far easier penalty decisions ignored. The player that went down for their penalty actually dived forward to get it too, wouldn't say he was any less making a meal of it than the one Vardy got booked for.

Vardy could've been booked for an earlier challenge but the one he was booked for was never a yellow, the player fell over him as he was lying on the ground, Vardy didn't actually make any contact in his challenge and didn't do anything to try and take their player down.

Vardy being suspended will be a big miss too, meant to be one game but if the ref puts in his protesting before going off as being foul and abusive language then it could be 2 or 3 games out.

Well I think it's a conspiracy. I think It's a conspiracy up here against Livi too.

I like a good conspiracy theory.

Big win for Spurs tonight. Leicester can afford 1 more defeat but need to win next week to keep pressure on Spurs...having said that, if they were to lose it might change the pressure level on Spurs knowing they have to win to capitalise on it.

The remaining games for each side are tricky enough that it is not easy to predict.

Sticking mt neck out... I think Spurs will do it.

Maybe the fella that cashed out his pre season Leicester to win the league bet wasn't silly after all then, got over 100K and could've got another 25K if Leicester went on to win the league but it would've been cut drastically if they'd come 2nd.

Still think they'll do it but looking a little bit tougher now. Think we can write off Arsenal now, same with City

Both Leicester and Spurs are at home next game to bottom half teams so both should get the win, though obv Vardy being suspended will make it a bit trickier for Leicester.

Not sure it is fair Spurs getting Mon night games two weeks running and being able to see how Leicester got on, gives them a bit of an advantage. The following two weeks after that they also play the day after Leicester, all seems a bit stacked in Spurs favour fixture wise. At least the last games of the season are all played on a Sunday.

They have similar run-ins, both play H, A, H, A but on paper Leicester's games are a wee bit harder, their away games are at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge on the last day. United look likely to win at home these days but Chelsea only seem interested if they score first.

I agree that Spurs seem to have the advantage by playing second but that only applies if Leicester drop points. My main concern for Leicester is the fact Spurs look to be in top form and showing no sign of nerves. It also shows that folk (LF excepted) still can't or don't believe Leicester will hold on when you think that they haven't lost in ages and only 3 times all season and there are only 4 games left and folk are still doubting.

My doubts started to rise when I saw a Leicester fan with a scarf declaring them champions for 2016. That sort of thing regularly comes back to haunt folk.

Yeah if Leicester win then it puts pressure on Spurs the following day to get a win, but still don't think it fair to have 4 games in a row where Spurs can see how Leicester get on before playing (not checked back further to see if there was any more split fixtures), they will get really driven knowing they have the opportunity to peg Leicester back, which wouldn't be the case had they played on the same day.

This is now into the run in and there shouldn't be so many games in a row being played separately favouring the one team.

Who needs Vardy, been winning games by 1 goal and then stick 4 past Swansea without him. Pundits were saying Leicester wouldn't be able to get in behind Swansea to break on them without Vardy, Schlupp tore them apart with his pace.

Pressure on Spurs now, so it has backfired on them getting to play the next day, still don't think it is right though, both should be playing on the same day.

Well done Mahrez getting the PFA player of the year too, brilliant player.

I thought Leicester looked a wee bit nervy at 2-0 approaching half time but Schmeichel made a couple of saves and Swansea were too high with a couple of chances.

Once the third went in it could have been a cricket score. They did get a bit lucky with 3 of the goals, maybe even all 4... Mahrez did well to block Williams' clearance but it fell very kindly for him, and some might have given hand ball, superb finish tho. Ulloa made contact with Williams in the box on the 2nd which was as much as Morgan on Reid last week, superb header tho and in both cases I think the right decisions were made, ie not hand ball and not a push. Schmeichel's clearance could have gone anywhere but Schlupp turned it into a breakaway and he almost messed up his cross twice before Ulloa knocked it in and King's header was woeful but they kept going and were able to convert that chance too. In some respects the 1st, 3rd and 4th goals were prime examples of hard work making their own luck.

Still tough games to come and I expect a Spurs win tonight.

Tottenham have fucked it. Leicester are champions if they beat Man Utd on Sunday.

Bertie, you're like the old boy that sits along from me at Livi that can't give White any credit, even when he scores he said it was almost a miss.

Great result for Leicester tonight, Spurs 1-1 West Brom, one win away from the title.

Didn't mean to minimise Leicester's efforts, they fully deserved the win and I am delighted the won. Just observing that they got the rub of the green and worked hard to ensure they did, when something looked like it was going wrong they kept going to rectify it and got their rewards.

Spurs looked like potential champions last week but very nervous last night, amazing the difference that can come in a week.

It's still not certain yet, if United and Spurs win next week then the pressure will swing back on Leicester. But they keep answering the doubters and IMO deserve the title.

Can see Chelsea taking something from Spurs too, but one final effort from Leicester and they're Champions. They def deserve it,  right from the off they went top too and everyone was thinking they'd fall away at some point, amazing season for then considering where they were last season.

I think this has been the most interesting season for the Premiership for years, blows the cobwebs off it and gives it a lift from the usual suspects taking the title, just wish someone up here could've taken advantage of Sevco's situation to take the title from Celtic.
Fecking boring having the same team winning the league all the time, but the SFA don't give a monkeys about trying to make things competitive and inject some life into our game.

In horse racing, and club golf tournaments you get handicaps to even the playing field, to try and stop predictable boring outcomes, would make the SPFL Premiership a bit more interesting if some handicap system was introduced.

Definitely the most interesting since the drama of City's injury time Championship clincher; that was the most exciting finish to any championship I've ever seen. This one looks like Leicester are going to be fairly comfortable but just for the freshness of Leicester & Spurs being the title contenders it has been superb.

Ooo it's exciting, Spurs need a win now against Chelski or it's Leicester's title.

A few missed decision by the ref in the Man U v Leicester game, Huth pulling Fellaini's hair and Fellaini elbowing Huth in the coupon. Rooney should've had a red after 3 yellow card offences being committed but he only got booked for one of them. Mahrez should've had a penalty for being blocked off deliberately by Rojo and Man U should've had a penalty for the foul just on the line when Drinkwater got sent off.

Draw was prob a fair enough result though as the ref was equally bad with poor decisions for both teams and on the balance of play Leicester deserved a draw.

At least Vardy will be back next week, reckon they'd have won against Man U if he'd been playing, they missed him badly for hitting them on the break.

2-2 and into injury time, kinda hoping Spurs can get a late goal just to keep the title going and so Leicester can win it next week when Vardy is back.

FT Leicester have won the League.

That's some fairy story! Really chuffed for all the Leicester fans.