Wounded Foxes bare teeth in survival fight
2016 champion Leicester bids to pull off great escape in relegation battle
Seven years after producing the biggest shock in Premier League history, Leicester City is now trying to pull off a great escape.
The Foxes stunned the world of soccer by winning the league title in 2016 as a 5,000-1 outsider. Now they are attempting to beat the odds once again by securing top-flight survival in a season when the threat of relegation has never been far away.
While a 1-1 draw with relegation rival Leeds United on Tuesday did little to ease Leicester’s concerns, it showcased a fighting spirit that will be essential if the club is to avoid the drop.
“It’s optimistic because they are good players. We can be a good team,” manager Dean Smith said. “If we cut out the lapses of concentration from set-pieces we’ll be fine.”
Veteran striker Jamie Vardy rolled back the years by equalizing in the 80th minute after Luis Sinisterra put Leeds in front.
Vardy was the talisman of Leicester’s title success, scoring 24 goals. As a substitute at Elland Road, he looked as lethal as ever when he swept a shot past Illan Meslier, but at the age of 36 he has become an increasingly peripheral figure.
Vardy’s goal on Tuesday was his first in the league since October.
How Leicester could do with a peak Vardy to help fire it to safety in the closing stages of the season.
“Pleased for him as it’s not been a fruitful season, but it’s nice to have him scoring with five games to go,” Smith said.
The draw against Leeds left Leicester one point and one place above the relegation zone, with the bottom three teams all having played a game fewer by Tuesday.
But Leicester can take comfort from the fact that it does have history when it comes to pulling off an escape act.
While the title success is rightly considered the greatest in the league’s history, the Foxes’ achievement the season before was remarkable in its own right when a run of seven wins in their last nine games saw them rise from the bottom of the table to avoid relegation.
Leeds is also in the thick of the battle to stay up, in 16th place, one point ahead of Leicester.
“The dressing room is really disappointed but we have a point and we have to play five games, being ready to be at our best,” manager Javi Gracia said.
Villa Europa push
Aston Villa had looked in danger of relegation when Unai Emery took over in October.
His predecessor Steven Gerrard had left the club after securing just two league wins, with the team one place above the bottom three.
Emery has turned Villa’s fortunes around in spectacular fashion, with Tuesday’s 1-0 win against Fulham moving it up to fifth and in contention to qualify for the Europa League.
Villa’s rise has come on the back of a run of 10 games without defeat, including eight wins.
Tyrone Mings scored the only goal of the game against Fulham.
“We are in the top 10. We are in the Europa position,” Emery said. “There’s still Liverpool and Tottenham and Brighton (to play) and we are going to fight with them but with each match we are winning, it is giving us confidence and a chance to get there.”
Wolves’ fears ease
Wolves are up to 13th after a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace put topflight safety within reach.
Joachim Andersen scored an own-goal after three minutes and Ruben Neves struck from the penalty spot in stoppage time to secure the three points.
Julen Lopetegui’s team is now nine points ahead of the relegation zone after recovering from the setback of losing to relegation rival Leicester over the weekend.
“We are happy,” Lopetegui said. “Three days ago we were sad and today we are happy because we got a good victory against a good team. We had to suffer but we got the win.”
United bidding war
Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus insisted again on Tuesday his second offer to buy Manchester United still stands.
Zilliacus said earlier this month he would not be entering a third round of bidding, accusing existing United owners the Glazer family of turning the process into a “farce”.
But he said then his second-round offer remained on the table ahead of a deadline for third bids to be submitted on April 28.
And he reiterated his position on Tuesday, saying on Twitter: “As said when I announced that I would not do a new third-round bid, I have today informed the bank handling the sale of United that my bid from round two stands. My bid does not have a cap. The final price is subject to negotiations with the sellers #ManchesterUnited #UnitedWeStand.”
Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe both submitted a second bid last month.
Several offers are understood to have been received in recent weeks but Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe remain the front-runners should the Glazers give up control of the club they bought in 2005 for 790 million pounds ($980 million).
United’s unpopular US-based owners announced in November they were conducting a strategic review, with the sale of the club one option being considered along with external investment.