Foxes take the first of three tentative steps to title

THE last time Leicester City hosted West Ham United in the Premier League just over a year ago, they beat them 2-1 through a late goal to spark a revival that has shown no sign of slowing down since.

Leicester, who won six of their next eight matches to avoid what had seemed inevitable relegation, welcome the Hammers back to the King Power Stadium today needing three more victories to seal their first English top-flight title.

Claudio Ranieri’s team have only lost three times in 33 league matches this season and will move 10 points clear of their only serious remaining challengers Tottenham Hotspur with a sixth successive win. Spurs face Stoke City tomorrow. Yesterday, Aston Villa’s longexpected relegation from the Premier League was finally confirmed with a 1-0 loss away to Manchester United as rising teenage star Marcus Rashford scored his seventh goal in 12 games.

The 18-year-old marksman, also on target in United’s FA Cup quarterfinal replay win over West Ham in midweek, struck in the 32nd minute when he turned in Antonio Valencia’s low cross.

Defeat left bottom-of-the-table Villa 15 points shy of safety, with only 12 on offer in their four remaining league matches this season, and they drop to the second tier of English football for the first time in 29 years.

Earlier, Sunderland gave themselves hope of yet another escape from relegation with a 3-0 win away to fellow strugglers Norwich City.

Victory at Carrow Road left the north-east side still in the bottom three but just a point adrift of Norwich and with a game in hand over The Canaries. Fabio Borini’s first-half penalty and strikes from Jermain Defoe and Duncan Watmore after the interval saw The Cats to a first win in seven matches.

Newcastle United, Sunderland’s north-east rivals, bolstered their hopes of top-flight survival with a 3-0 win at home to Swansea City.

Newcastle remain in the relegation zone but victory saw them move to within three points of Norwich.

Watford, promoted last season, cemented their place in the Premier League with a 1-0 win away to West Bromwich Albion that saw goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes twice save penalties from Saido Berahino.

Meanwhile, Southampton moved to within a point of a top-six place after a 1-1 draw away to Everton.

In the late kick-off, a Sergio Aguerro hat-trick put Manchester City into third place, five points behind Spurs and a point ahead of Arsenal, as City thrashed a very poor Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge. —