By Nathan John @University of Gloucestershire
Embed from Getty ImagesToday marks five years since the title winning foxes travelled to the Etihad to face contenders Manchester City in arguably their toughest fixture of the season to that point, but remarkably left the North West with all three points and signified to any doubters that they could indeed go on to win the title that season.
The 6th February 2016 will forever be a date etched in the minds of Leicester City supporters and so too anybody who followed Leicester through their remarkable journey in the 2015/16 Premier League campaign. The Foxes were 5000/1 odds against to win the title at the start of the season, having survived by the thinnest of margins in the previous year, pulling off a miraculous escape to safety.
Under the guidance of former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri, Leicester won nine of their opening 15 fixtures that season, which included their main striker Jamie Vardy breaking a Premier League record of scoring in 11 consecutive matches, beating Ruud Van Nistlerooy’s set back in 2003. Vardy would go on to score 19 goals that season, finishing second in the golden boot race, just three behind Tottenham’s Harry Kane.
Having just swept aside Liverpool on the previous Tuesday to go top of the table, Leicester had two tough away fixtures against Arsenal and Manchester City back-to-back in their sights. First up was a trip to the Etihad to face fellow title-challengers Manchester City, who were unbeaten in seven games and looking to regain top spot with a victory over the Foxes.
However, Centre back Robert Huth opened the scoring early for the visitors, notching inside the area from a Riyad Mahrez free kick. An early shock to the Citizens system that would set the tone for the rest of the game. The second for Leicester came just after half-time in what was arguably one of the goals of the season when midfield maestro Mahrez waltzed through the City defensive line before firing a shot past Joe Hart into the top left-hand corner to put daylight between the two sides.
Embed from Getty ImagesThat goal symbolised the talent of the Algerian, Mahrez who was influential throughout the course of the season, popping up with 28 goal contributions in total, 17 of those goals and was awarded the PFA player of the Season award. Leicester soon wrapped up the game with just little over 20 minutes left when Huth scored again, this time a leaping header to Hart’s far post, following a Leicester corner.
Embed from Getty ImagesAt 3-0, the Foxes were in dreamland where chants of “We’re gonna win the League” could be heard bellowing from the away end at the Etihad. City on the other hand were shocked into silence. Sergio Aguero pulled one back late on for city but it was little consolation for the Sky Blues. Many of their fans headed for the exits and away into the pouring Manchester sky; a weather which summed up the grim reality of Manchester City’s predicament as they sunk to fourth position in the table.
The reality had set in for the chasing pack, the likes of City, Arsenal and Tottenham; Leicester mean business. The Foxes sat at the top of the tree following victory at the Etihad, 5 points above second placed Tottenham with fans and pundits from over the world now starting to buy into the Leicester dream.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsFT: Man City 1-3 Leicester.
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 6, 2016
Two goals from Huth & 1 from Mahrez puts the Foxes 6 pts clear https://t.co/xaDDHboZQy pic.twitter.com/oadQw8IeJl
“Can they do it?” proclaimed BBC’s Gary Lineker on that night’s Match of The Day; a self-professed Leicester fan and former player it is worth noting, but still a very knowledgeable football brain. The answer was now looking very likely; yes, Leicester City can win the Premier League, which would have been considered a nonsense prior to the start of the season. The world was witnessing one of the greatest sporting, let alone footballing stories of all time and were now truly being given a reason to believe that it was really going to happen.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsReally, Tom❔
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 26, 2016
Tom Hanks says he bet £100 at start of season that Leicester would win titlehttps://t.co/f6jGGIM7kg pic.twitter.com/wcznj3jTrd
“Even Hollywood don’t write scripts like this”, one Leicester fan said as he stood outside the King Power following their lifting of the trophy in May 2016. And speaking of Hollywood, celebrities were now cashing in on the story of the ‘Fantastic Foxes as they were now being labelled; with the likes of movie star Tom Hanks mentioning his admiration for the Midlands club successes. The story of Leicester City’s Premier League triumph is truly one of a footballing miracle, a small club with a big heart who shocked each and every one of us who ever doubted them.
NathanJamesJohn.com 