Reuters
London, March 3: Leicester City’s Premier League title dream moved closer to reality after a Wednesday wipe-out brought defeats for their nearest challengers, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Mancheter City.
Tottenham were primed to take advantage of Leicester’s 2-2 home draw with West Bromwich Albion, Tuesday and would have gone top on goal difference with victory at West Ham United but they went down 0-1 to end a six-match winning run.
Michail Antonio’s early headed goal proved decisive at Upton Park and if Leicester fans thought that was good their night got even better as third placed Arsenal slumped 1-2 at home to Swansea City and fourth-placed City were thrashed 0-3 at Liverpool, three days after beating them in the League Cup final.
With 10 matches remaining, Leicester have 57 points, Tottenham 54, Arsenal 51 and City, who have a game in hand, 47, ahead of Manchester United.
Antonio struck the game’s only goal in the seventh minute, heading in Dimitri Payet’s corner, and West Ham could have been further ahead before Tottenham improved in the second half.
Arsenal were hoping to bounce back from Sunday’s defeat at Manchester United and Joel Campbell firing them ahead but goals from Wayne Routledge and Ashley Williams gave Swansea three vital points in their bid to move away from trouble.
Manager Arsene Wenger said his boys were unlucky but Arsenal’s fans made their feelings clear, booing the side off after a dismal second half display.
“They had two shots on target and scored two goals,” said Wenger, who added that keeper Petr Cech had picked up an injury that will rule him out against the Spurs. “We need to bounce back very quickly now.”
Manchester City’s third consecutive league defeat left them looking over their shoulders. Adam Lallana, who missed one of Liverpool’s penalties in Sunday’s Wembley shootout, and James Milner scored before half time and Roberto Firmino sealed the points after the break.
