Agencies
London, May 8: Leicester City celebrated their gloriously unlikely Premier League triumph in a fitting manner with a 3-1 victory over Everton in front of their overjoyed, partying fans at the King Power Stadium, Saturday.
Jamie Vardy, with a double, and Andy King scored the goals that left the home supporters in raptures even before they could savour the almost unthinkable sight of captain Wes Morgan and manager Claudio Ranieri lifting the trophy after the final whistle.
There were more celebrations at the Stadium of Light where Jermain Defoe was again the toast of Sunderland after his winner in a 3-2 victory over Chelsea lifted them out of the relegation zone, leaving Newcastle United and Norwich City on the verge of the drop.
Defoe scored his 15th league goal of the season to lead a stunning comeback victory against Chelsea who had captain John Terry sent off in added time for a second bookable offence.
After the nerve-shredding drama at the other end of the table, Leicester were able to relax in the day’s late game and revel in the triumph that has been making headlines all over the world.
Free pizzas and beer for the fans and a stirring rendition of ‘Nessun Dorma’ by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli in a Leicester shirt was the order of a surreal day before the Foxes showed no ill-effects from their week’s heady celebrations since being crowned champions Monday.
The ‘Jamie Vardy’s having a party” chant was belted out by the supporters as the England striker took his season’s goal tally in the league to 24. The only false note came when the forward blasted his second penalty of the day high over the bar in the 72nd minute with Leicester already cruising at 3-0.
It seemed perfect that the goals should arrive from Vardy, whose amazing rise from minor-league obscurity reflects Leicester City’s own soaring journey, and King who has been a club stalwart through the thinnest of times. The lifelong Leicester player has been on the journey as the club climbed back from the third tier in 2009 to the top flight only two years ago.
Just a year ago, King and his teammates feared they were going to make an instant return to the second tier, and were relegation candidates at the start of this season.
But powered by Vardy’s goals, Riyad Mahrez’s trickery, and Kasper Schmeichel’s saves, Leicester confounded the odds to surge to the summit. And in the process have stunned all the big-spending clubs in the EPL.
Although Leicester have been owned for six years by Thai duty free group ‘King Power’, the squad is largely a collection of bargain buys and players cast off by bigger clubs.
Manchester United’s win at Norwich, courtesy of Juan Mata’s fifth goal against the Canaries, left them in fifth place, one point behind neighbours Manchester City who occupy the fourth Champions League qualification spot and face Sunday fellow contenders Arsenal.