Man U make Leicester wait Wes Morgan runs away in celebration after scoring for Leicester at Old Trafford as the captain showed his team-mates how it’s done. — DailyMail
Wes Morgan runs away in celebration after scoring for Leicester at Old Trafford as the captain showed his team-mates how it’s done. — DailyMail

Wes Morgan runs away in celebration after scoring for Leicester at Old Trafford as the captain showed his team-mates how it’s done. — DailyMail

London. — Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester City must wait to complete their fairytale Premier League title quest after being held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester United at Old Trafford yesterday.

The Foxes needed three points to win the league for the first time, but with thousands of fans back in Leicester and millions of new converts around the world watching on television, they had to make do with one after Wes Morgan cancelled out Anthony Martial’s opener for United.

Leicester, who lost Danny Drinkwater to a late red card, will be crowned champions unless second-place Tottenham Hotspur win at Chelsea today, but if Spurs do prevail, Ranieri’s men will be left requiring two points from their final games, at home to Everton and away to Chelsea.

It would still take a monumental collapse for Leicester not to claim the title, but their players, staff and anxious supporters must wait a few more hours, if not days, before their place in sporting history can be confirmed.

While Leicester’s title destiny remains in their own hands, it was a damaging result for Louis van Gaal’s United, who were left four points below the Champions League places with only three games to play.

Leicester have turned winning with minimal possession into an art form this season, but United’s early dominance here was to prove the precursor to a soft opener.

Antonio Valencia, preferred to 18-year-old Timothy Fosu-Mensah at right-back, was allowed to cut inside Christian Fuchs and trundle a cross to the back post, where Martial exploited Danny Simpson’s errant positioning to slot his 15th goal of the season past Kasper Schmeichel.

Back at the ground where his father, Peter, made his name, Schmeichel then produced a sharp one-handed save to thwart Jesse Lingard after Marouane Fellaini had chested down a cross from Marcos Rojo.

Shortly after Schmeichel’s save, visiting captain Morgan outmuscled the floundering Rojo to meet Drinkwater’s arcing free-kick with a headed 17th-minute equaliser.

The game was now an intense, robust encounter and Fellaini was guilty of a wild elbow to Robert Huth’s chin, after the German had provoked him by yanking his hair, that could earn the Belgian a retrospective ban.

Referee Michael Oliver did not spot Fellaini’s infringement and he was also involved in two incidents prior to halftime that could have had major ramifications for either side.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp was made to pay for fielding Liverpool’s youngest ever Premier League starting line-up as Swansea swept them aside to secure their own survival in England’s top flight.

Liverpool struggled against the pace of Andrew Ayew. The Ghanaian scored twice, first with a powerful header from a 20th-minute corner and then with a 66th-minute shot after the Reds failed to clear their lines.

Jack Cork also found the net with a curling right-foot shot on 33 minutes.

Klopp had made eight changes from the Liverpool side beaten by Villarreal, starting with an average age of just 23. But, with Liverpool two down at the interval, the manager brought on Lucas and Christian Benteke, who netted with a header on 66 minutes before Ayew restored Swansea’s two-goal lead.

Liverpool were forced to play the final 14 minutes with 10 men after Brad Smith was sent off for a second bookable offence. — AFP.

You Might Also Like

Comments