Claudio Ranieri's inspired substitutions turned a frustrating afternoon into another jubilant one as the Foxes moved five points clear to pile the pressure on Arsenal and Spurs
Leicester City are five points clear at the top of the Premier League table and still on course to record the most remarkable title triumph in English football history. For long stages against Norwich there was a sense their momentum was waning, but Leonardo Ulloa’s late goal only furthers the belief that this is their year.
Since Christmas pundits and supporters have been waiting for the Foxes’ inevitable slump in results, but Claudio Ranieri’s side have been able to defy all logic in maintaining their superb form even when posed with the task of facing up to some of the biggest sides in Europe.
Leicester picked up six points from matches against Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal in February. Had they hung on for 30 more seconds at the Emirates Stadium it would have been seven. Had Danny Simpson not been sent off it could have been nine.
But while those results seemed to have convinced the remaining doubters that the King Power Stadium outfit were realistic title challengers, their performance for 88 minutes against the Canaries seemed to suggest that the cynics were right all along.
Alex Neil’s side arrived in the east Midlands having not won since January 2 and in the midst of a defensive crisis. Eighteen goals had been shipped in their last six league outings, with just one point accrued along the way. Like Leicester they had been able to enjoy a fortnight off from competition, and it was clear Neil had worked on a gameplan designed to keep Leicester at bay.
The Canaries manager deployed three centre-backs in a bid to limit the space for Jamie Vardy to work in while the visitors were more than happy for their hosts to have the majority of possession. One of the main talking points from Leicester’s season has been their ability to churn out results despite seeing very little of the ball themselves.
But against Norwich they were almost forced to dictate the tempo, having 59 per cent of possession – only the third time they have had more than 50% this season - and enjoying a significant territorial advantage. Ranieri’s side have been noted for their counter-attacking ability, but against Norwich they were forced to grind down the opposition and find different ways to create goalscoring opportunities.
“In the first half we tried to find a solution, but it was difficult because Norwich played just to maintain the clean sheet,” Ranieri admitted post-match, but ‘The Tinkerman’ proved that he is able to adapt to certain situations.
“I tried to make some changes to spread out the defensive line with [Jeffrey] Schlupp on the left and [Marc] Albrighton on the right, and after I also put on Ulloa because I needed another goalscorer in the box. It was a good choice!”
In the end it was a combination of those two factors that brought about the winning goal as Albrighton picked up the ball from Riyad Mahrez – who had been switched to a central role in the reshuffle – before sending in a low cross that Ulloa tapped in at the back post after Vardy had failed to convert at the near.
The Argentine’s goal sparked wild scenes among the home supporters, and there was a real feeling that this was a moment as important as any of the more eye-catching results of the season. Leicester beating Norwich at home would not normally be a standout result, but this is no normal season.
With Arsenal and Tottenham not playing until Sunday, the pressure is now on the north London sides to close the gap following European exploits in midweek. With the pair facing each other next week, neither can afford to allow the Foxes to pull away, and that could be detrimental to chances against Manchester United and Swansea City respectively.
But for now, Leicester must continue to prove they can lead from the front in the most open title race in years. On Friday it was announced that all five of the club’s fixtures in April would be moved to allow for live television coverage in the UK in a move that will put even more attention on a club that has played more matches – 17 in total - away from prying eyes at 3pm on a Saturday than any other side in the league.
Leicester are suddenly international news, and Ranieri’s ability to manage expectations both with the media and within his own squad is set to be tested more and more as every week goes by.
There are few now that need convincing that this fairytale will have a happy ending. Supporters left the stadium singing ‘We’re gonna win the league’, and few would argue with them if they continue to get the big results. It’s looking more and more like the year of the Fox.
- Goal