Hazard stunner gives Leicester historic title
Leicester-based musicians film a video for their latest music project "Fearless" in central Leicester, eastern England, on 2 May, 2016. The song has been recorded to celebrate Leciester City Football Club's performance in the 2015/16 season of the Premier League. Leicester emerged champions for the first time in their 132-year history without kicking a ball on May 2 after second-placed Tottenham Hotspur drew 2-2 against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on May 2,2016. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
- First-half goals from England's Harry Kane and South Korea's Son Heung-Min saw Tottenham into a 2-0 lead.
- But Chelsea defender Gary Cahill pulled a goal back in the 58th minute before Eden Hazard crushed Tottenham's dreams of winning a first English top-flight title since 1961 with a superb curling effort just inside the box seven minutes from time.
LONDON
Chelsea substitute Eden Hazard's stunning late goal earned Chelsea a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday that completed Leicester City's fairytale quest for the Premier League title.
With Leicester's players reportedly gathered at the home of striker Jamie Vardy to watch the match, goals from Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min at Stamford Bridge appeared to have set Spurs up for a victory that would have kept their title hopes alive.
But after Gary Cahill had reduced the arrears in the 58th minute of a stormy affair, Hazard met Diego Costa's pass with a first-time shot into the top-right corner in the 83rd minute to send hordes of supporters in Leicester, as well as their millions of new admirers around the world, into raptures.
Claudio Ranieri's side, 5,000-1 title outsiders who narrowly avoided relegation last season, can now look forward to a title party at their King Power Stadium home when Everton visit on Saturday.
They are England's first new title-winners since Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest 1978 and their surge to glory in the world's most-watched football championship will go down as one of the most improbable feats in sporting history.
LAST PIECE OF SILVERWARE
Their previous best season in the English top flight was a second-place finish in 1929 and their last piece of silverware had been the 2000 League Cup.
Mauricio Pochettino's young Spurs team needed to win all three of their final games to stand any chance of claiming a first league title since 1961, but having been held 1-1 by West Bromwich Albion on their previous outing, they failed to close out victory again.
Ranieri had never previously won a league title and was sacked by Chelsea in 2004, but chants of "There's only one Ranieri!" rang around the game as the final whistle approached.
Bringing the story of his association with the Premier League full circle, the 64-year-old Italian will return to Stamford Bridge for his miracle team's final game of the season on May 15.
Hazard, last season's Player of the Year, had scored the goal that brought Chelsea the title a year previously and after a dismal campaign, he resurfaced to write another chapter in English football history.
Spurs, meanwhile, could face disciplinary action from the Football Association after midfielder Mousa Dembele appeared to eye-gouge Diego Costa in one of several fractious incidents.
LEICESTER FACTFILE
Name: Leicester City Football Club
Founded: 1884
Stadium: King Power Stadium, Leicester (capacity: 32,262)
Nickname: The Foxes
Colours: Blue shirts, blue shorts, blue socks, all with gold trim
Estimated value: £436 million ($637 million, 556 million euros; Private Company Financial Intelligence, Feb 2016)
Owner/Chairman: Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha (THA)
Manager: Claudio Ranieri (ITA)
Assistant first-team coaches: Paolo Benetti (ITA), Craig Shakespeare (ENG), Steve Walsh (ENG)
Captain: Wes Morgan (JAM)
Honours:
Premier League champions: 2015-2016
League Cup (3): 1964, 1997, 2000
Most appearances:
Graham Cross (ENG): 599
Most goals:
Arthur Chandler (ENG): 273
Record transfer fee paid
Andrej Kramaric (CRO); £9 million ($13 million, 11 million euros) to Rijeka/CRO, January 2015
Record transfer fee received
Emile Heskey (ENG); £11 million ($16 million, 14 million euros), to Liverpool/ENG, March 2000
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
2015-16: Leicester City
2014-15: Chelsea
2013-14: Manchester City
2012-13: Manchester United
2011-12: Manchester City
2010-11: Manchester United
2009-10: Chelsea
2008-09: Manchester United
2007-08: Manchester United
2006-07: Manchester United
2005-06: Chelsea
2004-05: Chelsea
2003-04: Arsenal
2002-03: Manchester United
2001-02: Arsenal
2000-01: Manchester United
1999-00: Manchester United
1998-99: Manchester United
1997-98: Arsenal
1996-97: Manchester United
1995-96: Manchester United
1994-95: Blackburn Rovers
1993-94: Manchester United
1992-93: Manchester United
