Tony Pulis threw his support behind Leicester City for the Barclays Premier League title last night despite his West Bromwich Albion team denting their prospects.
Leicester were held to a 2-2 draw at home by West Brom, which means that Tottenham Hotspur could go top of the table for the first time this season tonight, on goal difference, if they win away to West Ham United.
Leicester have taken four points from their past three league matches, to prompt fresh questions about whether they can maintain their astonishing campaign, but Pulis said: “Now it’s over, I just hope they win the league.”
“It will be fantastic for everyone in football if they can do itTony Pulis, on Leicester
The West Brom head coach said that if that happened it would be the biggest surprise since Nottingham Forest were promoted and then won the title in 1977-78 — “and a bigger shock because the divide between the clubs who have and those who haven’t is enormous”.
“It will be fantastic for everyone in football if they can do it,” he said. “Why not? If they can keep that enthusiasm and energy, if they can keep going, keep believing.”
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The Leicester fans applauded their team off the pitch, despite the inability to grab a late winner.
Claudio Ranieri, the Leicester manager, refused to be disheartened by what he called a fantastic performance from his team. “The players aren’t happy but I’ve told them ‘we are alive’,” the Italian said.
“We created a lot of chances. Only the victory is missing. Our spirit is ready to fight again.”
Ranieri had said before the match that Spurs were favourites for the title and he insisted last night that he was not preoccupied by the table, which shows Leicester with a 13-point cushion on Manchester United in the race for Champions League places.
“I look only at the table at the end,” Ranieri said. “There is Arsenal, Tottenham and [Manchester] City in the race and a little Leicester to fight against them. You remember where we started from.”