Leicester City are English champions for the first time in their 132-year history after Eden Hazard’s stunning goal ended Tottenham Hotspur’s challenge in a dramatic comeback at Stamford Bridge last night.
Claudio Ranieri’s side, who gathered at the home of Jamie Vardy, their striker, in Melton Mowbray, to watch the match, were handed the title by a brilliant equaliser from Hazard, a substitute, who said before the game that he thought Leicester deserved to be Barclays Premier League champions.
Leicester were 5,000-1 to win the title at the start of the season but have completed the feat with two games to play. Tottenham appeared to be on course to keep their title hopes alive as they took a two-goal first-half lead in a game that they had to win, but Chelsea recovered through Gary Cahill and Hazard.
The fiery encounter in west London saw the teams clash repeatedly on the pitch and in the entrance to the tunnel at the final whistle, with nine Spurs players booked during the match.
Hazard celebrated his curling equaliser by sliding on his knees in front of the away fans. The Belgium forward had infuriated Tottenham’s supporters in the build-up to the match by saying that Chelsea wanted Leicester to win the league. He said: “We don’t want Tottenham to win the Premier League — the fans, the club and the players. We hope for Leicester, because they deserve to be champions. If we can beat [Tottenham] it will be good.”
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