Five of the last six Christmas Day leaders have won the Premier League title but Claudio Ranieri will consider the possibility of six from seven only if Leicester City retain their pre-eminent position until April. The Scrooge act was undermined, however, by the Italian’s belief in the miracle of Christmas and the pedigree of players he has moulded into the most unlikely, and welcome, of frontrunners.
Pre-match talk centred on Leicester’s ability to sustain their remarkable momentum when shorn of key players at tough away venues. It will continue, with Anfield to visit on St Stephen’s Day, despite this season’s first festive trip to Merseyside yielding a belligerent response and an 11th win in 17 league games.
From bottom to top of the table in 12 months, the league leaders continue to embarrass clubs of greater resources. Two Riyad Mahrez penalties, and a clinical finish from Shinji Okazaki was enough to overcome Everton.“Maybe here there aren’t any champions but there is a team with a great spirit,” said Ranieri.
“And I believe also there are good champions inside them. Anybody who watches us knows this. To do what we do for two, three matches, okay, but to do it for five months now, then there are champions also in my team.”
Leicester were without Robert Huth, Danny Drinkwater and Jeffrey Schlupp – and without the ball for much of a contest where Everton maintained their habit of looking good while not winning – but were resolute, relentless, first to the second ball and, in Okazaki, Mahrez and Jamie Vardy, had the movement and pace to break any back line.
The hosts took the game to the league leaders throughout and were offered hope by Romelu Lukaku’s ninth goal in his last eight games. With their latest display of pitiful defending, however, a flaw Roberto Martínez has been unable to rectify, hope amounted to nothing.
Ramiro Funes Mori handed Leicester their first penalty by needlessly hauling Okazaki to the ground with the ball running out of play, Tim Howard felled Vardy for the second spot-kick and the Japan forward sealed victory with an instinctive finish from his strike partner’s measured pass.
But regardless of what transpires, this season will produce no regrets for Ranieri.
“It is the same if we have to be safe or we have to win the title – it’s still a match and you just have to concentrate on the match,” he said.
“We don’t want to put them under pressure. Why? Why do we have to be under pressure. Why stress? Last season they had stress, not this year. I think they enjoy this season and they must continue in this way. If we make something special, it’s a miracle. If it doesn’t happen, it’s a miracle all the same!” Guardian Service
