Leicester City’s coronation as Premier League champions was prolonged for at least another day after being held to a 1-1 draw by Champions League hopefuls Manchester United at the Old Trafford.
Wes Morgan cancelled out Anthony Martial’s opener but Leicester weren’t able to find the winner that would’ve sealed their highly-anticipated title triumph.
The draw leaves the door ajar for Tottenham Hotspur to trim the gap to 5 points, but they need to beat Chelsea at the Stamford Bridge tomorrow, something they haven’t ever done in the Premier League era.
Let’s discuss the major talking points from the game as the Foxes were made to wait for their title celebrations.
Teams fight tooth and nail to meet their targets
Both Manchester United and Leicester City came into the fray with their sights firmly set on their respective objectives. Whilst the former are vying for a place in the next edition of Champions League, the latter were trying to seal the Premier League crown.
A win for the Red Devils would’ve been a huge boost to their European hopes, whereas a victory for the Foxes would’ve completed the most historic of title triumphs ever. With so much on the line, the teams naturally went hammer and tongs to meet their objectives and in return, produced a duel that had thrill written all over it.
Pace, guile, full-throttle attacks, cards, and also some tense moments, this game had all the ingredients to serve the entertainment hot.
Martial continues to raise his stock
After assisting a goal and then netting a winner to send Manchester United to the finals of the FA Cup last weekend, Anthony Martial followed it up with another goal today that proved vital in their quest for Champions League football.
The French youngster was totally unmarked at the far post and showed tremendous precision to bury Anthony Valencia’s cross through the legs of Kasper Schmeichel and into the back of the net for his 15th strike in his debut campaign on British soil.
Martial was deemed overpriced after United forked out £36m to lure him away from Monaco but over the course of the season, he has gone on to prove his worth.
Title pressure rattling Leicester’s nerves
Leicester City have all but secured the league title but the pressure to just get it done may be unsettling a few nerves in the camp. For the second time in last 3 games, the Foxes got one of their players sent off, causing them to do their job with just 10 men.
After Jamie Vardy lost his cool in the sending off against West Ham a fortnight ago, another key Leicester player, Danny Drinkwater, saw red today. The midfielder felled an on-rushing Memphis Depay just outside the area to earn himself a second yellow of the evening, leaving his side in a lurch.
The Foxes have collected only three red cards in the entire campaign, but two of them have come in their last three outings itself. Whether it’s the mounting pressure that’s causing them to lose discipline or just a stroke of bad luck, Leicester City need to calm their nerves down to avoid any last minute collapse due to such incidents, especially when the title is just a stone’s throw away.
Valencia stars for United once again
Anthony Valencia saw his season blighted by serious injuries that kept him out of action for 5 months, from October to March. However, since his return, the Ecuador international hasn’t put a wrong foot and continues to impress.
This evening, Valencia not only assisted Martial for the opener but also made a vital interception to deny Jeffrey Schlupp and keep the scores even.
It has been an encouraging return to football for Valencia, as he reminds United what they’ve been missing all this while.
Leicester City show why they are the champions in waiting
This was by no means a vintage performance from the leaders, but Leicester City showed great character to repel the hosts and claim a vital point from the game which edges them ever closer to the Premier League trophy.
The visitors were punished for a sloppy start when Martial struck the opener in the 8th minute but the Foxes, not cowed down by the early set-back, fought valiantly and got their equaliser.
Even in the second stanza when United pushed relentlessly in search of a winner, Leicester stood firm to force a share of the spoils where most teams would’ve wilted. The red card to Danny Drinkwater was the only blot on an otherwise flawless performance.
