Jamie Vardy signs new deal with Leicester through to 2019

Stuart Pearce is confident that Leicester City will win the Premier League title after extending their lead at the top to five points.

Premier League top scorer Jamie Vardy raced through a still reeling home defence to call Joe Hart into action, the England goalkeeper also being forced to race out in the 11th minute to deny Danny Drinkwater on the break as Leicester settled into the clinical counter-attacking style that has become their trademark.

The game, which the Foxes won 3-1, could go down as one of the most significant in Premier League history as the unfancied Midlanders overran their illustrious hosts.

City’s loss to Leicester was compounded by Tottenham edging Watford 1-0 and replacing Manuel Pellegrini’s team in second place.

The brains behind the molding of the team is Steve Walsh, the head of recruitment and assistant manager, who unearthed gems like Jamie Vardy. But they also have the ability going forward to trouble Leicester’s defense.

Pellegrini’s announcement that he will hand over to Pep Guardiola at the end of the season seemed to have had a negative effect on his players, who only had Sergio Aguero’s late consolation to show for their efforts. “We couldn’t do it and now we are six points behind Leicester”.

Compared to their peers, Leicester have spent a comparative pittance this season and it was only 12 months ago that the Foxes looked like being relegated back to the Championship having secured promotion in the 2013/14 season.

Now the Italian’s mission is downplaying giddy talk of Leicester winning the league. “When I was at Halifax I never thought I would earn a move to the Conference but I got that, then kicked on and from there you would never have thought there would be a move to Leicester, then playing for England. I enjoy every minute of it”. “They expect calm and respect in the dressing room; so if you want to be a prima donna, they won’t forgive you for it”, Ranieri said. Now it is important the players recover because we spent a lot of energy.

Odd sums the season perfectly.

In the last category, you could count Aston Villa’s remarkable decline, Chelsea’s unexpectedly awful campaign and the departure of Jose Mourinho, Manchester United’s continued slump, Jurgen Klopp’s revolution, Tottenham Hotspur’s plucky young generation and even the endeavour and class of Bournemouth.

Up front Roberto Firmino features after managing a goal and an assist in Liverpool’s disappointing 2-2 draw against Sunderland (they dropped a 2-0 lead in the final 10 minutes of the match).

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp missed the game with a bout of suspected appendicitis.