LONDON — Leicester City’s Premier League title dream became reality Monday as its only remaining challengers Tottenham Hotspur drew 2-2 at Chelsea to complete one of the greatest-ever sporting achievements.
The result provoked an outpouring of celebration in the provincial English city and as far away as Thailand and Japan, with Leicester’s players having watched nervously on television along with Foxes fans packed into local bars 160km away.
Goals from Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Son Heung-min had looked like extending the title race to the penultimate week of what has been an unforgettable season.
Gary Cahill gave Chelsea a lifeline just before the hour, however, and substitute Eden Hazard’s superb 83rd-minute equalizer ended Spurs’ slim title hopes to the delight of Leicester and their former Chelsea manager, Italian Claudio Ranieri.
As tempers flared at the end of a red-hot London derby at Stamford Bridge, television pictures cut away to Leicester’s players celebrating in the living room of their striker Jamie Vardy, whose 22 goals have under-pinned his side’s challenge.
Elsewhere in Leicester, the city’s biggest ever party began in earnest, with hundreds of fans gathering outside the stadium and thousands more celebrating in restaurants.
Leicester’s unlikely journey from no-hopers to English champion has captivated sports fans worldwide, nowhere more so than in Thailand, home of the club’s owners King Power.
Defender Wes Morgan, who scored his side’s equalizer in the 1-1 draw at Manchester United Sunday, summed up the mood.
“Nobody believed we could do it, but here we are, Premier League champions and deservedly so,” he told Leicester’s website. “Saturday can’t come quickly enough. I can’t wait to get my hands on the trophy.”
With two games left, Leicester is seven points ahead of Tottenham and Saturday’s home match against Everton will be a glorious lap of honor.
In one of the most unpredictable Premier League seasons ever, Tottenham had been hoping to win a first English league title since 1961, but fell short in agonizing circumstances at Stamford Bridge where it has not won in 26 years.
“First of all, congratulations to Leicester City and to Claudio Ranieri. A fantastic season,” Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said. “I’m very disappointed but now we have to fight for second place.
“It’s a massive, amazing season for Leicester, Claudio the players and the fans. They deserve it.”
Levante relegated
Levante is the first team to be relegated from the Spanish top tier after a 3-1 loss at Malaga Monday.
It was the 21st defeat for Levante in 36 matches, leaving the Valencia club with 29 points and mathematically unable to survive with two rounds left.
Three teams have 35 points — Getafe, Sporting Gijon and Rayo Vallecano — and Granada has 36. The bottom three clubs are relegated to the second tier.
Bremen defeats Stuttgart
Werder Bremen routed Stuttgart 6-2 to leave the Bundesliga relegation zone at the visitors’ expense in the German league’s first Monday night game for 16 years.
With two rounds remaining, Bremen climbed one point above Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt in the relegation zone.
Totti shines again
Francesco Totti made another statement to Roma’s ownership by scoring a late equalizer in a 3-2 win at Genoa Monday that kept alive the Giallorossi’s hopes of finishing second in Serie A.
However, Gonzalo Higuain’s 31st and 32nd goals of the season gave Napoli a 2-1 victory over Atalanta and kept the southern club two points ahead of Roma in the race for a direct Champions League berth. Two rounds remain.
