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 current pre-eminent position until April. The Scrooge act was undermined, however, by the Italian’s belief in the miracle of Christmas and the champion 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 Boxing Day, despite this season’s first festive trip to Merseyside yielding a convincing, 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, expectations and predications. Two Riyad Mahrez penalties, which took the Algeria international to 13 league goals for the season, and a clinical finish from Shinji Okazaki, recalled by Ranieri because he wanted speed against Everton’s defence, embedded Roberto Martínez and his team in that category.
“I’ve managed a lot of top teams and in them there were a lot of champions,” said the Leicester manager. “Maybe here there aren’t any champions but there is a team with a great spirit. I enjoy this with them.
“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, OK, 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 at Goodison Park – 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, plus Kevin Mirallas’s late finish. With their latest display of pitiful defending, however, a flaw their manager 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, 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. The winner stemmed from an Everton throw-in; a Leicester throw-in produced the opener – damning evidence of a team who cannot produce the basics. Gerard Deulofeu’s embarrassing petulance and Arouna Koné’s ponderous performance were in stark contrast to Leicester’s clinical, disciplined display.
“When you do this kind of performance a lot of times it is not only because of Vardy or Mahrez,” said Ranieri. “Remember even Maradona alone did nothing. He needed other players around him. Together we are producing as a very good team. It is difficult for the other teams to play against us.
“We are incredibly concentrated, tactically we are at our best and when we get the ball we are very dangerous.”
The Italian took charge at Napoli just as Maradona commenced a 15-month ban for testing positive for cocaine. Ranieri may have missed the chance to work with one of the greats but this season will produce no regrets for the 64-year-old regardless of what transpires.
He explained: “For me, no, but for the lads it’s the first time. It’s important they stay calm, clear their minds and focus on another match, and another match. 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.
“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! What we are doing is a miracle, so enjoy and play.”
Man of the match Wes Morgan (Leicester City)
