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Premier League Review - Leicester now almost certain of victory

Leicester City are closing in on a scarcely believable achievement

Leicester now have five 1-0 wins in their last six matches, and four wins in a row of the same score. It reflects the change in approach from not just Leicester, but their opponents as the season comes to an end.

Players or clubs who suddenly play well are eventually said to be ‘found out’, and then go on to struggle with a new, more sophisticated opposition. In Leicester’s case, opponents noted that their simple, quick attacking should be countered by sitting deep. In theory, it was a reasonable idea, to at least try to make them do something different in the hope they wouldn’t have the tactical awareness to deal with it.

It didn’t work. Leicester might not be scoring quite as many, but they’re still scoring. This time it was Wes Morgan who proved the difference, but since Jamie Vardy has proved less dangerous other players have contributed besides their captain.

While sitting back has somewhat stifled Leicester’s attack - albeit not enough to make a difference to their title challenge - it has helped their attack. As well as familiarity from a lack of rotation, they are left less exposed by their side’s more considered approach play, and the fear shown by their opponents. Leicester just need four more wins to seal the league title, and they are well capable of winning four more of them by a single goal.

Manchester United no better than ever

United celebrated Bobby Charlton, naming a stand after him on his birthday. Charlton survived the Munich disaster and has been with the team ever since. He remains United’s top scorer, as Wayne Rooney struggles for fitness, form and goals.

That was the highlight of the day, because what followed was miserable. It was the same nonsense from Van Gaal’s United. It cannot be described as anything but what the manager desires from his side. Full of possession and control, and devoid of spark and fun. Van Gaal changed a full-back again, and watched his side grind out another win.

Somehow, they are just a point behind Manchester City, which is a point off Champions League qualification. Nobody who enjoys watching football, regardless of who they support, can enjoy watch United. United fans desperately want Van Gaal removed for the dross he serves up, it remains up in the air if neutrals can’t tolerate watching this boring guff, however much schadenfreude must be a mitigating factor.

Spurs running out of time

In isolation, it wasn’t a bad result. In fact, it could be seen as a positive one. As inconsistent as Liverpool have been all season, and especially under Jurgen Klopp, they have occasionally blown sides away. They are still in the Europa League, and are gradually working out how to perform as their new coach wants. Given a transfer window of his own, more can be expected of Liverpool this season.

Perhaps not as much as we now expect of Spurs, though, which is why the result in context was slightly underwhelming. With Arsenal removing themselves from the title race, the public quite reasonably assumed that Spurs would hunt down Leicester to make things tighter, at least. That is how these things tend to work, with the pressure on keeping a lead often far harder than the process of cutting it. However, Spurs couldn’t find their way past Liverpool with a late flurry of pressure once they had equalised. In truth, previous incarnations of Spurs might well have lost this match, let alone be disappointed they couldn’t win it.

They played like a team full of belief. As the old saying at Manchester United was - when they were good - we didn’t lose, the game just ended too soon. That was how Spurs finished the match, with Mauricio Pochettino slamming the turf in frustration, and seemingly mouthing ‘**** off’ into the ether. It a measure of how far they have come, and how much their Spursiness has been banished, for now at least. In the wider story of the season, when it’s all over, they might change that old United saying: we didn’t lose the title, the season just finished too quickly.

Arsenal back with a bang now it doesn’t matter

Against Manchester United, Arsenal got planning permission to build a warehouse in Salford. They laid sensible, rock solid foundations, and built everything to the latest health and safety guidelines. They made sure that EU regulations were met, and minimised emissions and energy consumption not just when they built the warehouse, but so that it could be passively heated throughout the year. They had state-of-the-art technology, the envy of the outmoded factories that surrounded them. Then they flicked the switch, and started the process of absolutely professional bottling. It was as hilarious as it was predictable. Spurs and Leicester took advantage.

After completing their bottling project, going out of the FA Cup and the Champions League, the pressure was off. The fans gave up on them yet again, and even Arsene Wenger seemed miffed at his own existence. As day turns to night, so Arsenal started winning again. They demolished a poor Watford side, totally dominating possession and showing just what they can do when they’re unconcerned by actually winning something that matters. A loss would have been worse, obviously, but the victory on Saturday is an indictment of their pathetic approach to achieving things.

Aston Villa abandon all dignity

After willingly appointing Tim Sherwood and giving him tens of millions pounds, then appointing Remi Garde and giving him three quid, Aston Villa essentially confirmed their relegation by conceding a goal against Alexandre Pato’s ghost. That sums up their season.