Leicester's Impossible Dream - Gary Lineker's Story of the 2015/16 Premier League Season

For those of us born and raised here,

Leicester will forever hold a special place in our hearts.

It's the city that nurtured me, shaped me and provided me

with both purpose and a platform to launch myself into a wider world.

Comes to Lineker.

That's good play.

But it's never been seen as a fashionable place -

a provincial frump restricted to the shadows of the national agenda,

a place that inspires footnotes rather than headlines.

The same could be said of its football team,

which has spent much of its 132-year history outside of the top tier

as it has tackling England's elite.

Even the city's motto

seems tailored to Leicester's unremarkable nature -

"Semper eadem", "Always the same."

But every now and again in life,

the unremarkable gives rise to the highly improbable.

NEWSREADER: One of the biggest

archaeological discoveries of recent times.

The bones of Richard III are discovered in Leicester.

The confirmation that remains discovered in a council car park

in September 2012 were those of a late 15th century king of England

drew Leicester out of those shadows and into the spotlight.

The fate of Richard III captured the imagination of the entire city,

and made waves across the world.

Two and a half years later, when the last of the Plantagenet dynasty

was finally laid to rest at Leicester Cathedral,

the city's football team were rock-bottom of the Premier League,

doomed to relegation after less than a year back in the top flight.

But, then, as if inspired by its people's mass show of respect

for a long-dead king,

another remarkable thing happened to this unremarkable city.

It's on target! It's in!

Terrific from Leicester City!

This has to be the greatest escape from relegation

that the Premier League has ever known.

An incredible sequence of seven wins from their last nine matches

saw Leicester retain their Premier League status -

and what had looked like the end proved to be just the beginning.

For, barely 12 months later,

England would boast its newest and most unlikely ruler.

Oh, what a screamer!

The achievement of the century.

..which lifted everybody -

even people that weren't heavily into football.

This is the greatest sporting story of all.

He has done it!

It's unbelievable, G. It's unbelievable.

This is the story of not only the most incredible

Premier League season ever,

but perhaps the biggest shock in the history of team sport,

and how Leicester's winter of discontent became glorious summer.

The architect of Leicester's survival

had been manager Nigel Pearson.

But one too many off-field dramas would see him depart,

as the Foxes sought a fresh blueprint for the new season.

Enter stage right - Claudio Ranieri.

The appointment of the 63-year-old former Chelsea boss was unexpected,

and, on the face of it, underwhelming.

His most recent assignment, managing the Greek national side,

ended badly, with a defeat to the Faroe Islands.

It was hardly inspiring.

MESSAGE ALERT CHIMES

Look, I wanted to come back in Premier League.

For me, it's not important, the-the...the name of the...

Leicester is a very old club, good club.

It's not so big like Manchester, er...Liverpool,

but it's a very, very good history, and that is important.

COMMENTATOR: It's here. 24th season of the Premier League.

The start of another huge, and hopefully exciting

and interesting season in English league football.

It's important to entertain our fans, no?

The fans paid the ticket, and they want to see some good football.

We try to do this.

COMMENTATOR: A new season, and a new era in the technical area of the KP.

The enigmatic Claudio Ranieri replacing the prickly

but, let's face it, successful Nigel Pearson.

REF BLOWS WHISTLE

Flicked on, and Morgan - we're nearly there!

And the ball is there,

and Jamie Vardy celebrates the first goal at the KP Stadium this season.

Albrighton's cross.

And it's 2-0, Mahrez!

What a start to the new season for Leicester.

Little drop for Schlupp.

Early cross will reach Albrighton...

and a deflection takes it home.

And with a new man at the helm, they've made a fantastic start.

I tell to my players, "Hey, you go in the stadium,"

the first match, with the Kasabian song,

"You are the warriors, you are to do the best for them."

Are you a fan of Kasabian yourself?

No, not a fan - but I know them, I know it's good rock,

and I love rock.

You know, we've paid our dues!

We... Yeah. You know, we've... We've been there, haven't we?

Through some real times.

David Pleat, I started going down - same as you. That's right.

Pleat out! Pleat out - and then Gordon Lee, Brian Little,

and then Mark McGhee come in, and then Martin O'Neill,

and then we chopped and changed, and went up and went down,

got relegated - I were there, crying, with my long hair down here!

I know when we score a goal, Kasabian start the song,

that's good, because I want the warriors, and Kasabian can recharge.

Albrighton. Purposeful. Little late...

Back - Mahrez - 2-0!

Leicester City make it six points out of six in the Premier League.

Still, the goal really, is just to stay in the Premier League -

not Champions League, or Europa League? No!

HE CHUCKLES

Oh, thank you, Gary, but it's not possible now.

Slowly, slowly.

We've seen it, when we interviewed him.

He's something special inside - and he got all his plan in his head.

The new boss has come in, he's tweaked a few things,

what he wanted to. He said he didn't want to change too much,

and it's working wonders for us.

Those changes that he has made, the small changes,

have proved to sort of be a little bit of magic.

Very communicative, he talks to all the players,

we're having fun with each other, you know?

But, at the same time, he can switch around, you know,

and be very focused, be very concentrated on what we need to do.

Hey, you are sleeping. BELL RINGS

Come on!

He has taken everything in his stride,

and the biggest thing of all -

he's dealt with the players magnificently.

I think he brings good tactics.

A lot of work defensively,

and a lot of...

Me, for example, if I don't work, I don't play.

I think Mr Ranieri thinks about it tactically a bit differently.

I mean, he'll probably look all the way down

to the opposition's laundry lady

to see if he can find a weakness that we can exploit.

He's like a grandad to football - you want to give him a hug.

It's the calmness, as well, he brings with it. Didn't he? Mm.

Everyone stay calm, you know? Stay focused and calm.

Hey, diddly-dee, diddly-dong, wake up!

His press conferences, do you know what I mean?

He's got them eating out of his hands.

He has actually developed an image,

which I've never known in any manager

in my time covering the Premier...

Well, or even the old First Division.

There are some men who are in trouble

when they must change something.

No, no, no, no. I am like Christopher Columbus -

I want to go, I want to go, I want to know.

It was a distinctly less relaxed mood in the Chelsea dugout,

with Jose Mourinho at the centre of a medical emergency.

Why?! Why?! Is he dying?!

The doctor was out, and the champions and their manager

would struggle to overcome the effects

of this self-inflicted wound.

By contrast, Manchester City were in fine fettle -

their attacking prowess boosted by a summer spending spree.

Navas. Great ball.

De Bruyne! It is four.

Neighbours United had also splashed the cash,

and manager Louis van Gaal was winning over the fans.

According to him, anyway.

The fans are shouting every week, "Louis van Gaal's army!

"Louis van Gaal's army!"

In North London, Arsenal recovered

from a chastening opening day defeat,

and, by the start of October,

were living up to the preseason hype.

3-0!

Devastating finish from Alexis Sanchez!

Harry Kane endured a frustrating start to his sophomore season,

but he and Spurs soon started to turn things around.

Off the mark at last!

At Liverpool, manager Brendan Rodgers

paid the price for a string of tepid performances -

the Reds turning to Germany to find his successor.

I'm the normal one, maybe. If you want this.

LAUGHTER

Whilst Liverpool made their continental selection,

winless Sunderland opted for the full English -

Sam Allardyce returning to the north-east

following Dick Advocaat's decision to quit.

Six straight defeats meant that Tim Sherwood

wasn't afforded the same luxury by Aston Villa.

It might have been all change elsewhere,

but the wins kept coming for free-scoring Leicester.

Now all they needed to do was tighten up at the back.

My players doesn't want pizza - maybe don't love pizza,

because I said, "When we make clean sheet, I pay to everybody a pizza."

Sako...

Needed to be punched away by Schmeichel.

Played through to Vardy.

Vardy's chance.

Hennessey can't stop him...

Nobody can stop Jamie Vardy right now!

They've beaten Crystal Palace.

And it is a first clean sheet of the season for the Foxes, too.

Now Claudio Ranieri will have to keep good on his promise.

This is going to be expensive for you.

Yeah, no - I take a very, very cheap pizza.

Striker Jamie Vardy's impressive displays

had seen him earn a first international start for England -

not bad for a man who just four years earlier

had been playing non-league football.

I've had to literally start from the very bottom

of the football league pyramid, just playing Sunday league,

and then managed to get signed up for Stocksbridge,

who I think was in the seventh or eighth tier

of the pyramid at the time,

and then, from then on, I've just took it as it come.

I managed to move to Halifax,

where I lasted for a year and three games, I think it was,

and then moved on to Fleetwood, where I was there for eight months,

and then here I am today, I signed for Leicester,

and that's where I've been ever since.

When I met him, he's quite... some special character.

He wanted success.

He hankered to be the best striker in the team,

and he going to play for England.

He say it to me, the first day.

And I said, "I'll help you.

"Everything you want, I do it."

He seems to me like somebody who's in a hurry to be...

He's catching up. He's catching up.

Everybody's talking about, you know, he's 29 now and - you what I mean?

It's come a bit later for him.

That hunger and the desire that he shows.

When you watch him run,

he's like a stone that skims across the water, you know?

Honestly, his movement is deadly.

If I was playing against him, you'd just...

You know where he wants to run,

he wants to run into that little channel,

onto his right foot most of the time, and he buries it.

What would it be like to play against him?

I wouldn't want to play against him.

I'd have been able to deal with him, don't worry about that.

THEY LAUGH

But you'd have come off the pitch knowing - hard graft.

He makes you earn your corn for that 90 minutes.

He makes some old school runs that players aren't interested in now.

The young players of today want to come short, be number 10s,

put their studs on the ball, turn, face the game.

He does the hard yards.

Jamie Vardy has scored

for the eighth consecutive Premier League game,

and he now belongs to a very exclusive club.

Vardy, now.

Is it going to be nine Premier League games in a row

in which he's scored?

And it is!

He's only one behind the record!

I've not even thought about the record at all,

to be honest with you.

Obviously, it's been mentioned a lot, but the main thing is,

obviously, is the team, and picking up the points,

and if someone else scores the goal that gets us the three points,

then everyone in the dressing room will be happy.

Jamie Vardy. Away from his man - and he's scored.

It's the Premier League record-equalling goal.

Ten games in a row.

What do you put your sort of late improvement down to, Jamie?

Just hard work, or getting a lot of help from the coaches?

I think it's a bit of both, and obviously the players that I've got

round me, they're the ones getting me into the positions,

as well, and to keep a clean sheet today, as well, for the boys,

maybe another pizza off the gaffer, who knows?

It's been a brilliant day.

Jamie Vardy equals the Premier League record

set by Ruud van Nistelrooy, also in this stadium, at St James's Park.

We're getting it sent time and time again off people's screenshots,

and sending it me, and there were something in the paper

the other day that he's wished me luck in breaking it,

as long as Man U win,

but that's just been fortunate that I've been in amongst

the goals myself, as well, and it's took me on this run

that I probably never would have thought would have happened,

but here I am with a chance of breaking it on Saturday.

Vardy's full Premier League debut came in this fixture 14 months ago,

and he scored, of course.

If he scores again today, it's history.

Oh, it's a great ball.

Vardy's in behind - Vardy's done it!

He has done it!

Jamie Vardy - 11 consecutive games.

Scored in every single one of them.

The record wasn't in my mind, and that's how I've had to be,

cos I think if I'd have been concentrating on that, I think

it would have affected my performances,

and that's the last thing I wanted to do.

He was just playing, you know, in the first season -

in non-league - and now look what he's done, 11...

I mean, that is an unbelievable... That is incredible.

What a goal! He could wear clogs and he'd still score goals.

And he's made an old lady very happy.

ALL CHANT: Jamie Vardy's having a party!

The mood wasn't quite so jubilant in Manchester.

Having raced out of the blocks,

City had begun to show signs of slowing up.

Oh, Skrtel's fired in an absolute beauty!

Whilst Arsenal made some unexpected slips,

their rivals Tottenham were unbeaten since the opening day,

and adding to a burgeoning reputation.

However, the principal authors of these tales of the unexpected

were unquestionably Leicester -

and if Jamie Vardy was having a party,

then Riyad Mahrez was definitely on the guest list.

The Fox's VIP taking them top of the table,

with a victory that also signalled the end for Swansea boss Garry Monk.

The pressure was also mounting on Jose Mourinho -

a home defeat to Premier League newcomers Bournemouth

left the struggling champions in 16th

as they prepared to face the unlikely pretenders to their throne.

Fantastic noise, as ever, at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester City has been one of THE places to come

to hear raw football passion.

Three in the box for Mahrez.

It curls in - no! Vardy's in!

Jamie Vardy scores again!

Argh!

The cross now comes in, and it's deep to Mahrez.

Right edge of the six yard box. Lovely control.

Mahrez turns. He's trying to beat Azpilicueta.

He does beat him!

And he beats Courtois, too!

Pedro gets a good ball in and Chelsea

are back in it. Remy heads into the net.

Chelsea fans have something to cheer.

Up to Costa, Remy into Ivanovic.

Ivanovic...

WHISTLE BLOWS

The Foxes' story goes on and on because tonight by defeating

last season's Premier League champions they are going back

to the top of the pile in the Premier League.

Above Arsenal, above Manchester City,

above every other team in the land.

They win it as a team.

I think for us, clearly, we have no chance to go to top four.

I feel that my work was betrayed

and I feel sorry that I'm not a player because I promise you

if I was a player I would face matches in a different way

that some of them are doing.

Betrayed, perhaps, and, three days later, finally deposed.

But Christmas had come early for Leicester and their fans.

We're top of the league. We're top of the league!

Been coming down 45 years plus. Never had times like this.

It's magical. It's absolutely magical.

It's a dream. Excited.

Absolutely brilliant.

Of course, it's important not to get too carried away.

MESSAGE CHIMES

The Foxes clinched the Christmas number one spot with

a win at Everton, whilst their main title rivals met at the Emirates.

Here's Theo Walcott.

Goes for goal and Arsenal lead!

Ozil. Giroud moving to the left.

Taking a pass in his stride

and beating Hart!

It's a huge statement-victory this.

And there was precious little festive cheer

on the other side of Manchester.

Stoke City inflicted a fourth straight league defeat

on United with some fans ready to ring in the new as 2015 ended.

Mourinho. Get souvenir scarves.

A Boxing Day trip to Anfield

ended with Leicester's second defeat of the season.

The first of three successive blanks for the Foxes that allowed

Arsenal to see in the New Year on top.

Giroud back to Ozil, would be brilliant. Is brilliant!

Is magnificent!

Whilst Vardy and Mahrez had earned top billing in the first

half of the season, it was the ensemble cast which was

proving to be Leicester's underlying strength.

Devoid of star names, this was a genuine team.

Everyone pulling in the same direction.

Each man giving his all for the greater cause.

They're united as a team.

A lot of teams come together

and they are not more than the sum of their parts.

Leicester clearly exceeded the sum of their parts.

I wouldn't say a team of rejects

but Vardy sort of epitomises it most that his journey

has been a slow one. Even the goalkeeper, Schmeichel,

you'll never be as good as your dad.

If you look at the back four, in many ways, without being insulting,

it's journeymen pros.

As a central defender yourself,

how do you work out how good they've been?

You look at Morgan and Huth,

they're the sort of night-time bouncers, aren't they?

Nobody's coming in here without a ticket.

They've got a little bit of nastiness in their team.

Jamie Vardy's got that nastiness, Huth's got that nastiness in him.

The substitutes, when they come onto the pitch,

they come on with a smile on their face, they do a job.

Schlupp has an impact when he comes on. Ulloa,

Andy King has had an impact.

Okazaki gets taken off every game,

he sprints off the pitch with a smile on his face.

I'm sure off the pitch they'll be like best mates.

That camaraderie comes on the pitch and off the pitch.

You become a real tight unit and it seems like they have that.

There are 22 players,

23 players that are simply giving everything on the training ground.

Without those guys, I don't think we would reach

whatever we did until now.

MAHREZ: We don't have, like, one star, or two star, or three star.

We're just together, we play for each other.

We walk out for each other. We've always been close as a group anyway.

Whether that's when we're here or even outside of training.

It's always a good spirit to have in the dressing room.

We have a lot of fun together.

Every guy on this team is simply a cool guy.

Some are crazy, some are more crazy, some are less crazy.

There's a brotherhood on the field. You can see every tackle,

every run, every goal is celebrated by everyone.

And football needs that.

Each one could point towards a tale of disappointment or rejection.

Time spent travelling along the game's byways.

Yet, suddenly, here they were in football's fast lane

hurtling towards a seemingly impossible destination.

For some, it was a case of having something to prove.

For others, inspiration was born of personal tragedy.

15 Britons are now known to have died in the attack

on a tourist resort in Tunisia.

The mother of winger Marc Albrighton's fiancee was

amongst the final toll of 38 victims.

It's in my head every minute of the day of every day

and it's never going to go away but if I'm doing well on the pitch

and I can keep my concentration when I'm playing football and when

I'm at work, then that's one less thing for my family to worry about.

It does make you think whether she's looking over us as a family

and just putting a few things right up there.

On the pitch, a January trip to White Hart Lane as Leicester sought

to get back to winning ways.

And Huth is holding back. And he's scored!

And Leicester City are back on track.

But if Leicester were THE surprise package, then Tottenham were

another unlikely force awakened.

Back to Alli.

Alli, what a goal!

Brilliant, brilliant goal from the new England player.

Mauricio Pochettino's exciting young side were full of emerging

English talent that combined flair with resilience,

reacting to that Leicester defeat in the best possible way.

Oh, it's gone across and it's in!

It's Kieran Trippier and Spurs go second. Tottenham are on the march.

A late Joe Allen goal cost Arsenal two points

in a six-goal thriller at Anfield.

And things got even worse against a Chelsea side who had taken

interim measures.

Diego Costa, 1-0.

Same old problems for Arsene Wenger against the neighbours

from across town.

A comfortable win over Stoke reinforced Leicester's lead

but February would bring a run of games that would really

test their title credentials.

So, is the unbelievable believable for the table toppers?

And, all of a sudden, over the top. That's for Vardy.

Isolated, goes for it! Oh! What a screamer!

What a goal that is!

Unbelievable!

Okazaki to pick up the pieces.

Mahrez on the outside of him. He's gone for goal himself. Vardy!

It's two!

And they are playing football worthy of a title-winning side.

Vardy's goal, oh, my goodness. I was purring over the pass from Mahrez.

I thought that was world-class

and then you get a finish like that from Vardy and it was amazing.

We're all speechless.

I were looking all game and he were quite far off his line

so as soon as Riyad played it through, it bounced quite high

and I've got no support, I just took me chance and luckily it's gone over the top of him.

Goal of the season, no doubt about it.

Four days later, a summit meeting with second place Manchester City

for whom a week-long "Pep" talk had apparently done no favours.

In from Mahrez in the end...

And it's in! It's Robert Huth! And Leicester City are in front.

It's Riyad Mahrez. Wonderful skill!

Oh, what a goal!

Riyad Mahrez with a fantastic strike to double Leicester's advantage.

In towards Morgan. Huth got there first.

Oh, and he's scored again.

Robert Huth with his second and Leicester's third!

It's a 15th Premier League win for Claudio Ranieri's team

of this season, but, surely, this is the most significant.

CHANTING

If Ranieri was off to Europe then he had one of the continent's

standout players in Mahrez.

Not bad for a man consigned to the reserves of French

second division side Le Havre just a few years earlier.

I used to play in the second team

because people was more strong than me, more big, more fast.

People used to like a big, strong player.

But since six years, five years, since Spanish, they were all small.

Skinny but they won the Euro, they won the World Cup.

They start thinking you don't have to be strong or fast

to be a big footballer.

What has Mahrez given Leicester this season? He's given that X factor.

He's given that touch of class.

Unbelievable feet, great skills.

Nutmegs everybody.

Does all that stuff and you think to yourself,

"He's going to run out of steam."

There's nothing of him. His legs are like two toothpicks.

You need someone to give that ball to and almost turn away

and think, "He's going to do it." And he's that guy.

I used to love football more than school and everything.

So, even after school, straight away after school

I would play football with my friends.

Then I go to training. Train. I used to play everyday, football.

If you work, you progress.

Valentine's Day and a double date for the Premier League's top four.

Second place Spurs would travel to Manchester City

but not before a high noon showdown for the leaders at the Emirates.

Now it's Vardy.

Vardy goes down, penalty.

Penalty to Leicester City just before half-time.

Monreal on Vardy.

Arsenal fans not happy.

And even less happy now as

Leicester City take the lead in the last minute of the first half.

Giroud trying to get away from Simpson.

Is Simpson going to be given a red here?

It's two yellows for Danny Simpson.

A red card shown by Martin Atkinson

and Ranieri's team are down to ten men.

Bellerin making the extra man on the right-hand side.

Giroud. Here's Walcott!

It's Theo Walcott for Arsenal.

Oh, it's gone in.

Danny Wellbeck!

The fairytale finish. Arsenal have won it.

Heartbreak for the Foxes.

And the breath of the chasing pack

could be felt on the back of their necks.

Welcome to Manchester.

It's often been a chilling message for Spurs in recent history

but if their current winning run continues here there will be

a real feeling that this Spurs team can make history.

Rose, four waiting for it.

And it's a free kick right on the corner of the penalty area.

Or is it a penalty?

Has Mark Clattenburg pointed to the spot? Yes, he has.

Handball Stirling. Penalty Tottenham.

Harry Kane against Joe Hart. This is his moment.

And Kane slots it past Joe Hart to give Tottenham Hotspur the lead.

Silva. Clichy's on to it.

Clichy's pulled back. Iheanacho lashes it in!

Lamela now, fresh legs for Spurs. Through to Eriksen.

Eriksen in and Eriksen has scored!

And the Spurs go marching on.

Five Premier League wins in a row.

And there's a real chance of a first Tottenham title since 1961.

One man making a difference to Manchester United's

indifferent season was 18-year-old striker Marcus Rashford.

Back in! Oh, would you believe it? Rashford again!

It's all going the young man's way!

His emergence in February stopped his manager from taking the fall.

Arsenal's form had taken a dive and defeat to Swansea

all but ended their title hopes.

Sigurdsson takes it. Petr Cech didn't make it.

Now the inquest will start all over again regarding Arsene Wenger

and Arsenal.

Manchester City's challenge had also faded by the start of March.

League Cup success quickly forgotten

as Liverpool avenged Wembley woe.

And it's in from Firmino!

Liverpool running away with it!

The race for the title was effectively down to two horses,

both lacking championship pedigree - Leicester and Tottenham.

The home comforts afforded by the King Power had proved vital

throughout the campaign.

The atmosphere on match days was electric.

The fans truly playing their part.

As soon as this season got going, Leicester established themselves

as probably the noisiest crowd in terms of the size of it anyway.

The fans and everyone are brilliant.

They've got all the clappers now

which...they're all you can hear on match days.

The clappers make a big difference and well done to the owners.

They wanted to make the King Power stadium feel pretty noisy.

They've been able to do that.

The players feel that if they play at home, they feel safe

because support is there.

So when you're playing in front of your tribe, your group,

your stadium, people raise their game.

And I think you can draw on the inspiration of a wider community.

Sometimes you never know when you need it.

They can always be the 12th man.

Vardy inside.

And so is Ulloa!

What a noise and what a huge goal that could be!

This stadium is really outstanding.

These fans here, it's really, really loud

so my family was here the first game of the season

and they couldn't even talk to each other because it was that loud.

THEY CHEER

The atmosphere around the whole city, there's a buzz around

the place and everyone's optimistic at what this team can achieve.

It's beautifully laid off. Fabulous!

The city, to coin a phrase, is on fire. It's on fire.

Every, like... You know, everyone down there...

Everyone...at the school.

You can't go anywhere. Cab drivers.

It's...it's insane what it's done.

I think there's also a sense in which a multicultural city

united behind them. I think they drew energy

and inspiration from that.

All we have to do from now to the end of the season is

think of ourselves as champions and play like champions.

We've got the players, we've got the attitude, we've got the fans.

The fans will do it for us. We are the 12th man.

If only we'd bet at the start of the season.

We'd be rich.

Two London derbies in a week took their toll on Tottenham.

Defeat at West Ham, and, despite Harry Kane's heroics,

a draw with ten-man Arsenal meant five dropped points.

Bellerin into Sanchez!

Sanchez levels it.

Capital punishment made worse by Leicester's win at Watford.

Mahrez...scores!

Fantastic Mr Fox!

It's beginning to look like it might be possible.

You have to start working on your pecs now because you are going to be

sitting in that chair in your pants doing Match Of The Day next season.

Thanks very much.

At the bottom, a succession of fan protests marked the final days

of Aston Villa's 29-year top-flight tenure.

Their French manager Remi Garde

would beat them out the Premier League door.

Also heading towards the exit were both Norwich and Newcastle

who turned to Rafa Benitez,

following the sacking of Steve McClaren.

His first task had been to stop the leaders.

Albrighton will pick it up on the edge of the penalty area,

back into the mix, Steven Taylor's header is unsure.

Okazaki! Bicycle kick! What a goal!

Shinji Okazaki!

Five days later, a trip to Palace, and a familiar scoreline.

Four of the last five games you've won 1-0,

that must really satisfy you as a defender.

I think teams approach us a bit differently now.

They see our threat's on the counterattack,

and they want to nullify that, make me sit a bit deep,

so we're not scoring as freely as we did, but, at the same time,

we're keeping the clean sheets, which is fantastic.

The manager's pizza was in danger of running out. Sausages, anyone?

Thank you, thank you. Also to my sharks, huh? Take them to my sharks.

OK. Thank you.

The Easter break saw the Vardy party shift to Germany.

There was also first international recognition

for Leicester's twin engines of N'Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater.

The footballing transients were suddenly household names.

Kante - he is the gold. He is the real find.

Great signing. The big clubs didn't see it

and Leicester City stepped in.

He's had a season to remember for the rest of his life.

I love him, I mean, he covers so much ground.

I think... I remember one of your tweets about it, it was quite funny,

but these are... That's a first. Yeah.

But he's, erm, he's just come out of nowhere, almost.

I'd never heard of him.

Soon as he hit the ground in a Leicester shirt,

you could see and you thought,

"Oh, he wins the ball back quite a lot, doesn't he?"

It's not something that the kids of today are really interested in,

that winning the ball back, but it's such an important part for a team.

This season he was an integral member of that team.

April began for Tottenham with a Saturday tea-time trip to Anfield

and a setback in need of a swift response.

Eriksen, he's done well.

Harry Kane! Great turn by Kane! Brilliant goal!

Another memorable entry in the Harry Kane scrapbook,

but not enough for victory -

Spurs' frustration evident.

When it came to Leicester's title hopes, those 5,000-1 odds

in August might as well have read "Never in a month of Sundays."

Now, over the course of five consecutive Sunday afternoons,

Ranieri's side could write their names in folklore.

The traditional roast would have to be put on hold.

Christian Fuchs.

Morgan still up there,

and Morgan heads in!

His first goal of the season!

It's another Leicester City win,

and it's becoming a very familiar scoreline. 1-0 Leicester.

Six games to go.

They are closing in

on the most unlikely Premier League title win of all time.

It looked even likelier as a seven-point lead briefly became ten,

with Jamie Vardy becoming the first Leicester player

to notch 20 top-flight goals in a season for over 30 years.

And Vardy's got through the challenge, Mannone's come out,

and Vardy's going to make it 2-0!

Job done today, and almost done for the season!

Within a couple of hours or so, Tottenham had responded in kind

with a clinical dissection of Manchester United.

Behind Kane to Lamela!

Oh, Spurs are running riot!

But they were playing catch-up. They needed Leicester to slip.

When you've won 21 games in a season,

how hard can it be to win three more?

One thing is for sure,

West Ham aren't here to form a guard of honour.

Mahrez.

Good ball and N'Golo Kante being chased by Winston Reid here

and Jamie Vardy for Leicester.

1-0!

It's that man again.

Vardy away from Ogbonna, who's playing him onside. Goes down.

I think he's given it the other way.

And the card is coming out here for Jamie Vardy.

Second yellow card and Jamie Vardy is sent off!

Payet curls it in.

Oh, he's given a penalty.

Jonathan Moss has given West Ham a penalty here.

Wes Morgan can't believe it.

That's what he's given it for.

It's a penalty to West Ham United, which Andy Carroll is going to take.

Seven minutes to go. 1-1.

Andy Carroll with a goal which is celebrated by West Ham

and Tottenham fans alike.

Skipping around the challenger Fuchs, Michail Antonio...

It's dangerous, it's Cresswell!

It's 2-1 to West Ham.

It's a brilliant goal from Cresswell and that might change everything.

N'Golo Kante. That's dangerous. This is promising.

It's Schlupp for Leicester. Goes down.

He's given a penalty, Jonathan Moss!

Now into the fifth minute of added time

at the end of the game

and on the shoulders here of Leonardo Ulloa.

2-2.

Magnificently done by Ulloa!

It feels almost like a title celebration.

They've snatched something from the game, Leicester City.

Those celebrations were swiftly curtailed

as Spurs swept aside Stoke.

Leicester's lead reduced to five points.

Now, four matches to go, we try to win the title

with all our strength, heart, soul, everything.

Today is really a must-win game,

just to settle the nerves more than anything.

Vardy's out, we're going to miss him,

but I think we'll still come through.

The key is to keep the pace up front,

so you can allow the ball to be played over the top.

The Tinkerman, Ranieri, he's got to tinker this week.

RANIERI: Now is the right moment, this year or nevermore.

Oh, Williams, that's a terrible mistake here.

And Mahrez could put Leicester ahead and has done!

And that is just the sort of start they needed to calm nerves.

29 minutes played at the King Power Stadium.

Curled it in, Ulloa, 2-0 Leicester.

Jamie Vardy - who's he?

Schlupp with the pace to get beyond Fernandez and can he wrap it up?

Ulloa arriving on the far side. He went to beat him, will do now!

Ulloa puts it in. Leicester have a third!

Skipped beyond his man, has a look, crossed to the far post,

King, back across, oh, great, brilliant save!

And in by Albrighton!

Leicester City could be champions within days. Absolutely remarkable.

There was more to celebrate that night.

Mahrez - voted Player Of The Year by his peers.

Dembele forewent collecting his Young Player award -

Spurs' focus solely on beating West Brom.

A free kick for Spurs.

15 yards outside the penalty area. Played in by Eriksen.

Good delivery. Gets it in the back of the net.

It might be the goal

that keeps Tottenham in this title race.

Corner floated in by Gardner. Headed in.

It's an equaliser and it's that man Dawson,

he's scored at both ends.

Leicester will have the chance to win the Premier League on Sunday

against Manchester United.

Never before in Leicester's 132-year history

had there been a day like this.

A win and the title was theirs.

Would the Theatre of Dreams play host

to the most impossible one of them all?

Is this a day when the most unlikely title triumph of all time

is confirmed?

Valencia, he's really motoring to the right. Still Valencia.

Just too high for Rashford and here's Martial!

Under Schmeichel, into the net.

Barely a flicker from Claudio Ranieri,

just a "Come on!" to his team.

Early days.

Fellaini's waiting, Fellaini to tee up Lingard.

That's a super save by Schmeichel.

He got down really smartly there.

Morgan and Huth are forward for this. Drinkwater.

With the chip in. He's looking for Morgan. Morgan's header.

Leicester level.

Yay! Come on!

There's a beaming smile on the face of the Foxes' captain.

Okazaki and Schlupp are ready.

Okazaki couldn't slide and make contact. Oh!

It's not quite enough to get the party started for Leicester,

but it will be if their Blues Brothers Chelsea

don't lose to Tottenham tomorrow.

The dream would have to wait for at least one more day.

Will you watch it? I think I'm on the flight back from Italy

and then it's difficult for me to watch the match.

Maybe when I land, I know the result.

A 55-year wait to be champions can only end

if Tottenham win here for the first time in 26 years.

ALL: Come on, Chelsea! Come on, Chelsea!

FANS SHOUT

That will do, won't it? Blow the whistle, ref.

Eriksen, he ran the corner to Lamela, poked through to Kane.

He's onside!

Harry Kane here for Tottenham Hotspur who have a precious lead!

Good finish.

Here's Eriksen. Eriksen through to Son, Son is in here.

It's 2-0 to Tottenham!

Oops!

Diego Costa, Willian's in acres of space. It's Willian for Chelsea.

Urgh!

I know he's in, Willian, only if he sees him.

Food's arrived to cheer us up.

In comes the corner, Cahill's there!

It's 2-1.

Oh! Oh, oh! Oh! Oh!

And now Tottenham Hotspur have a real test of their nerve.

Lucky pizzas, lucky pizzas.

Ranieri's pizzas, he's had them out all season.

Here's Eden Hazard! Oh!

Oh!

Eden Hazard wriggling away between two, shrugging off Kyle Walker.

Good ball, that, Diego Costa, lovely turn away from Alderweireld.

It's Hazard!

Yes!

A goal good enough to win a title and it might have done just that

for Leicester City!

Can't breathe. I can't breathe.

ALL: Five, four, three, two, one!

FINAL WHISTLE BLOWS

Yes!

The wait is over, the story is complete,

Leicester City are the champions of England.

ALL: Championes! Championes! Ole, ole, ole!

CAR HORNS BEEP

I'm going to open this. Never, ever, ever, ever in my lifetime

did I believe it was even remotely possible that Leicester

would win any kind of league, let alone the Premier League. Get in!

I know the whole House will wish to join me

in congratulating Leicester City on winning the Premier League title.

NEWS REPORTS IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES

I don't often say this here on Al Jazeera

but we are off to Leicester.

NEWSREADERS SPEAK IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

Party time for Leicester City -

that was the moment they realised the Premier League title was theirs.

Simply can't believe that this has actually happened.

ALL: Cheers.

It's a miracle for the city, it's a miracle for the players, yes,

they work hard to be in this position, not just lucky.

I suspect that this will become a metaphor for underdogs

all around the world.

It's shown that if you commit yourself and you work hard, you can

achieve greater things than perhaps people thought were possible.

It gives players who are just still trying to find out where to go,

they're ending out their careers, gives everybody hope.

I think it's the greatest achievement in sport,

never mind just football.

We've broke the mould, Man city, United,

the same old Arsenals, Chelseas, and we've come out of nowhere.

Not only is it a brilliant story, but it gives everyone

that little bit of hope again, that romance has not left football.

Phwoar! I mean, what else can you say?

The people came out in their thousands,

landlocked Leicester awash in a sea of blue.

14 months earlier, they'd been united for a burial.

Today, it was a coronation.

I want to introduce the great Andrea Bocelli - he's here for you.

BOCELLI SINGS NESSAN DORMA

It's been a long and hard process to get where I am today

but I wouldn't have been able to do it without friends,

family and the team behind my back.

When you look at Leicester, we're like brothers, you know,

that's why we won this league.

It's something that will live with me forever and a day.

RANIERI: The fans are dreaming, keep dreaming, why wake up?

Leicester - steadfast, reliable, unchanging,

but, in the space of 12 remarkable months,

thanks to the most unlikely band of heroes the Premier League

has ever seen, suddenly everything had changed.

A football club, a city,

perhaps even English football itself had all been transformed.

And for those who had lived it, had dreamt it,

had made it reality, life will never be the same again.