Leicester win the Premier League: Nine games that secured the title

Where the season was won

(Getty)

15 Aug: West Ham 1-2 Leicester

Slaven Bilic’s side were already six weeks into their season and would beat Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City before the leaves dropped from the trees but Leicester took the points. First-half goals from Shinji Okazaki and Riyad Mahrez earned the win, despite a Dimitri Payet consolation, and the Hammers have only lost once at home in eight months since.

13 Sep: Leicester 3-2 Aston Villa

Came from behind to salvage something for the third successive match, maintaining their unbeaten start to the campaign. Jack Grealish and Carles Gil had the visitors ahead, before Ritchie de Laet, Jamie Vardy and Nathan Dyer completed the turnaround.

14 Dec: Leicester 2-1 Chelsea

Just a fortnight after Vardy broke the scoring record in the previous home match, a 1-1 draw against Manchester United, Claudio Ranieri’s side served futher notice of their intent to remain at the top with a comprehensive win against Jose Mourinho’s struggling champions. Vardy and Mahrez goals either side of the break did the damage, and Jose was sacked days later.

19 Dec: Everton 2-3 Leicester

A pair of Mahrez penalties and a third effort from Okazaki earned the points in the rain on Merseyside to take the Foxes to 38 points and top spot for Christmas – and improvement from being bottom the previous yuletide. Victory came with totemic centre-back Robert Huth suspended, although manager Ranieri still spoke of his wish to make the magic 40-point mark.

13 Jan: Tottenham 0-1 Leicester

After four matches without a victory since that Everton win, the pressure was on the Foxes as they travelled to a resurgent Spurs side who had lost one in 15. Riding their luck, including Harry Kane hitting the bar, Huth’s late header capped a classic away performance and reenergised the title challenge.

2 Feb: Leicester 2-0 Liverpool

Vardy struck a goal of the season contender as the Foxes again displayed their ability to beat the leading sides as easily as the relative smaller fry. Latching on to Mahrez’s ball forward, Vardy volleyed superbly past Simon Mignolet from the angle, adding a second for good measure to maintain a three-point lead over Manchester City.

6 Feb: Man City 1-3 Leicester

Perhaps the result that made people take them seriously, a comprehensive and wholly deserved victory at the Etihad stunned the Premier League and opened up a six-point gap. Huth struck twice against an in-form City team, either side of a mazy Mahrez effort, rendering Sergio Aguero’s late goal redundant.

27 Feb: Leicester 1-0 Norwich

Coming off the back of just a third league defeat of the season – and what felt like a momentous result at the Emirates – Leicester entered the final minute against the struggling Canaries goaless and without inspiration. Step forward forgotten man Leonardo Ulloa, who converted at the far post for just his third of the season to take the Foxes five points clear of Tottenham.

24 Apr: Leicester 4-0 Swansea

Without the suspended Vardy and having to rely on another late Ulloa goal to rescue a point against West Ham the previous week, Ranieri’s side were coming under increasing pressure from Spurs, who had just thrashed Stoke by four. Nerves? Not a bit. They cantered to victory by the same score, and with Spurs dropping points the next evening the title was suddenly within tangible reach.