From implosion to verge of promotion: Leicester City are almost back

After seemingly being on the brink of a season implosion just 11 days ago, Leicester City are now tantalisingly close to a Premier League return.

Enzo Maresca needs just one more win, or a Leeds defeat, to secure automatic promotion from the Championship at the first attempt.

“Straight back up Leicester City, playing football the Enzo way” chanted the jubilant home fans in the second half, after a resounding victory at the King Power Stadium.

It feels like a trick of the imagination that on April 12, at Plymouth Argyle, Leicester suffered their sixth defeat in 10 matches to crank up fears of a late season collapse.

Yet this was emphatic, with a hat-trick from Abdul Fatawu, and promotion appears inevitable. They could be promoted on Friday night if Leeds lose at QPR.

While Leicester are dreaming of lifting the title, Southampton’s lingering hopes of finishing in the top two are all but over after a poor performance which sentences them to the play-offs.

Southampton needed a win to continue challenging for automatic promotion but were abysmal, cranking up the pressure on manager Russell Martin.

They could yet play a significant part in the regular season, as they play Leeds away on the final day.

Maresca has always insisted this absorbing promotion race would go to the wire.

Despite their recent wobble, their consistency has been admirable and some of the football here was outstanding.

With Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha watching on from the director’s box, this was their 30th win from 44 matches.

There are uncertain times ahead, after the club was charged with breaching financial rules by the Premier League, but that is one to worry about later. Promotion has always felt like a priority.

Leicester started the night on 91 points and in the previous six seasons that total would have already been enough to secure a top-two finish.

Southampton, meanwhile, coasted to a 25-match unbeaten league run midway through the campaign but still find themselves adrift of Leeds, Leicester and Ipswich.

After an agonising late defeat at Cardiff on Saturday, the pressure was on Southampton here.

This was their last chance to avoid the unforgiving route to promotion of the play-offs, which makes their flat display all the more bewildering.

Though they hogged possession here, Leicester were devastating in front of goal.

The home team pressurised the Southampton goal from the start, with Jamie Vardy, their 37-year-old captain, producing one of those classic pest-like performances.

The opening goal came after 25 minutes and was wonderfully worked, a fine example of ‘Enzo-Ball’.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was freed up 40 yards from goal and threaded through a fine pass to Fatawu, who swept the ball past Alex McCarthy and into the corner.

Southampton could not sustain a grip on midfield and were struggling to break down Leicester’s defence. They did not manage a shot on target all night.

Leicester moved up the gears in the second half, extending their lead in the 62nd minute. Stephy Mavididi floated over a cross from the left and Wilfred Ndidi was given too much space to head the ball home.

Fatawu added a third goal 15 minutes from the end with a wonderful curling effort to spark a mass exodus of Southampton supporters.

Vardy then pounced from close range before Fatawu provided the gloss with his treble.

“We want nine” chanted the Leicester fans, in reference to their Premier League win at Southampton in October 2019, but this will have done nicely.

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