Jamie Vardy’s double sealed Leicester City’s league title with a game to play as the Foxes cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over Preston.
The Leicester number 9 got the party started with goals either side of half-time to earn Enzo Maresca’s side the title, before Kasey McAteer put the icing on the cake with a third goal .
The full-time whistle brought scenes of jubilation for Maresca, his team and his players – who will receive the Championship trophy after Saturday’s final matchday clash with Blackburn at the King Power Stadium, which will determine whether or not the Foxes reach the 100 point mark. .
It also means the second tier has been won by a Pep Guardiola disciple for the second season in a row, with Maresca following Vincent Kompany’s Burnley as top dog in the Championship.
WATCH: The goals that sealed Leicester’s crown
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Jamie Vardy opened the scoring with a quick turn and finished
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Vardy reacted quickly to score his second
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Kasey McAteer gives Leicester 3-0 lead
Leicester celebrations in pictures
Enzo Maresca raises his fist to the audience after winning the title
Leicester midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall holds up a ‘We Stepped Up’ banner on the pitch.
Leicester City chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha celebrates with fans on the pitch
A fan holds up an inflatable championship trophy, with “The Enzo Way” written on it
How Leicester got the job done
With Leicester just three points away from mission accomplished in the second tier, Enzo Maresca made four changes from his usual side, giving a free night to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, James Justin, Mads Hermansen and Stephy Mavididi.
And with Preston in tenth place and with nothing tangible to play for, the game started like a pre-season game, rather than a late-season classic.
But the Foxes dominated and Vardy almost gave his side the lead, but Freddie Woodman was equal to his effort from close range. McAteer had an even better chance to break the deadlock, but headed a few yards out.
Jamie Vardy gives Leicester the lead at Preston
Leicester finally took the lead in the 36th minute after a perfect sideline saw Wilfried N’Didi feed Abdul Fatawu on the right. He found Yunus Akgun in the box, who took on Vardy – the striker scuffing the ball off the post to give the league leaders a deserved first opening.
It took Vardy just seven minutes in the second half to double his tally and Leicester’s advantage. This time, Wout Faes launched into a mad dash inside the area before firing a shot off the post. The rebound fell to Vardy, who was on hand to send the ball into the roof of the net.
Vardy almost scored his hat-trick, but it was denied by Woodman when played through on goal. Instead, it was McAteer who scored the third goal, heading a cross from Fatawu. This time he couldn’t miss.
Kasey McAteer (right) joined Vardy in the act
Fatawu almost intervened but crashed late onto the post. At the other end, Preston’s first shot on target came after 92 minutes.
There was only one team on the field playing that night, there was only one team on the field partying late into the April night after full time.
Managers
Ryan Lowe from Preston:
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Leicester’s Enzo Maresca:
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