Jamie Vardy’s double sealed the Championship title for Leicester City with one game to spare as the Foxes cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over Preston.
Leicester’s No 9 got the party started with goals either side of half-time to send Enzo Maresca’s side on their way to a title-sealing victory, before Kasey McAteer put the cherry on the top with a third goal.
The full-time whistle brought jubilant scenes for Maresca, his staff and his players – who will receive the Championship trophy after Saturday’s final day encounter with Blackburn at the King Power Stadium, which will determine whether the Foxes reach the 100-point mark or not.
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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 in being Championship top dogs.
Leicester’s topsy-turvy trophy decade
April 2014: Leicester win the Championship title with six games to spare, amassing 102 points in that season.
May 2016: Leicester defy all the odds by winning the Premier League two years later, despite starting the season at 5,000-1 odds.
April 2017: Leicester appear in the Champions League quarter-finals, before being beaten by Atletico Madrid.
May 2021: Leicester add another trophy to their collection, beating Chelsea 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
May 2023: Leicester are relegated from the Premier League after nearly nine years in the top-flight.
April 2024: Leicester win the Championship for the second time in ten years.
WATCH: The goals that sealed Leicester’s crown
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Jamie Vardy opened the scoring with a quick turn and finish
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Vardy reacted quickly to score his second
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Kasey McAteer put Leicester 3-0 up
Leicester’s celebrations in pictures
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Jamie Vardy couldn’t resist pulling off a dramatic diving celebration after Leicester City’s 3-0 triumph
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Enzo Maresca raises his fists to the crowd after sealing the title
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Leicester midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall holds up a ‘We Stepped Up’ banner on the pitch
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Leicester City chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha celebrates with the fans on the pitch
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A fan holds up an inflatable of the Championship trophy, with ‘The Enzo Way’ written on it
How Leicester got the job done
With Leicester just three points from mission accomplished regarding the second tier, Enzo Maresca made four changes from his regular side, giving Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, James Justin, Mads Hermansen and Stephy Mavididi the night off.
And with Preston in tenth spot and with nothing tangible to play for, the match started like a pre-season game, rather than an end-of-season classic.
But the Foxes dominated and Vardy nearly gave his side the lead but Freddie Woodman was equal to his close-range effort. McAteer had an even better chance to break the deadlock but headed over from a few yards out.
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Jamie Vardy gives Leicester the lead at Preston
Leicester eventually took the lead on 36 minutes after a perfect team move out the back saw Wilfried N’Didi feed Abdul Fatawu down the right. He found Yunus Akgun in the box, who squared to Vardy – the striker scuffing the ball in off the post to give the Championship leaders a deserved opener.
It took Vardy just seven minutes of the second period to double his tally and Leicester’s advantage. This time, Wout Faes went on a mazy run inside the box before crashing a shot off the post. The rebound fell kindly to Vardy, who was on hand to smash the ball into the roof of the net.
Vardy nearly had his hat-trick but he was denied by Woodman when played through on goal. Instead, it was McAteer who got that third goal, heading in Fatawu’s cross. This time he couldn’t miss.
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Kasey McAteer (right) joined Vardy in on the act
Fatawu nearly got in on the act but crashed a late drive onto the post. At the other end, Preston’s first shot on target came after 92 minutes.
There was only one team on the pitch performing on the night, there was only one team on the pitch celebrating long into the April night after full-time.
Maresca: A fantastic season for a special club
Leicester manager Enzo Maresca to Sky Sports:
“Fantastic, it’s been a fantastic season. A tough season. The Championship is a tough season and very intense, but I’m very happy.
“Now it’s time to enjoy the work of the season to bring this special club back to the Premier League. We deserve it.
“I was a little bit scared [when the players were lifting him up and down on the pitch] but when they came to my house the other day [after getting promotion], that showed how special they are.
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Having been relegated last season, Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca was ecstatic to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking
“The last two days they have been fantastic. We got promoted but it was difficult in game preparation. But we used all of today to prepare for the game, the morning and afternoon. It was good.
“I said many times, the noise was just outside. We expected to drop points and have defeats, you cannot win every game.”
On next season and what life will look like in the Premier League: “I’m not planning even next week, I was planning this game. We will look with the club to see what’s best for the club.
“Jamie (Vardy), I said many times, will score goals in his life and score goals always. We are happy now and we will look now to make the right decision.
“We can reach 100 points and 32 wins which I thought would never happen. Next Saturday with our fans, we will have a good feeling.”
Vardy: I feel fresh, we will see what happens on future
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Jamie Vardy and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall were delighted to win the Championship title after beating Preston 3-0
Leicester striker Jamie Vardy to Sky Sports:
“We’re over the moon. It was our target at the start of the season, but we knew it could have gone the other way. The gaffer has come in and told us how he wants us to play, and listen to the fans now.
“It has gone quick but it’s a graft, not many days off I’ll tell you that for nothing. The way we play, that’s how it is in training. Full throttle. I’m just glad we have 5,000 fans here to join us tonight. They’re massive, it’s not 20 minutes up the road, for them to come up in their numbers and for them to still be here and celebrate.
“We can celebrate it tonight but now we have another target which is 100 points. We do that again on Saturday when we celebrate with all the fans.
“Even the young lads, people like Hamza (Choudhury) there are more experienced than they’re given credit for.
“The first goal was best, but worst, connection of my career. As long as they’re on target, they can go in. The second one came to me and followed it in. There was no way I was missing it.
“I might not be [there next season]! For me personally, I feel fresh. I look after myself. I’m fortunate that I can put all my recovery stuff in my house. I get home from training and do it all from home. I will happily sit in my cryotherapy chamber for an hour with an iPad.
“I’m not ready to hang the boots up yet, the legs feel fine. I feel as fit as I ever have, so we’ll just see what happens.
“This club is massive. I’m not going to shy away from it. They took a massive punt on me when they signed me. A non-League player. It took time for me to adapt. I struggled in my first season but second season we hit it off like a house on fire. The goals started flowing.”
Leicester’s key players on winning the title
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Harry Winks and Conor Coady were thrilled after their 3-0 win over Preston saw Leicester secure top spot in the Championship
Leicester midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Sky Sports:
“Amazing. We’ve been waiting for this moment all season. Nine months, the crowd deserve this moment. All season, they’ve come home and away.
“Championship is one of the toughest leagues in the world, you learn so much from each player. The goal was to lift the trophy at the end of it.”
Leicester midfielder Harry Winks to Sky Sports:
“It’s been incredible, it’s been tough, it’s been amazing, it’s been difficult, it’s been physical, everything you can think of. I’ve loved every minute of it. I’m happy for everyone at this club, it’s a special club.
“We’ve been celebrating since Friday, so we needed to focus the last couple of days. We went into this game very relaxed and in a nice frame of mind. We’ve enjoyed it.”
Leicester defender Conor Coady to Sky Sports:
“The lads deserve everything they get. It’s an amazing feeling to get this football club back into the Premier League.
“We’re here now for the owner, the manager, the staff, everyone, let the lads enjoy it. You don’t get much chance as footballers to play with no pressure to go and be champions – it’s much deserved.”
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