Read how Leicester City's biggest win of the season over Swansea City unfolded with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates.
By Pascal Lemesre, Football League Editor Filed: Sunday, April 24, 2016 at 15:15 UK
Last Updated: Monday, April 25, 2016 at 12:22 UK
Premier League leaders Leicester City hosted Swansea City on Sunday afternoon, looking to open up an eight-point lead and put the pressure on rivals Tottenham Hotspur playing Monday night.
Even without suspended top scorer Jamie Vardy, the Foxes ran riot and recorded their biggest win of the season by putting four unanswered goals past the Swans.
Relive it all with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
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3.16pmHowdy! The sixth Premier League match of the weekend takes place at the King Power Stadium as leaders Leicester take on Swansea. Another huge afternoon as the Foxes' incredible attempt to win the Premier League marathon – I think there's one going on in London today – approaches its finish.
3.18pmTeam news just coming in from the Midlands, so let's get right down to it...
3.25pmRight, starting with Leicester and Claudio Ranieri has changed his XI for the first time in seven matches. After Jamie Vardy's red card and angry reaction against West Ham United last week, he is out for two matches and as expected Leonardo Ulloa takes the Foxes' top scorer's place in attack. The other change is a tactical one from Ranieri as he opts for Jeffrey Schlupp instead of Mark Albrighton down the left wing. It's Schlupp's first league start of 2016.
3.28pmRanieri's fellow Italian Francesco Guidolin has also made a pair of changes to his lineup, with Leon Britton and Wayne Routledge preferred to Jefferson Montero and Alberto Paloschi. That looks pretty defensive and should see Andre Ayew play on his own in attack for the Swansea.
3.31pmJust before we delve right in on this match, let me just point you in the direction of a couple of other live commentaries. The other Premier League match today is midway through the second half and still it's Sunderland 0-0 Arsenal. At Wembley, meanwhile, it's the second FA Cup semi-final between Crystal Palace and Watford (kickoff 4pm).
3.36pmSo then, Leicester are almost there! They have a five-point lead over Spurs with only four matches remaining but last week they showed that they can be broken down. Ranieri's side had won five of their previous seven matches by a 1-0 scoreline and it looked like it might be that way again until West Ham struck twice in two minutes to take the lead. The Foxes won a late penalty to preserve a point, but their five-game winning run was ended and Spurs then responded superbly with a 4-0 drubbing of Stoke on Monday night.
3.39pmFive points is still a healthy gap with such few matches left, but Leicester's end to the season looks pretty tough on paper. Swansea here is a match that you would expect them to win, but after this they have trips to Manchester United and Chelsea either side of a visit from Everton. Imagine if they win the league at Stamford Bridge against last year's champions on the final day! Spurs also have a nice home game tomorrow night against West Brom before they finish with matches at Chelsea, home to Southampton and at Newcastle United.
3.42pmRealistically it's going to be one of Spurs or Leicester who win the title, which is incredible in itself given that neither was even in the top four last term. With Arsenal drawing, they are on course to reach 64 points alongside Manchester City, which is nine behind Leicester with only three matches to play. Leicester are big favourites with that lead, but failure to win today would allow Spurs to close the gap to just three points or better and they also have by far the best goal difference.
3.45pmWithout Vardy today, all eyes will be on Riyad Mahrez to get back to his best form. The PFA Player of the Year favourite is without a goal or assist in his last three outings but could put that right today as he has fond memories of playing Swansea...
3.48pmH2H: The Algerian scored all three goals in the Foxes' 3-0 win in Wales in December, becoming only the third Leicester player to score a Premier League hat-trick (after Ian Marshall & Stan Collymore). That win ended a run of eight straight home wins in this fixture.
3.51pmSwansea do not have a good record away at Leicester recently either. They have won none of their last 11 trips in all competitions to play Leicester (D3 L8), with the Foxes claiming victory in each of the last five.
3.54pmSo history and league position certainly aren't in the visitors' favour and they don't exactly come into this match in great form. Last weekend they travelled to second-bottom Newcastle United and were resoundingly beaten 3-0 at St James' Park. Still, they had collected seven points out of nine from their previous three games to reach 40 for the season, so they should be safe.
3.57pmUPDATE: All over on Wearside and it's finished goalless between Sunderland and Arsenal. That means Arsenal stay fourth, behind Man City on goal difference, while Sunderland climb above Norwich and out of the bottom three.
4.03pmVardy misses his first league game of the season today and here's a worrying stat from @OptaJoe on Twitter for Leicester fans: "Jamie Vardy's goals have won Leicester 21 points this season, more than any other Premier League player." Ulloa and Okazaki have only played 12 total minutes together as well this season!
4.06pmUPDATE: Early goal at Wembley as Yannick Bolasie heads Palace in front against Watford. Remember, the winner of that match will go on to face Manchester United in the final after the Red Devils' stunned Everton in added time yesterday.
4.09pmHOME & AWAY: Leicester have lost just one of their last 20 league matches at home and they are unbeaten in their previous 13, while Swansea have only won one of their last six away games.
4.11pmWe're almost ready to go! The two teams are led out of the tunnel by today's referee Mark Clattenburg. Both in their home colours, with Leicester all in blue and Swansea in white.
4.13pmPREDICTION: Just before kickoff, it's time for a prediction. Leicester have not been hammering anyone recently, but they should still just edge this one – I'll say 1-0 to the Foxes.
0 minKICKOFF! Frenzied atmosphere at the King Power as Leicester get us underway!
1 minInterestingly, it looks like playmaker Sigurdsson is playing as a false-nine striker for Swansea. He's just fed Routledge down the left and the winger produced a lovely cross that went all the way across goal and away. Ayew starting wide right for the visitors.
4 minSpurs fans sung "Leicester City, we're coming for you" on Monday night when they thumped Swansea, but the Foxes fans are responding well here with "Tottenham Hotspur, we're waiting for you!".
7 minVery little of note has happened so far. Leicester would love an early goal to calm any nerves they might have, but Swansea are usually a pretty tough nut to crack.
10 minOut of absolutely nowhere, Leicester score! It's a shocker from Swansea captain Williams, who hit his pass out from the back against Mahrez. The Algerian collected possession and then did so well to guide the ball inside the near post when it seemed that he was going for the far corner. Awful from Williams, but superbly clinical from Mahrez. Who needs Vardy?!
12 minThat must hurt Williams so much because he was not impressed by some of Mahrez's actions in the December fixture between these two. He's just gifted him a goal!
16 minA reminder that Leicester – eight points clear as it stands – were 5000-1 to win the league at the start of the season. If it happens, it will be the longest odds on any single event happening. Ever.
20 minI said that an early goal would calm the nerves and the Foxes fans are in full voice now. Swansea have done OK since going behind, but scoring against this Leicester side is a tough feat!
22 minWest Ham's contentious penalty and a stunning long-range effort from Aaron Cresswell ended Leicester's run of five straight clean sheets last weekend and they have shut out opponents in 11 of their last 16 league games!
30 minIt's happening! Leicester are edging ever closer to the title as Ulloa, Vardy's replacement today, heads home an inch-perfect Drinkwater free kick. Williams was the man marking him, so again the Swans captain is at fault.
33 minCHANCE! A Swansea goal would make it interesting and they almost get one as Fernandez gets to Sigurdsson's free kick but only manages to head over. Really good chance that.
42 minSHOT! Sigurdsson has been Swansea's star player in 2016 and he has a go from a 30-yard free kick. It's low and appears to worry Schmeichel, who tips it wide. Replays show it was probably going off target anyway.
45+1 minPerfect first half for Leicester and there's just one minute of added time. Swansea do have a corner, though...
5.02pmIt comes to nothing and Clattenburg soon brings the first half to a close. Leicester lead thanks to goals from Mahrez and Ulloa and they are on course to go eight points clear once again. Swansea have only had a couple of half-chances and it's been a bit of a shocking half for their captain Williams, who gave the ball away for the first and then lost his man for the second. Back soon for the second half!
46 minSWANSEA SUBS: The two players dropped by Guidolin come on at the break. Montero and Paloschi on for Fer and Routledge.
46 minKICKOFF! And we're back underway at the King Power.
48 minHalf a chance for Swansea as Ayew gets a flicks through to Schmeichel. It looked like he expected Paloschi to be just behind him, but the Italian had pulled away to the back post.
51 minMuch more competitive feel to the second half already. Paloschi is an out-and-out striker and should help the visitors cause more of a threat, but will that help Leicester on the counter?
54 minUPDATE: Exciting second half so far at Wembley with both sides scoring, so it's 2-1 to Palace with about half an hour to go.
57 minThey're still not causing too many problems, but Swansea are much more competitive so far in the second half. Guidolin would not have been happy at half time and you can see that in his players.
60 minVardy probably won't get back in the team! Schmeichel's initial clearance doesn't look great, but it reaches Schlupp and he beats Fernandez to the ball to race through on goal. He could shoot, but looks for the supporting Ulloa. Williams gets across to block, but the ball pops up again for Schlupp and at the second attempt he manages to stab it on for Ulloa to slide home at the back post. Game over!
63 minBOOKING! Fernandez wipes out Mahrez to earn the game's first booking. Swansea's centre-backs not having the best day, to say the least.
64 minFuchs steps up to take the resulting free kick and curls it wide of the mark.
67 minSAVE! Nearly four! Kante, for the millionth time this season, wins the ball back in midfield. Schlupp picks it up and drills an arrow-like low shot towards the bottom corner that Fabianski saves really well.
68 minCHANCE! Another opening for the home side as Williams's clearance only reaches Okazaki on the edge of the box. The Japanese gets past one tackle but is off-balance and can only slice his effort high and wide.
70 minSchlupp next to have a go, but he also fires comfortably off target. Ranieri's decision to pick him over Albrighton has certainly been vindicated.
71 minThey're three up, but Leicester aren't letting up here. Mahrez works a corner routine to Drinkwater, but the midfielder's shot is blocked.
73 minLEICESTER SUB: Okazaki's hard work in attack is done for the day. He's replaced by Demarai Gray.
75 minAnother industrious afternoon for the Frenchman
76 minSWANSEA SUB: Third and final change for the visitors. Ki Sung-Yueng on for Sigurdsson.
78 minCHANCE! Ayew pulls away to the back post to meet a Ki corner and he tries to sneak a header inside the near post, but Schmeichel watches it into the side-netting.
79 minLEICESTER SUB: Ulloa appears to be struggling a little, so Ranieri takes him off for Andy King.
81 minSAVE! Leicester carve open Swansea on the break as Mahrez finds the run of King. The substitute takes a touch before opening his body and looking for the far corner, but it's saved brilliantly by Fabianski.
82 minLEICESTER SUB: Last change for the Foxes and it's the superb Schlupp off for Albrighton.
85 minMore icing on the cake! Gray uses his pace and skill to get away down the right and cross to the back post. King heads back across the six-yard box and Gray is there to fire at goal. Fabianski saves, but only parries it out to Albrighton, who slams home.
6.05pmAnother amazing afternoon in Leicester's bid for an astonishing Premier League triumph. What a time to produce your biggest win of the season and open up an eight-point gap at the top. Over to you, Spurs...
6.08pmTa very much for joining Sports Mole this afternoon. Stick around for reaction from the King Power Stadium after yet another win and clean sheet for the Foxes. They only need five more points to win the title, amazing!