Leicester City vs. Southampton: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Leicester City opened up a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League table thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Southampton on Sunday.
Captain Wes Morgan scored the game's only goal at the King Power Stadium in Leicester, England, with the defender planting a header beyond goalkeeper Fraser Forster in the 38th minute.
Morgan picked the perfect time to score his first league goal of the campaign, although he was fortunate the officials failed to spot him nudge Southampton's Jordy Clasie.
The Foxes were forced to hold on at times during a nervy second half.
However, a fourth successive 1-0 result sees Claudio Ranieri's side extend their advantage over second-placed Tottenham Hotspur at the summit.
Here, Bleacher Report has picked out the game's winners and losers.
Winner: Wes Morgan
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Wes Morgan has been outstanding at the back for Leicester City during an astonishing campaign.
But, while better known for defending in his own box, the skipper popped up in the opposition's penalty area to make a telling contribution to his side’s title charge.
The defender’s decision to stay forward after a set piece had been cleared led to him heading home Christian Fuchs’ inviting left-wing cross to get the game's only goal.
After scoring at one end, Morgan went back to doing his usual job—stopping the opposition from scoring.
According to Sky Sports Statto, he made 11 clearances to help Leicester City keep a fourth successive clean sheet in the Premier League.
The skipper said after the game, per the Premier League's official Twitter feed: "We had to dig deep. We had to show how much we really wanted it."
Loser: Sadio Mane
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Sadio Mane is already loved by Southampton's supporters, but the forward had the chance to make himself a hero in North London when through on goal in the 31st minute.
Sent clear by Graziano Pelle's clever reverse pass, the Senegalese looked set to break the deadlock when he rounded goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
At that moment, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, the teams sitting second and third in the table, respectively, must have thought leaders Leicester City were going to fall behind.
However, Mane failed to convert the opportunity.
His shot struck covering Danny Simpson on the elbow, with referee Michael Oliver waving away appeals for a penalty due to the defender having his arm tucked into his body.
Mane's miss proved crucial—Leicester City scored seven minutes later to gain a lead they stubbornly retained for the remainder of the contest.
Winner: Fraser Forster
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Having started for England in Tuesday's 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands, Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster impressed on his return to club duty.
While he could do little to stop Morgan's header finding the net, Forster did produce a stunning stop early in the second half to spare the blushes of team-mate Jose Fonte.
Having stretched out to block a cross, Fonte thought his intervention was destined to find the top corner until Forster reached back to claw the ball away.
The former Celtic player also kept out Danny Simpson's close-range effort, although he was grateful the Leicester City defender struck his attempt straight at him when he had half the net to aim at.
According to WhoScored.com, Forster—who now appears to be England's second-choice goalkeeper following the injury to Stoke City's Jack Butland—made four saves during the match.
Losers: Southampton
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While table-topping Leicester City were obviously the main focus at the King Power Stadium, Southampton knew an away win would keep them in the hunt for a top-four finish.
Prior to the international break, Ronald Koeman's side produced a brilliant comeback from two goals down to record a 3-2 home win over Liverpool.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino insisted before the weekend that Southampton were even still title contenders, per the Press Association (h/t the Daily Mail): "For me, at the moment we compete with different teams—not only Leicester, but Arsenal, Manchester City, (Manchester) United, West Ham and Southampton have the possibility (to win the title)."
However, Leicester dealt a blow to their hopes of at least qualifying for the Europa League.
In truth, they huffed and puffed without ever threatening to blow the Foxes' house down.
Koeman, though, aimed his frustration at the officials after the game, believing his side had been denied not one but two penalties, per James Walker-Roberts of Sky Sports.
Winners: Leicester City
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Leicester City, Premier League champions. The unlikely scenario seems a step closer to becoming reality after Claudio Ranieri's side battled their way to three precious points.
Per Sky Sports Statto on Twitter, the Foxes were seven points from safety at the foot of the table on April 3, 2015. Exactly a year later, they are seven clear at the summit.
They now need just four more wins to make certain of a first league title in their 132-year history.
It was nervy at times against Southampton. However, just like last season when they were fighting for their top-flight survival, it's all about points at this stage, not performances.
Ranieri said in his post-match press conference, per Mark Ogden of the Independent: "I'm very calm. We believe in what we are doing. We believe it's a magical season."
The veteran Italian manager did not look so calm during the game, but he was all smiles at the end of it.
