Football: Leicester complete remarkable relegation escape

AAP

16 May, 2015 08:01 PM2 mins to read

Leicester City's players celebrate avoiding relegation after a 0-0 draw with Sunderland. Photo / AP

Leicester City have completed one of the most impressive relegation escapes in English Premier League history with a goalless draw at Sunderland this morning.

Bottom of the table for 140 days, Leicester ensured they would be playing in the Premier League next term with their stalemate, with what seemed an impossible task now reality under manager Nigel Pearson.

The Foxes have now lost just once, to champions Chelsea, in their last eight games.

"Success is relative and success for us this season, when you consider where we were a couple of months ago, to achieve safety with a game to go is testament to the work that the players have put in," said Pearson.

With Burnley and QPR already demoted, Hull remained in the last drop spot after second-half goals from Nacer Chadli and Danny Rose secured a 2-0 victory for Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

Defeat left Hull two points from safety and needing to beat Manchester United at the KC Stadium on the final day of the season a week on Sunday, with other results also having to go their way, in order to stay up.

Sunderland, who have two games to play, are three points ahead of Hull but with an inferior goal difference.

Newcastle were left just two points in front of the Tigers after a 2-1 loss to QPR -- their ninth defeat in 10 games.

Aston Villa were thrashed 6-1 by Southampton, with Sadio Mane scoring the quickest hat-trick in Premier League history, but results elsewhere kept the Birmingham club in the top flight.

Mane took just two minutes and 56 seconds to complete his treble and surpass the previous Premier League hat-trick record of four minutes and 33 seconds set by Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler against Arsenal in 1994.

"Any idiot knows we didn't play well, they don't need telling," said Villa manager Tim Sherwood, whose side face holders Arsenal in the FA Cup final at Wembley on May 30.

Elsewhere, Steven Gerrard was denied a fairytale finish in his last match at Anfield as Liverpool fell 3-1 to Crystal Palace, while Everton beat West Ham 2-1 and Burnley and Stoke played out a goalless draw at Turf Moor.