Leicester move 5 points ahead in league after convincing win against Man City

Leicester City’s fairytale season scaled new heights on Saturday as they opened up a five-point lead at the Premier League summit by winning 3-1 at title rivals Manchester City.

Centre-back Robert Huth scored twice, either side of a brilliant Riyad Mahrez goal, as Leicester recorded the finest win of their sensational 12-month rise from bottom to top of the English top flight.

Tottenham Hotspur leapfrogged City into second place by beating Watford 1-0. Arsenal can also move above Manuel Pellegrini’s side if they win at Bournemouth on Sunday.

“There are a lot of super teams now. We will try. Why not?” said Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri, whose side visit Arsenal in another top-of-the-table encounter next weekend.

“The effort is a lot. Now it is important the players recover because we spent a lot of energy. Sometimes we run more than a bull. We play every match as though it is the last match.

“Now we are very, very confident and it is important to think about Arsenal. We are ready to fight there.”

Leicester were bottom of the Premier League a year ago and seemingly destined for relegation, but are now closing in one of the most extraordinary triumphs in English sporting history.

Huth opened the scoring from a third-minute Mahrez free-kick and headed in Leicester’s third goal from a Christian Fuchs corner on the hour after Mahrez had darted through the ragged City defence to make it 2-0.

Sergio Aguero reduced the arrears with a glancing header in the 87th minute — his seventh goal in five games.

SEE MORE: Jamie Vardy extends Leicester contract to 2019.

British bookmakers reacted to Leicester’s victory by making them title favourites for the first time this season. A year ago to the day, they were three points from safety at the foot of the table.

City manager Pellegrini, due to be succeeded by Pep Guardiola at the season’s end, admitted that Leicester had been worthy winners, but vowed that his side would not give up.

“There are 39 points to play for. Nothing is finished,” said Pellegrini, whose side host Tottenham next weekend.

“It is important for us to recover our players and I am continuing not giving up because we got an unexpected defeat, but we must continue.”