And Ranieri being sacked is a bigger story.
It’s bigger than Dele’s wicked lunge over the ball against Gent at Wembley last night.
Leicester were champions last season and only lost three games.
When everyone said,”Oh, they’ll blow up. They won’t keep it going,” I disagreed.
I said: “Why won’t they keep it going?”
A defensive team that battles hard in every game? That has Mahrez and Vardy scoring regularly? That’s very popular because the British love an underdog?
Ranieri’s Leicester only lost three league games all season.
They were already champions by the time I got a chance to see them at Stamford Bridge on the last game of the season.
And N’Golo Kante was the best player on the pitch in that 1-1 draw.
He was the finest warrior in the 2015-16 Premier League, the most indefatigable ball-winner and presser, the most steely tackler. A beacon for the other Leicester players, the little man who made them believe, galvanised them to try harder. His speed, stamina, determination and passing skills were irreplaceable.
In hindsight, we can see that Kante was 50% of the Leicester team.
Above all, Kante is spinal. You can’t win the Premeir League without being strong down the middle : goalkeeper/centreback/centremid/goalscorer.
By leaving, Kante missed out on Leicester’s Champions League adventure.
But he joined the only club in London that has won the Champions League or European Cup.
And he’s now working with the great Antonio Conte, a serial winner as a player and manager.
Next season Chelsea will be playing Sevilla or Dortmund or PSG or Atletico Madrid.
And Chelsea, with Kante in the engine room, will have a decent chance of winning another Champions League.
MY VIEW : Without the big heart of Kante, Leicester collapsed and got Claudio Ranieri the sack.
Also on ANR : http://arsenalnewsreview.co.uk/wp/if-wenger-has-not-fixed-it-by-now-he-never-will/