London (AFP)
Leicester climbed to 2nd place in the Premier League table on Saturday thanks to their 2-0 victory over Southampton for Matchday 19, while Chelsea cling to their foes by winning at Fulham on the same score.
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The Foxes stay in the race
On the eve of the summit between Liverpool and Manchester United, Leicester came to remind everyone that the title race is not yet a two-man race.
With their victory against Southampton, the 2016 England champions slipped, with their 35 points, two lengths in front of the Reds and one unit behind the Red Devils, even if Liverpool, Manchester City or even Everton could still kick them off the podium. before the end of the day.
Southampton, on the other hand, finds himself stuck at 29 points and could lose ground in the race for European places, in which he was an outsider.
After a well-negotiated end of the year period, with 8 points taken over the last 4 days, Brendan Rodgers' men managed to confirm at home where they only had the 15th record in the Premier League before this match.
A goal from James Maddison (1-0, 38th), who found the skylight in a tight angle, made the decision in this close match.
The South of England team may regret not having realized their opportunities, including a powerful shot from Ryan Bertrand deflected by Kasper Schmeichel over the bar and a shot from Stuart Armstrong who hit the crossbar (73rd) .
But it is on the contrary Harvey Barnes who calmly won a face-to-face meeting at the end of additional time to make the addition worse (2-0, 90 + 5).
Leicester will now have to try to follow up on Wednesday with their late 18th matchday match against Chelsea, to consolidate their place on the podium.
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Chelsea will be satisfied
Difficult winner for the promoted Fulham, reduced to 10 throughout the second period, thanks to a late goal from Mason Mount, the Blues will not be choosy in the face of these three points which allow them not to win the race to the Europe.
Chelsea provisionally remains 7th in the championship, with 29 points, 7 less than leaders Manchester United, but they are only 4 lengths from the podium.
Fulham, who remained on 5 consecutive draws, suffers a setback in the race to maintain.
The Cottagers are 18th with 12 points, 4 behind Burnley, the first non-relegation player.
Frank Lampard will probably not leave this match very reassured about the potential of his team, who really mastered the game only when his opponent found himself outnumbered, just before the break.
A poorly controlled intervention by the American side Antonee Robinson on Cesar Azpilicueta earned the Fulham player a red card, while his team had managed to rebalance the debates at the end of the first act of this London derby.
Chelsea had created the best opportunity on a strike from Mount, after a cross from Ben Chilwell, but the recovery of the midfielder had hit the crossbar of an Alphonse Areola, again good in this game but powerless in this action (25th).
Highly visible, the English international was rewarded by being at the reception of a center pushed back in the axis by the opposing goalkeeper, for a recovery at the post (1-0, 78th).
Not enough to show off for the Blues who struggled to find Olivier Giroud, aligned for 75 minutes at the top, but in a championship where seven points separate the leader from the 9th, West Ham, their chances of catching the Champions League remain intact.
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