Leicester City face Premier League promotion twist after Southampton victory

Che Adams of Southampton
Che Adams of Southampton -Credit:Matt Watson/Southampton FC via Getty Images


Southampton continued to pile pressure on Leicester City and their other promotion rivals on Tuesday night.

The Saints cruised to a 3-0 win against Preston North End to close the gap to four points on Leicester City in the automatic promotion spots. A recent blip in form from City, Ipswich Town and Leeds United has allowed Southampton to re-enter the tense battle for a return to the Premier League.

A quick-fire brace from Che Adams at St Mary’s, followed by a third from Stuart Armstrong, helped fuel Southampton’s promotion dream. Russell Martin’s side have played 42 games - the same number as City - and could theoretically leapfrog third-placed Leeds by winning their game in hand.

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The battle at the top of the Championship could be subjected to even more twists and turns at the weekend. However, Southampton’s latest win has put more significance on their upcoming game against the Foxes next Tuesday. Leicester will host the Saints at the King Power Stadium, and their position in the top two could be under further threat if results do not go their way.

City may well thwart Southampton’s attempts to overtake them next week, but the Saints could still have a significant say in the promotion race. Russell Martin’s side will travel to Leeds for their final game of the season.

As for Enzo Maresca’s team, the focus needs to be on winning their remaining four games. City host West Bromwich Albion in a lunchtime kick-off on Saturday before facing off against Southampton in midweek. The Foxes will travel to Preston in their penultimate game and will hope to celebrate an immediate return to the Premier League on the final day, at home to Blackburn Rovers.