Ranieri: Leicester dreaming of Premier League title

Claudio Ranieri says Leicester City are dreaming of becoming Premier League champions after defeating Southampton 1-0 on Sunday.

After Tottenham were held to a 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Saturday, Leicester opened up a seven-point lead at the summit through Wes Morgan’s first-half header.

The Premier League leaders now need four wins from their remaining six games in order to clinch a maiden top-flight title.

Ranieri insists Leicester must remain professional, but are hoping to take the opportunity to end the season triumphantly.

“We are dreaming, if we fight we can do something and we must continue. It’s important to stay very calm and maintain our feet on the ground,” he told Sky Sports.

Ranieri added to BBC Sport: “Everyone is expecting something more for us and we are in the clouds, but we have to keep concentrating. 

“We want to stay there and continue. If the others are better than us then congratulations. We know it will be hard – in the next match Sunderland will be fighting to survive.

“I don’t want to think about [being] champions, I want to focus on the match. There is a chance for us to be champions this season, but we have to be professional.”

Southampton had a chance to go ahead before Morgan’s goal, but although Danny Simpson appeared to block Sadio Mane’s shot on target with his arm no penalty was awarded by referee Michael Oliver.

Ranieri suggested the right decision was made as Simpson’s arm was kept close to his body.

“They had a fantastic chance in the first half, but we worked so hard,” he said.

“It was a normal run by Danny Simpson, with the arms close to the body. If the ball does not hit his arm it hits his body.”