No match for our heart and soul: Claudio Ranieri

Leicester City midfielder Marc Albrighton (centre) celebrates after scoring in their Premier League match against Swansea in Leicester on Sunday. (Photo: AFP)

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has steeled his fairytale-chasing players for a pivotal trip to Manchester United, but believes that there is no match for his team’s “heart and soul”.

Leicester, who dramatically escaped relegation from the Premier League last season, went eight points clear at the top of the table after crushing Swansea City 4-0 on Sunday and require five points from their last three games to claim the club’s first ever championship.

However, Tottenham Hotspur can trim Leicester’s lead back to five points by beating West Bromwich Albion on Monday and with United buoyant after their FA Cup semi-final victory over Everton, Ranieri warned that the race was still far from run.

“I’m optimistic, I’m positive. And I know it is not easy because in my mind, Tottenham will win all the matches and then we need five points,” said Ranieri, whose side host Everton in their final home game before finishing the season at outgoing champions Chelsea.

“It’s not easy. Three matches, two away and one at home. And we must be very, very concentrated as well today.”

Leicester were missing 22-goal top scorer Jamie Vardy through suspension against Swansea, but his deputy, Leonardo Ulloa, made sure that he was not missed by contributing a brace, sandwiched by strikes from Riyad Mahrez and Marc Albrighton.

Vardy also stands to miss the trip to Old Trafford after accepting a Football Association misconduct charge over his furious reaction to being sent off in the 2-2 draw with West Ham United and Ranieri knows that Louis van Gaal’s United will be a different prospect to sleepwalking Swansea.

Leicester’s fans, who created a riotous atmosphere, celebrated victory with a sardonic chant of “4-0 to the one-man team!”

Ranieri said that the emotion fuelling his side made them a formidable proposition.

“Why must we be nervous ” the Italian asked reporters. “We enjoy all the season. We are doing a fantastic season.We achieve a lot. Now there are only three matches we know are very important for our history. But for this reason we give everything.

“We play with our heart and it’s difficult to beat (a team) who play or fight with heart and soul.”