Leicester’s Islam Slimani and Jamie Vardy deepen Sunderland gloom

Arsene Wenger says consistency will be the key to achieving a top four finish as Arsenal climbed above Manchester United and closed the gap on Manchester City and Liverpool with a 3-0 victory against West Ham United. Speaking to the BBC after the game, the boss touched on how confidence is returning to his squad after their appalling run of form. “West Ham defended well in the first half and we needed to find a solution in the second half. “We come out of a difficult period and our confidence goes quickly and comes back slowly.

Middlesbrough caretaker boss Steve Agnew insists his players remain positive, despite being seven points from safety in the Premier League Middlesbrough boss Steve Agnew is convinced his side can beat the Premier League drop this season. But Agnew insists the players still believe they will be playing in the top flight next season. "I'm confident - it's not only three points that bring you closer to the rest, but if results go (our way) elsewhere, it will bring pressure elsewhere," he said. But Agnew has taken just one point from a possible nine since he took charge at the Riverside Stadium. If we do that and remain stable in term of the game plan and see that through then I'm very confident."

Craig Shakespeare credits Leicester's win over Liverpool as a confidence-booster that led to their current win streak. Former Leicester boss Nigel Pearson has told Craig Shakespeare to take the manager's job if he is offered it by the club's owners. Craig Shakespeare has plenty of support to take the full-time manager's job at Leicester City. Pearson was sacked by Leicester in the summer of 2015, just weeks after masterminding an unlikely escape from relegation. Having worked alongside Pearson for so long was there any awkwardness now that Shakespeare has the job?

Leicester ready for hardened Atletico 11 April 2017, 05:51 Tweet Leicester City have shown a remarkable ability to defy the odds but face their sternest test yet in the Champions League quarterfinal against Atletico Madrid, the team they have replaced as European football's most fashionable underdogs. Before Leicester enchanted the sporting world last year with their miraculous Premier League title win, Atletico had worked similar wonders in 2014 by breaking the strangehold of Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga. Now the two sides who have punched delightfully above their weight meet in the first leg in Madrid on Wednesday – but it is Leicester who remain the European novices while Atletico have grown into true continental heavyweights under Diego Simeone. Unlike Leicester, who after their barely believable title win experienced an emphatic downturn in results which ultimately cost coach Claudio Ranieri his job in February, there was no difficult follow-up campaign for Atletico.

Diego Simeone has said that the Foxes share similar traits with his Atletico Madrid side ahead of their clash on Wednesday. The Foxes visit Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Champions League hoping to avenge their UEFA Cup loss 20 years ago. Leicester lost 2-1 at the Vicente Calderon in 1997 -- a result they would gladly take this time around. Atletico Madrid Atletico Madrid Leicester City Leicester City 6:45 PM UTC Leg 1 Game Details GameCast Lineups and Stats The key is again going to be keeping the game tight, trying to knick an away goal and then relying on another magical night at the King Power Stadium in the second leg. Atletico Madrid eliminated Leicester City from the 1997 UEFA Cup in controversial circumstances.