Wounded Foxes bare teeth in survival fight

2016 champion Leicester bids to pull off great escape in relegation battle

Seven years after producing the biggest shock in Premier League history, Leicester City is now trying to pull off a great escape.

The Foxes stunned the world of soccer by winning the league title in 2016 as a 5,000-1 outsider. Now they are attempting to beat the odds once again by securing top-flight survival in a season when the threat of relegation has never been far away.

While a 1-1 draw with relegation rival Leeds United on Tuesday did little to ease Leicester's concerns, it showcased a fighting spirit that will be essential if the club is to avoid the drop.

"It's optimistic because they are good players. We can be a good team," manager Dean Smith said. "If we cut out the lapses of concentration from set-pieces we'll be fine."

Veteran striker Jamie Vardy rolled back the years by equalizing in the 80th minute after Luis Sinisterra put Leeds in front.

Vardy was the talisman of Leicester's title success, scoring 24 goals. As a substitute at Elland Road, he looked as lethal as ever when he swept a shot past Illan Meslier, but at the age of 36 he has become an increasingly peripheral figure.

Vardy's goal on Tuesday was his first in the league since October.

How Leicester could do with a peak Vardy to help fire it to safety in the closing stages of the season.

"Pleased for him as it's not been a fruitful season, but it's nice to have him scoring with five games to go," Smith said.

The draw against Leeds left Leicester one point and one place above the relegation zone, with the bottom three teams all having played a game fewer by Tuesday.

But Leicester can take comfort from the fact that it does have history when it comes to pulling off an escape act.

While the title success is rightly considered the greatest in the league's history, the Foxes' achievement the season before was remarkable in its own right when a run of seven wins in their last nine games saw them rise from the bottom of the table to avoid relegation.

Leeds is also in the thick of the battle to stay up, in 16th place, one point ahead of Leicester.

"The dressing room is really disappointed but we have a point and we have to play five games, being ready to be at our best," manager Javi Gracia said.