Leicester fans left the King Power Stadium en masse with 20 minutes to go against Liverpool and their Premier League fate could well have been sealed the moment they returned.
If Everton win at Wolves on Saturday and Dean Smith’s side are beaten at Newcastle two days later, Leicester will be relegated to the Championship.
Leicester are firmly rooted in trouble after their loss to Liverpool, languishing in 19th place and two points from safety, and need an extraordinary turn of fortune to preserve their top-flight status.
“It’s not the margin of defeat, it’s the way of defeat. That’s how they fell apart after that first Liverpool goal,” former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Leicester have just gone to bed and from that point on they’ve offered very, very little.
“It’s the same defensive weaknesses. For the first 25 minutes they played very well in this game, they had the best opportunities and put Liverpool back, but as soon as Liverpool’s first goal came in you could almost feel that confidence had just undermined this Leicester side.
“The place went silent almost waiting for the next goal.”
“We haven’t been good this season”
This dark mood soon turned into poisonous anger.
A cacophony of teasing and rattling of seats from supporters who emptied the stadium after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s superb 70th-minute strike echoed loudly through the arena.
Liverpool were already cruising by this point after two goals from Curtis Jones in the first half, and it could have been a whole lot worse had it not been for the visitors’ poor finish.
The fans who stayed until the end shouted “you’re not fit to wear the jersey!” – just as they did in the demoralizing 5-3 defeat at Fulham last time out – and hopes of survival seem to have evaporated with fresh chants of ‘we’re going down’.
Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha witnessed another dismal defeat, shaking his head in the stands full-time alongside director of football Jon Rudkin.
“The crowd is there to see us trying to win football games,” Smith told Sky Sports. “They’re disappointed when you’re two goals down at half-time. You understand that when the goals go your way.
“It’s only my third home game and it’s the first home defeat we’ve had. They’ve been magnificent in the first two against Everton and Wolves. No football fan wants to see their team get hurt. beat.”
When asked why they’ve struggled so hard this season, returning defender Jonny Evans said: “It’s hard to put your finger on it. We haven’t been good this season. That’s the result. We have lost too many games and other teams have been better than us.
“There are still two games left, we will have to give the same effort as we did tonight.”
“I think it’s the end of them tonight”
On this very day, just two years ago, Leicester were riding the crest of a wave as they stunned Chelsea at Wembley to win the FA Cup.
And, on this day in 2016, Leicester traveled to Stamford Bridge where they received a guard of honor from Chelsea after securing their incredible title triumph.
Those dizzying heights now seem far away.
“They look exhausted,” former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville told Sky Sports. “Not just on the pitch but off the pitch, which is worrying.
“The fans obviously turned around, at half-time they were booing and it’s a huge problem for them. You think Leicester may have to win two games – they have huge problems.
“I think they look like a group of players who are beaten. Anything can happen, but I really feel like Leicester tonight is gone and there is no coming back.
“I think that’s the end of them tonight.”
Added ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher: “You hear the fans chanting ‘you’re not fit to wear the shirt…’ in training tomorrow, I don’t know how they get up for this Newcastle game. “
“Every fairy tale has an end”
As Leicester slid to another ‘appalling’ defeat on Monday, many Foxes fans took to social media to express their dismay at the position they find themselves in…
Kevin: Many Leicester players look like they’ve given up already, and they’re probably the ones who knew they were leaving this summer anyway! They know who they are!
Alan: Ask us not to invest. Instead of investing after the Champions League and Premier League titles in successive seasons, we have effectively backtracked this season.
John: Unlike some of the other teams, Leicester City showed no hearts. Some of the departing stars should be ashamed.
Jamie: Every fairy tale has an end. They’re writing the last few pages as we speak. Falls from Grace don’t get much bigger than that.
Paul: Goodbye Leicester. Absolutely abysmal.
