Leicester in top form in blowout of Swansea

Photo: BEN STANSALL, AFP/Getty Images

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Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez celebrates scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Leicester City and Swansea at King Power Stadium in Leicester, central England on April 24, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images less ^[1]

Photo: BEN STANSALL, AFP/Getty Images

No Jamie Vardy ^[3], no problem for Leicester.

Even with its top scorer suspended, the English Premier League ^[4] leader still overpowered Swansea 4-0 on Sunday to move another step closer to collecting the trophy.

The only team that can catch Leicester City is Tottenham, but the preseason 5,000-1 outsider has its destiny in itsr own hands. Tottenham is eight points behind Leicester in second place going into Monday's game against West Bromwich Albion.

Regardless of what Tottenham does, Leicester will be guaranteed the top flight for the first time in its 132-year history by collecting five points from its last three games.

Leicester got its biggest win in three months. Vardy's replacement, Leonardo Ulloa ^[5], scored twice after Riyad Mahrez ^[6]'s opener and Marc Albrighton ^[7] completed the rout.

After the match, Mahrez became the first African to be named English football's Player of the Year.

By extending its unbeaten run to nine, Leicester knocked Manchester City and Arsenal out of the title race a year after the central England team's priority was fighting relegation.

Fourth-place Arsenal, which has gone 12 years without winning the league, was held 0-0 by Sunderland in Sunday's other EPL game. It was a valuable point for Sunderland, which climbed out of the relegation zone by going above Norwich on goal difference. Arsenal's season now rests on holding fourth place to qualify for the Champions League ^[8].

Manchester United is five points behind in fifth.

United also has an FA Cup final to look forward to after advancing past Everton in the semifinals Saturday. It will face Crystal Palace on May 21.

In the other semifinal Sunday, Palace beat Watford 2-1 with all three goals coming from headers.

Italy: Gianluigi Buffon ^[9] saved a late penalty and Juventus took a big step toward a fifth consecutive Serie A title with a 2-1 win at Fiorentina. If Napoli fails to win at Roma on Monday, Juventus will clinch.