UNO News Net: EPL 2016: Leicester 1 - Crystal Palace 0: Riyad Mahrez strike sends Foxes eight points clear at the top of the Premier League

Riyad Mahrez gave Leicester the lead on 34 minutes by turning in Jamie Vardy's cross from six yard out
Foxes appealed for a penalty when Crystal Palace defender literally pulled Robert Huth's shirt off in the box
Leicester move eight points clear at the top of the Premier League but Tottenham have a game in hand
Home fans gave Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri a standing ovation at the beginning of the match
Palace remain in 15th place on 33 points and could be dragged into a relegation fight after Norwich won
Alan Pardew's side are without a win in 13 Premier League games, nine of which were defeats

Published: 16:52 GMT, 19 March 2016 | Updated: 17:26 GMT, 19 March 2016

When Claudio Ranieri walked along the touchline to take his seat before this match, something odd occurred; something which appeared to sum up the mood of the football nation.

Crystal Palace fans in the Main Stand began to applaud. Ranieri acknowledged them and several then rose to their feet to clap the opposition manager as he made his way to the bench.

Ranieri has no ties to Palace; there is no deep well of affection for him here. It was partly a throwback to old-fashioned gallantry. Yet it represented something more significant. Leicester City have become the champion of any club outside the big five.

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Riyad Mahrez (third from left) is mobbed by his Leicester team-mates after giving his side the lead after 34 minutes at Selhurst Park

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Mahrez is embraced by Leicester's top scorer Jamie Vardy who provided the assist for the Algerian to score his 16th of the season

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Mahrez (second from right) turned in Vardy's low whipped cross from six yards out after missing a good chance earlier in the first half

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Danny Drinkwater picked up the ball five times in the build up to Leicester's goal, exchanging passes with defenders in his own half

Many of those Palace fans stayed on at the end of yet another defeat to wait for the Leicester players to make their way down the tunnel. And this time applauded their opponents off the pitch.

Leicester’s tale is more than improbable; it was inconceivable. But no longer. Leicester City are heading towards the Premier League title and as such they give hope to all apparent lost causes everywhere. And Ranieri, as genial a man as can be found in football, is going to be a winner at the age of 64.

One-nil wins are the markers of title-winning sides with three in the last four games. They survived their scares. In the 90th minute Scott Dann’s header was taken down superbly by Damien Delaney, who executed a fine volley which ricocheted off the post.

But for the most part they controlled this game and looked nerveless. Leicester simply do everything well and no other team in the Premier League, other than Tottenham, have been able to say anything like that this season.

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Crystal Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennesey thwarts Mahrez from close range after an excellent Leicester move in the first half

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Leicester defender Robert Huth challenges Crystal Palace striker Emmanuel Adebayor in the first half at Selhurst Park

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Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha (right) gets his boot on the ball as Leicester's Mark Albrighton attempts to hold him off

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German defender Huth changes his torn shorts during the first half as central defensive partner Wes Morgan receives instructions

They rode a couple of difficult moments in the first half. When Bolasie dashed down the left and crossed for Wilfried Zaha, the winger really should have scored but shanked his shot into the stands.

When Bolasie weaved his way through their defence on 37 minutes, it was Kasper Schmeichel who came to their rescue with a superb save with his foot.

That said, they too had been denied, on 20 minutes when Danny Drinkwater, in front of England manager Roy Hodgson had played in Riyad Mahrez with a superb ball. Wayne Hennessy narrowed the angle and saved well from the Leicester man with Damien Delaney ultimately clearing the rebound.

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Vardy (second from right) bursts past Crystal Palace captain Mile Jedinak as the Australian midfielder reaches to pull the striker back

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Leicester's Japanese striker Shinji Okazaki goes to ground after a challenge from Palace winger Wilfried Zaha

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Crystal Palace's French midfielder Yohan Cabaye (left) controls the ball as he hold's off Leicester's Okazaki

When Leicester did take the lead it felt like a goal you had seen several times before this season. Mahrez crossed from the right and Palace cleared but the ball was worked across to Vardy on the left. He took on his man, found space and fired in a cross.

By now Mahrez had drifted in, Pape Sourae unaccountably failing to follow him, and was unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box to finish. That Vardy-Mahrez combination is propelling them to the title.

Soare’s half would end in a booking and then substitution at the interval; it had been a poor 45minutes. Emmanuel Adebayor also went off at half time, and Bolasie went up-front on his own with Bakary Sako playing down the right and Zaha on the left.

Palace defender Scott Dann managed to remove Robert Huth's shirt as his side defended a corner but no penalty was given

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Mahrez runs with the ball as Palace midfielder Cabaye (left), Joe Ledley and Jedinak (right) pursue the Algerian

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Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri watches from the sidelines as his side holds on to a 1-0 lead for a second successive game

Nonetheless, Leicester almost added to their lead on 46 minutes, Shinji Okazaki turning and shooting just after. Thereafter, despite Palace’s wretched Premier League form – it is 13 without a win now nine of which have been defeats – Leicester had to absorb a degree of second half pressure.

Zaha and Bolasie both looked tricky to handle at times. But crosses were invariably dealt with by Schmeichel while Wes Morgan and Robert Huth simply cleared anything up on the edge of the box to prevent clear goal-scoring opportunities.

In one glorious moment Scott Dann illustrated the menace of shirt pulling, literally taking the shirt off Robert Huth’s back by pulling it off over his head. No penalty was awarded.

Ultimately it didn’t matter. By the end, the Leicester fans refused to leave and simply stood in their enclosure repeatedly singing: ‘And now you’re going to believe us/We’re going to win the league.’ We all do.