Arsenal bottle title challenge as Gary Lineker strips naked - Inside Leicester's title win

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Leicester City were perched at the summit of the Premier League at Christmas a decade ago. The Foxes had embarked on a fairytale beginning to the 2015/16 campaign under manager Claudio Ranieri.

Most pundits anticipated Leicester would revert to type and plummet down the standings - especially given their narrow escape from the drop the season before. Yet the complete reverse unfolded at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester proceeded to overcome astronomical 5000-1 odds to secure their maiden top-flight crown in what stands as arguably sport's greatest underdog tale. A full decade on from their legendary championship triumph, their achievement continues to captivate supporters' imaginations.

Here's a nostalgic glimpse back at that unforgettable campaign through the perspectives of experts and observers:

With the deck stacked firmly against them, most observers anticipated Leicester would fade in favour of the Premier League's more established powerhouses. That sentiment persisted even following Leicester's stunning 3-1 demolition of Manchester City at the Etihad in February 2016.

Reflecting on that victory, Alan Shearer commented: "For the first time the dynamics have changed. Everyone expected them to blow up but not many people do now - they are now favourites to win the league and they've never been in that position before.

"I can only draw comparisons to a similar situation when I was as Blackburn and we won the league. We were a similarly sized club and we took the big boys on. They didn't like it and that's what Leicester are doing now. We were unbeaten in 10 games. but then comes the crunch. We only won two of the last six games - we fell over the line.

"We won it, probably because Man United weren't good enough on the final day but I think it's inevitable at some stage that the pressure will get to them."

Fellow pundit Ian Wright vehemently rejected that prediction and was ultimately vindicated as Leicester secured the championship.

In terms of the betting markets, Italian manager Ranieri was tipped as the most likely candidate for dismissal virtually from his first day at the King Power Stadium. Yet as Leicester closed in on glory, the odds shifted dramatically in their favour.

Nevertheless, considering their stance regarding Leicester, Ranieri refused to be swept up in the speculation. He remarked: "I do not trust the bookmakers. At the start of the season they were saying it was Ranieri for the sack."

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In a calculated move to ease the burden on his team, Ranieri insisted that Tottenham were actually the front-runners for the crown.

"Everyone is speaking about Leicester but nobody about Tottenham," he declared. "Tottenham, in my opinion, are favourites. When they defend and when they attack, they know what they want.

"We are the surprise, that is fantastic, a good energy, but if we are realistic, the real competitors are Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham."

As it turned out, Ranieri was delightfully mistaken.

Ranieri wasn't alone in his scepticism about City's chances of winning the title. Club legend Gary Lineker also doubted their prospects, even vowing to present live TV in his underwear if they triumphed.

He made his bold promise on social media, declaring: "YES! If Leicester win the @premierleague I'll do the first MOTD of next season in just my undies."

When Leicester did indeed clinch the title, Lineker kept his word, appearing in a pair of Leicester-themed boxer shorts.

While Ranieri was heaping pressure on Spurs, another team feeling the sting of missed opportunity was Arsenal. The Gunners had thrust themselves into contention with Danny Welbeck's winner at the Emirates on Valentine's Day , reducing the gap to just two points.

However, consecutive losses caused their title bid to crumble, leading former manager Arsene Wenger to express 'regret and guilt' over missing out on the championship.

He confessed: "All the big clubs experienced last season a regret and a feeling of guilt but that would take something away from Leicester, who had an exceptional season. When you lose only three games in a season in a difficult league like that, you are a fantastic champion.

"[There is] guilt because you would not have predicted Leicester win the league, so all the other teams would say: 'We should have come in front of Leicester.'

"You would understand you could lose against City, United, Liverpool or Tottenham – not Tottenham! – the other big clubs, but you should beat Leicester. But they had an exceptional season and you have to congratulate them."

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One of the pivotal moments of the campaign was the notorious Battle of the Bridge as Spurs surrendered a two-goal advantage at Stamford Bridge, gifting City the crown. Prior to that clash, Chelsea pair Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard admitted they were backing Leicester to clinch the title.

Ex-Chelsea and Spurs player Graham Roberts launched a scathing attack on the duo for their remarks. He declared: "You can think it but you don't need to say it. It doesn't look like it's going to come to fruition now because Tottenham drew [against West Brom ], but they were ridiculous comments. These are supposed to be professional players and if they'd given their all this season, Chelsea wouldn't be in the position they're in now.

"They got one of the best managers in the world [ Jose Mourinho ] sacked by not trying earlier in the season, and now all they want to do is stop Tottenham winning the league. If that's where their professionalism takes them they're not very good professionals, because they should want to win every game."

In fairness, Fabregas and Hazard weren't alone in supporting City.

N'Golo Kante was quickly hailed as a game-changer for Leicester, ahead of a move to Chelsea, who activated his release clause.

The Frenchman's impact in the East Midlands didn't go unnoticed by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry , who declared: "He's my signing of the season. I think he's been tremendous."

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Jamie Vardy , another key player in Leicester's title-winning campaign, also made headlines. The former Fleetwood Town striker netted 24 league goals that season, even breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy's record by scoring in 11 consecutive games.

However, ex-England star Michael Owen wasn't entirely convinced by Vardy's prowess in front of goal, stating: "Even when he was scoring loads of goals last season he wasn't convincing me as a natural finisher.

He added: "But then again Alan Shearer used a lot of brute force and power. He was a different type – not everyone finishes the same way. Vardy does contribute to the team with his running into the channels and his closing down. But he's in the team to score goals and we've seen a contrast from last season."

Owen further elaborated on Vardy's style, saying: "He's the type of centre forward or type of finisher that is very much head down and hit it. He goes for power a lot. He's not necessarily a real cute, classy type of finisher.

"He doesn't once lift his head. He almost hits it through goalkeepers. To be a finisher like that you need a lot of luck – sometimes you'll have it, sometimes you won't."

Vardy eventually went on to score 200 goals for City and has now taken his goalscoring talents to Italian side Cremonese. You wonder if Owen is regretting his comments.

Another of City's title heroes was Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez , who scored 17 goals and notched 10 assists. That form was good enough to see Mahrez as one of the favourites for that year's Ballon d'Or.

French outlet France Football , who organise the award, conducted a fan poll after confirming 30 nominees. And Mahrez emerged as an outstanding candidate, having led the initial vote ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo , Lionel Messi and teammate Vardy.

Mahrez was eventually pipped to the award by Ronaldo, albeit he still finished a respectable seventh, with Vardy one place behind.

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The contributions of Mahrez, Kante and Vardy cannot be understated, while City also had the likes of Shinji Okazaki, Robert Huth, Kasper Schmeichel and many more to thank for their success.

But one man had very limited contributions. After the exit of Esteban Cambiasso, City bolstered their midfield ranks with the signing of Gokhan Inler.

And Ranieri claimed that his arrival could be as transformative as Diego Maradona. He stated: "I remember when nobody wanted to go to Naples. But after Maradona everyone wants to go to Naples. If we start to build maybe in three or four years a lot of players will want to come to Leicester. Why not?".

Inler only made five league appearances before he transferred to Turkish team Besiktas.