Ranieri: Leicester's last five games will be terrible

Despite being within nine points of claiming a remarkable Premier League title, affable manager Claudio Ranieri believes his Leicester City squad faces a "terrible" stretch of games to end the season.

The Foxes collected their fifth consecutive win and clean sheet Sunday courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Sunderland. But it is the remaining five matches on the calendar that worry Ranieri, whose side is inching closer to a place in history.

"But we haven't won yet," the Italian told newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. "We've reached the Champions League, actually just the playoffs, but our last five matches are terrible.

"(Second-placed) Tottenham isn't giving away anything and we must remain focused."

Ranieri said he realised during the preseason retreat in Austria that he had a special team on his hands. Leicester famously won seven of its last nine games to stave off relegation last season, but fixtures against West Ham, Swansea City, Everton, Manchester United, and Chelsea still lie ahead.

The most important part of his job right now is keeping things under control. Given the global attention on an otherwise unsung city in the centre of England, Ranieri explained that it is up to him to portray an image of cool.

But he appeared to hold back tears after the Sunderland win, one of the few times he has betrayed that happy-go-lucky demeanour.

"Seeing all those people around us, entire families on buses with Leicester shirts that followed us to Sunderland, really hit me hard," he said. "You realise how important football is in moments like that. When this sport is able to provide such emotions, you can't remain indifferent."

Leicester continues its march to a first top-flight crown at home Sunday against West Ham.