Football

Leicester City took a giant step towards securing an immediate return to the Premier League with a resounding 5-0 victory over Southampton on Tuesday. Abdul Fatawu's hat-trick, along with goals from Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy, propelled the Foxes to the brink of promotion.Leicester, who were relegated from the top flight last season, have been in impressive form throughout the Championship campaign. However, a recent dip in results had raised concerns about their ability to maintain their promotion push.But Brendan Rodgers' side responded in emphatic fashion against Southampton, who had been in contention for automatic promotion themselves. Fatawu opened the scoring in the 25th minute, racing onto Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's pass and slotting home.Ndidi doubled Leicester's lead just after the hour mark, heading in from close range. Fatawu then secured the points with a stunning individual effort, cutting inside from the right and unleashing an unstoppable shot across Alex McCarthy.Vardy, who has been in excellent form this season, showed his class with a clinical finish to make it 4-0. Fatawu completed his hat-trick nine minutes from time, assisted by Vardy.The victory moves Leicester four points clear of Leeds United with two games remaining. A win in either of their remaining fixtures against Preston North End or Blackburn Rovers will guarantee their return to the Premier League.For Southampton, the defeat ends their hopes of automatic promotion. They now face a battle to secure a playoff spot and maintain their hopes of reaching the top flight.