When the Premier League comes around every season, we football fans love to give our predictions on who will be crowned champions, who will finish in the top four and who will be saying hello to the Championship.
When we talked about the potential champions this season, the big guns such as Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal were inevitably brought up in the conversation, but Leicester, for obvious reasons, were not in the discussion.
They simply aren’t a team people associate with challenging for the league. If you had said to someone at the start of the season that Leicester City Football Club would be the league leaders heading in towards the Christmas break, the answer would have been on the lines of absolutely no chance. The Foxes were only promoted into England’s top flight a season ago and are very much still the new boys on the block, but you would not think so based on the way they are currently playing.
One topic that frustrates football fans with the so-called ‘lesser’ clubs in the Premier League is the style of football they can play. Looking at the likes of West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland and so forth, they are very much in the league simply trying to survive, playing football that revolves around sitting deep and looking to do nothing but cancel the opposition out. Leicester have bucked the trend; treating their fans to high quality and free flowing attacking football this season, and that is how it should be.
The style of play comes from the main man in charge down at the King Power Stadium, Claudio Ranieri. Taking over the managerial role at Leicester this season, he has brought a fearless attitude to his team. When they rock up, they believe they can beat anyone on any given day. Ranieri has been able to bring belief to his players that perhaps wasn’t there the season before.
When looking at the individuals representing Leicester out on the pitch, they arguably have the best three players in the Premier League on current form, starting with the man that everyone is talking about on the streets, Jamie Vardy. The perfect mould for a modern day forward involves the attributes of finishing, pace, strength, agility and being committed to every second of the game. Vardy has all of those and with that being the case he has been able to overtake Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of most consecutive Premier League goals.
When looking at someone who can not only score but make assists as well, then there’s no looking any further than Riyad Mahrez. The man is an absolute gem. Despite Vardy being the main headline for Leicester this season, many still believe that Mahrez is the heartbeat of this team. His first touch, dribbling ability, finishing and passing accuracy see him one of the most exciting Premier League players available, perfectly exemplified by his brilliant solo goal against Chelsea. If Leicester are to go close come May, then you cannot help but think this man will have a crucial role to play.
Having looked at the attacking options, it is also important to laud the defensive options. Playing the holding role, N’Golo Kante is a colossus in midfield. Vardy and Mahrez have got all the credit this season and it is easy to understand why, but Kante as been an unheralded success this season. His ability to take the ball off opposition players has proved crucial for the Foxes this season, with the most interceptions in the top flight and ranking amongst the top three for tackles. As seen with Arsenal and Francis Coquelin, teams need players that can maintain the same work rate throughout a game and do the dirty work, this man is certainly that.
With those three players being the leaders in this Leicester City rise, they will certainly have to continue their good form if they are to go close in winning the Premier League. The biggest concern with Leicester going forward is potentially losing these players to the bigger clubs. There are bound to be countless suitors come the January window; but should they stay a title challenge is not out of the question.
However, even if the Foxes falter in the second half of the season, it has still been a wonderful achievement. Compared to the likes of Arsenal and the two clubs from Manchester, Leicester can only spend pocket change on players. Money is not everything, and the Foxes are proving that.
Whether they can maintain this level of performance, only time will tell, but with the Premier League lacking consistency and quality, this is a fantastic time for Leicester to be top of the league. Will they win the title? Probably not, but finishing within the top four is certainly achievable. Leicester City are here to be taken seriously and are top of the league deservedly, not by luck.
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