Leicester City getting foxy

By Christian Bouchard

Fans of English football in Windsor have been admiring the play of Leicester City all season long. In a season of great performances, knocking off Manchester City 3-1 in week 25 certainly proved they are legitimate contenders in the Premier League.

Despite being virtually written off at the start of the season, it is clearly time to start giving them their overdue credit.

The big question many are now wondering is with only 12 games remaining in the Premier League, whether or not they have what it takes to win the league. Without a doubt they can. Coming off a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Arsenal after a header from Danny Wellbeckin the fifth minute of stoppage time, Leicester now only tops the league by two points with Tottenham and Arsenal, both tied with 51 points. Things are certainly starting to heat up.

But in the end, Leicester is within striking distance. Head Coach Claudio Ranieri has turned this team into the real deal. They completely dismantled Manchester City and are now riding a confidence that has them playing some of the best soccer in the world. Not to mention, if not for being down a man with a red card for the majority of the second half, they may have even beaten Arsenal to build on their lead.

There are some players, such as Danny Drinkwater and Marc Albrighton, who have taken the soccer world by surprise and are turning into household names. Time after time this season, Leicester has proven to be the best team in the Barclay’s Premier League.

All through the team there are quality players, particularly with N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez. Many teams play with a second striker and they end up too deep but Shinji Okazaki is proving he is more than capable of getting it done on his own. His chemistry with Jamie Vardy is exceptional and because of it they are capable of hurting any team in the league.

Tactically they have been spot on. The distances between them were exactly right and defensively they were well organized, which means they are extremely hard to break down. It is for that reason Leicester can shock the world and win the Premier League this season.

In fact, after 26 games played, the bookies have installed Leicester as Premier League title favourites.

Despite leading the league at various stages during the season, many were convinced Arsenal or Manchester City would eventually upstage Claudio Ranieri’s pre-season 5,000/1 shots.

But as Leicester celebrated their stunning 3-1 win against Manchester City, bookmakers declared them 7/4 favourites with Arsenal and City both at 3/1. Despite the loss to Arsenal, bookmakers say Leicester are still the favourites.

They may not have the league superstars like Sergio Aguero or Wyne Rooney, but they are the best team in the league.

The traditional thinking that a team must spend money in the Premier League is no longer valid. This is largely thanks to Leicester City.

In fact, the total cost of the Manchester City squad sent out by Manuel Pellegrini  in week 25 was roughly £224 million (about $443 million Canadian). This is compared to the cost of Claudio Ranieri’s starting eleven which is a fraction over £20 million ($39.6 million Canadian).

History shows that Leicester is going to win the league. Five points clear with 13 games left has historically been more than enough of a cushion for fans to start getting carried away.

It has not been since 1995-96 that a Premier League team blew a bigger lead. Newcastle threw it away with a nine-point lead after 25 games.

On only five other occasions has a team leading after 25 games been outplayed for the title. They were Manchester United in 1997-98 and in 2001-02, Arsenal in 2002-03 and in 2007-08 and Chelsea two seasons ago.

Sure, Leicester has been playing their best soccer all year but so are Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City. Of course it won’t be easy to win the league but one thing is for sure – they must be taken as a serious threat after having so much success all season long.

Expect Leicester to be hoisting a cup in the very near future.