Friday 27 November 2015 11:37, UK
Leicester's remarkable ascent to the top of the Premier League table has been the story of the season so far, but a tough run of fixtures will test their mettle. Here, we reflect on their rise and assess the challenges ahead as they prepare to face Manchester United on Saturday Night Football…
From staring down the barrel of relegation to gatecrashing the elite in the space of a few months. Leicester's turnaround has been unprecedented, and it dates back to a 2-1 win over West Ham in April. The Foxes were in dire straits and seven points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table, but Andy King's 86th-minute winner halted what looked like an inevitable slide towards the Championship.
Since that afternoon at the King Power Stadium, Leicester have taken 50 points from a possible 66 in the Premier League, winning 15, drawing five and losing just two games. It was widely anticipated that the departures of manager Nigel Pearson and midfielder Esteban Cambiasso would derail their progress this summer, but they have continued to defy expectations under Claudio Ranieri.
Jamie Vardy has led from the front with an astonishing scoring run which has put him one goal away from breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy's Premier League record for netting in consecutive games, while Ranieri has also got the best out of the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Marc Albrighton and Danny Drinkwater in a devastatingly effective system which favours rapid counter-attacking over possession.
Leicester have scored more goals than any other Premier League side with 28, but perhaps their most impressive attribute has been their mental toughness. Ranieri frequently talks up his side's "amazing" team spirit, and that togetherness shines through on the pitch. This season they are top for points taken from losing positions with 10, and they also lead the way for goals scored after the 80th minute with seven. Leicester simply don't know when their beaten.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher feels the Foxes have also benefitted from opponents underestimating them. "I think it comes down to a lack of respect towards Leicester," he said on Monday Night Football. "They're still not getting treated like a top team. They're still seen as little Leicester, we'll go out and beat them. You have to start treating this team differently."
While Leicester's achievements deserve huge acclaim, it is also true that they have been rather fortunate with fixtures. Since April, the only top sides they have faced in 22 games are Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham, and they have only beaten one side to have finished in the top eight last season (Swansea).
Those statistics take nothing away from Leicester's brilliant form, but they do highlight the scale of the challenge ahead. The next month brings home games against Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City and away trips to Everton, Liverpool and Swansea. It could hardly be tougher.
Gary Neville also gave his verdict on Ranieri's side on Monday Night Football. "I hope it goes on for a long time because I think everyone's enjoying watching them," he said. "United got a sobering experience there last season, so they've already suffered the shock of what can happen at Leicester."
Indeed, Neville believes all of the top teams will be clued up to Leicester's threat. "Eventually teams will start giving them respect, it's a really good point," he added "They've been treating them like a bottom six team, but Everton, Liverpool, United, City, Chelsea will not treat them with disrespect. They can't. It's impossible to now. Vardy and Mahrez have been fantastic."
So how will Leicester cope with their tough schedule? "In the next few weeks I suspect they will drop quite a few points," said Neville. "I think they will tail off because teams will pay them more respect and I think they will fall down the league, But still to an incredibly respectable position.
"Looking at Leicester, I see them finishing around eighth," he added. "I do think they'll tail off from where they are, but that isn't a criticism. If you had said to me at the start of the season that Leicester would finish eighth, I would have said that is a memorable season. That's not being disrespectful."
The odds are stacked against Leicester, but the underdogs tag is nothing new, and they've thrived on it since April. Leicester's progress might be slowed in the weeks ahead but whatever happens next, their rise will rightly go down in Premier League history.
Watch Leicester v Manchester United live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 5pm on Saturday
