The rise and rise of Leicester City has baffled everyone, even its team. So are all these things…
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Arsene Wenger’s team pounded Leicester in a 5-2 victory inspired by an Alexis Sanchez hat-trick in September and in the process extended their 22-year unbeaten league record against the Foxes to 18 matches. The Gunners failed to convincingly see off Bournemouth in their last game, winning 2-0 but owing plenty to keeper Petr Cech for keeping the newly-promoted side at bay. Maybe because in that team you have guys that didn’t win a championship yet.
“Now they need to go on a run, a proper run”. Do you happen to know who now sits atop the English Premier League table?
But the task of successfully completing an unexpected title bid proved too much for Liverpool in the closing weeks of the 2013-14 season and many pundits still believe Leicester’s unheralded players, who only previous year were fighting to avoid relegation, will crumble in similar style.
“Fitness wise he is there, he just needs to get competition ready”.
But though they now admit they are in the title race, striker Leonardo Ulloa says they are not getting carried away. But he won’t let the media know it and that keeps the pressure off the players.
Wenger’s only comment on the situation was that his side’s “most common ticket price is lower than average”.
That has made their style of play more effective, which has made them harder to beat.
The city of Leicester itself saw just three people backing the Foxes to a total of £8, with Leigh Herbert the biggest potential victor with £5. Benik Afobe has started brilliantly with three goals since his move from Wolves and I expect him to take full advantage of an underperforming Stoke.
For example, the relationship between the right-back and right-midfielder has to be spot on. It will be played on Sunday lunchtime instead of Saturday afternoon.
Those link-ups are working for Leicester too.
The pair might have taken very different routes to get here, but the battle of Ramsey vs. Kante has become one of the most important of this Premier League season. He wasn’t tipped for the top by any means, and you wouldn’t have found him on any “ones-to-watch” lists, but he was obviously doing a good job.
Jürgen Klopp rested the majority of his first team for their 120-minute midweek loss to West Ham, so former Villa star Christian Benteke could start on the bench.
Arsenal have not won the title since the 2003-04 season.
Until the end of October, Leicester leaked a lot of goals and had to come from behind a lot – they did it six times in their first 11 games to gain 10 points, which gave them a reputation for having a never-say-die attitude.
It is typical of Arsenal in recent times.
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Sunday’s clash will be the first time that Claudio Ranieri’s side go into a top-of-the-table game as favourites to win the league.
