Will this be Leicester’s strongest season in the Premier League since their 2016 Championship?

Leicester reacts to Leicester City's Premier League Title Success on May 03, 2016 in Leicester, England.

(May 2, 2016 - Source: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images Europe)

Be afraid, be very afraid!

With Arsenal on the ropes and down on the floor, a familiar foe was standing right over their carcasses; Jamie Vardy. Two goals for the English international in a 3-0 victory for the Foxes meant that the Gunners had officially become his favorite customer. With a tally of 8 goals against them in the Premier League, against no else has he scored more. Rodgers' boys had not only inflicted a third loss in three matches for Emery's charges; but pulled off a Thanos and the magical stones on them. With 3 snaps of the fingers, more of rippling of the net in this context, Arsenal's hopes of finishing in the top four had vanished into thin air, almost at the speed of Leicester light or sound of their red agonies. The Foxes themselves had almost nothing to lose but plenty of pride to gain. A top 7 finish was almost out of reach given how well Wolves and Everton had performed in the preceding month leading to the fixture. Rather, on that 28th of April 2019, a bloody message had been imprinted on plain tables with the claws of a Fox, "they were coming for all of them when the season restarts." This time not as Foxes wearing sheep clothing, as they did in the 2015/16 when they won the Premier League title with odds of 5,000-1. But as the real deal, untamed and unleashed!

Statistically 3rd best in the Premier League?

Back to the main question, could 2019/20 really be Leicester's strongest season since winning the title in 2016? Well, the short answer is an emphatic yes! Just for kicks, since the appointment of former Liverpool manager in February of 2019, only champions Manchester City and European champions Liverpool have won more Premier League points than the King Power residents. Not a bad company to keep. If we are to extrapolate this historical data, we learn that it's pretty realistic for them to finish 3rd behind the aforementioned two. Not to worry, we are not putting all our eggs in that one basket, there is more wind in their sails, but first; let's look at how they've started.

“Upfront, we all know what they’ve got; some good old English speed and killer instincts in Jamie Vardy. The befitting introduction to this piece. The 32-year-old scored 14 goals in 17 Premier League appearances since the arrival of Rodgers on March 3. Only Aubameyang and Mane came close to that record with 12 goals each. ”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Jamie Vardy and James Maddison of Leicester City applauds fans after the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Leicester City at Anfield on October 05, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 4, 2019 - Source: FELIPE TRUEBA/Getty Images Europe)

Foxes don't false start

At the time of writing this piece, Leicester were in 4th place, just two points off second-placed Manchester City. It had only been 8/38 games into the season but the table quite accurately told how the 20 teams had fared. The Foxes in particular could have been higher up the pecking order given their performances had been miles, better than the results. That rampant display against Arsenal at the close of the 2018/19 season was indeed no clouds without rain. In their first 8 matches of the new campaign, they lost only two.

A narrow 0-1 lost at Manchester United and 1-2 away at Liverpool. In the latter, the Reds actually needed a 90+5 Milner penalty to get all 3 points and register a successive 17th Premier League win. They were unlucky not to get a win at Chelsea after coming from behind to take the game to the Blues and eventually secured a point. At home against Tottenham, the Foxes soundly beat the 2019 Champions League finalists by a 2-1 scoreline. Also included in the 8 games is an emphatic 5-0 win over Newcastle. Clearly, they look more than ready for the challenge. Super competitive against the big guns and ruthless when matched up with the so called lesser opposition.

Wilfried Ndidi of Leicester in action during the pre-season friendly match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City at Molineux on July 29, 2017 in Wolverhampton, England.

(July 28, 2017 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

A well balanced and vicious squad

The mix is just right. It's no fluke that they've performed the way they did. After Manchester City and Liverpool, Leicester arguably boast of the most balanced squad. Forget the price tags, star names and focus on the word "balanced." Let's actually look at how they line-up. Even after losing Harry Maguire to Manchester United in a world record deal for a defender, Johhny Evans and Caglar Soyuncü look like a good combination of experience and youth. No wonder they've conceded only 7 goals, a 2nd best record in the division after Liverpool and tied with Sheffield United.

The modern game is all about full-backs flying up and down the flanks, and the Foxes have two of the best in the division. Ben Chilwell who is mostly preferred by Gareth Southgate in the current England setup and the dynamic Ricardo Perreira who recorded the 4th highest tackles in the league last season. Wait, did we forget Schmeichel? The skipper goalkeeper needs no introduction and his sure displays in goal has him continue staking a claim among the best there is. From the middle of the park and going forward, they're even better. All of the 22-year-old Nigerian international, Wilfried Ndidi who has consistently and statistically been among the top two tacklers in the league since the 2017/18 season, the £40 million signing in Youri Tielemans and Newcastle top goal scorer from last season in Ayoze Perez; provide depth and options. Time will not allow us to exhaust the insurmountable talents of Harvey Barnes, Hamza Choudhury, Demarai Gray, Marc Albrighton or the man from Sampdoria, Dennis Praet and maybe everyone's favorite, the puppet master who pulls all the strings, James Maddison. But the point is more than clear, their midfield is loaded!

Upfront, we all know what they've got; some good old English speed and killer instincts in Jamie Vardy. The befitting introduction to this piece. The 32-year-old scored 14 goals in 17 Premier League appearances since the arrival of Rodgers on March 3. Only Aubameyang and Mane came close to that record with 12 goals each. Even as a backup, the former Manchester City and Nigerian forward in Kelechi Iheanacho could be lethal enough if afforded the opportunity. It get's even more interesting when we learn about the ingenuity of the man who organizes them.

Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Leicester City celebrates victory with Wes Morgan of Leicester City after the Premier League match between Leicester City and AFC Bournemouth at The King Power Stadium on March 30, 2019 in Leicester, United Kingdom.

(March 29, 2019 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

They've got Rodgers, Brendan Rodgers!

Let's get one thing clear, joining Leicester is not a step up for the Irishman but a step up for the club. Brendan Rodgers' CV is up there for everyone to see and his talents are no strange to the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp is not the first man to bring Liverpool within touching distance of the league title since 1989-90, Rodgers did it in the 2013/14 campaign. Only needing two wins to clinch the coveted prize, the Reds blew up a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 at Crystal Palace that effectively handed the Premier League title to Manchester City. How good a job the now 46 year-old had done in that race cannot be overemphasized. He bloodied the likes of Raheem Sterling and set-up Luis Suarez for worldwide success.

Rodgers' next job at Celtic was more silverish and fruitful, winning the Scottish treble twice between 2016-18 In all, he left Scotland with 7 titles in 3 years to his name. In feeding their ambition, calling upon the tactician is almost as good an appointment as it gets. Even more, Rodgers himself returns with a slight knack to prove a point in the Premier League after Liverpool gave him the sack. It's the intersection of ambition. Little wonder they've already upped their game; the manager knows the league, knows how to win and has great experience working with young English players which Leicester have in abundance.

If you want be a little bit cynical, you could argue that amongst the so called big 6 teams, perhaps only four have better managers as per their CVs. United's Solskjaer and Chelsea's Lampard have been barely tested but we won't hinge on that, knowing it doesn't always work like that.

Right place at the right time, as traditionally top sides falter

Leicester as a club tested the highest glory, liked the smell and have always been back for more ever since. They've sacked managers such as the Premier League winning manager himself, Claudio Ranieri, Craig Shakespeare and Claude Puel for doing only enough to stay in the top flight. Their boldness has perhaps seen fortune knocking on their door. For the first time in quite a number of years, the traditional big 6 sides look shaken.

Jamie Vardy of Leicester City (l) celebrates after scoring the first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Leicester City at St. James Park on September 29, 2018 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.

(Sept. 28, 2018 - Source: Stu Forster/Getty Images Europe)

Obviously not Liverpool and highly doubtful of City even after starting the campaign very strangely losing to Wolves and Norwich. Manchester United are languishing in the bottom half of the table and their young and unbalanced squad look like they would have punched way above their weight if they finish within the top 6. It looks like 3rd place will be Arsenal's to lose as we may need rocket science to understand what's really going on at Tottenham, and the young Chelsea side look no better than the Foxes. Wolves who finished above Leicester last campaign look burdened by Europa League commitments and West Ham seem decent with record signing Sebastian Haller up top and the talents of Yarmolenko, Lanzini somewhere in the mix; but even Premier League winner in Manuel Pellegrini is still pondering on how to fix his defence. What about other last season's big performers in Everton and Watford? At this point, they both look like they are fighting just for their lives. The former were in 18th place after 8 games and the latter rock-bottom in 20th, courtesy of non-existent strike force and managerial crisis respectively, howbeit amongst many other things.

Foxing their way through

With all of an extremely talented and balanced squad, tactically astute manager, an ambitious board and the vulnerable state of state of the top 6, the stage looks set for the 2015/16 Premier League champions to fox their way through. Well, except if other sides exponentially improve their performances. At this rate, the Foxes are unlikely going to wait for that to happen but rather continually go for the jagular!

Raheem “The Dream” Sterling

29 November 2017, On a frigid evening at the Etihad, Southampton’s Oriol Romeu looked as if he had earned a point for Southampton in the 75th minute when he tucked home from close range against Ederson. That canceled out City's opener, which came when Virgil van Dijk deflected a free kick from Kevin De Bruyne into his own net in the 47th minute. Coming into the match, City were  beginning to flex on the entirety of the Premier League. They were boasting an 11 game winning streak, and about to shock the footballing world by going on to eventually set a BPL record of winning 18 games to start the season. In the sixth and final minute of stoppage time, Raheem Sterling came to the rescue yet again, as a well worked combination with PFA Player of The Year candidate Kevin DB gave Sterling the space he needed to curl in a heartbreaking effort from the top of the box, past a defeated Frasier Foster. Oof. 2-1, and that was that. I would say this is a moment we have all been waiting for, but Sterling and City have been giving us these moments in abundance so far this season.

While the versatile attacker contributed a rather muted performance 13 January 2018, against his former club Liverpool, resulting in City’s first loss of the campaign, Sterling is enjoying by far his best and most productive season of his career. As the talent has been there since he was scoring hat tricks in Liverpool’s youth team back in 2011, a consistent end product seemed to still be proving elusive for the Jamaican-born star.

In the world of art and entertainment, the word “talent” has always proven to be polarizing. The noun lends itself to immense amounts of expectation, praise, or scrutiny depending on whichever side of it one finds themselves on. This is no different in the world of sport, and in our case, football. In a sport that somehow finds itself becoming younger and younger, we are often finding ourselves becoming hyper-critical of young “starlets” who have garnered global hype and praise while still having yet to establish themselves as world-class or even consistent players clubs can build their teams around. This is an issue that seems to be highlighted in the BPL especially, as the league's off-the-field success has lead to inflated contracts and league transfer values. One shouldn’t have to look further than the likes of Andy Carroll, Luke Shaw, and Adam Lallana.

In England’s first division, this list of similar players continues to grow gradually, just like it’s narrative, as it subtly exposes the amount of players in the country who are failing to live up to the quality and international pedigree of their predecessor Wayne Rooney. A true world class player for the majority of his career, Rooney bodied the premier league for over a decade while setting countless records and becoming Manchester United’s all time leading goal scorer. Even past his prime, he has still found ways this season to inspire a disjointed Everton side with his production and grit.

Which brings us back to Raheem. During his time at Liverpool, we watched the forward rise onto the scene 24 March 2012, as Sterling made his senior Liverpool debut as a substitute in a league match against Wigan Athletic. At 17 years and 107 days old, he became the third-youngest player to play for the club and only featured twice more over the remainder of the campaign, again as a substitute. Over the course of the next two seasons we saw his game grow in impact and production, as he formed a lethal attacking trident with the league’s then top player in Luis Suarez, and a healthy Daniel Sturridge who may have been entering the form of his career. When Suarez left to FC Barcelona after the World Cup in 2014, expectations for Sterling grew a bit feverishly. After a strong performance in his first World Cup competition that year, Sterling was awarded the prestigious Golden Boy, which is given by sports journalists to the “best” U21 football player playing in Europe over the course of the year. As accompanying rumors of the player leaving to Real Madrid and Manchester City arrived seemingly on queue, an under pressure Brendan Rodgers struggled at times to get the best out a 19-year-old Sterling and an underwhelming Liverpool squad fresh off of the title letdown of the previous campaign and the loss of the talismanic Luis Suarez. As reports grew of a rift between Sterling and Rodgers, as well as a potential departure to City in the summer transfer window of 2015, expectations grew hastily alongside them. While Sterling shone brightly at times over the course of the campaign, the shoes left behind by Suarez proved to be a bit too big, and an injury plagued season for England international Daniel Sturridge lead to compounding amounts of pressure on Raheem. Ultimately, Liverpool finished the season in sixth, twelve points off of Champions League qualification and all eyes pointed to an under fire Brendan Rodgers as well as a young and slightly petulant Sterling. The contract dispute and eventual falling out between both parties proved almost predictable, with a move away from the Merseyside club seeming inevitable.

When Manchester City came calling on July 12, 2015, questions arose from football publications and pundits alike. Is a 19-year-old really worth 45 Million pounds after a season where his production across all competitions regressed? Did he owe Liverpool one or two more seasons of loyalty? Will he follow in the disappointing footsteps of fellow British players such as Shawn Wright Phillips and Theo Walcott? These inquiries proved to be harsh at times, with some coming from former players and coaches who are clearly out of touch with the modern game and its challenges. With that being said, some of these insights have stemmed from those who clearly only want to see the young lad succeed and meet his potential, as so many before him have failed to do. His debut campaign at City proved to be a season of firsts as Sterling scored his first competitive goal for Manchester City - in a 2–0 defeat of Watford at the the City of Manchester Stadium and also scored his first career hat-trick as City beat Bournemouth 5–1 on 17 October. On 3 November, Sterling scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 1–3 win at Sevilla. Though the 2015/2016 season got off to a good start for the attacker, it unfortunately would not end as such. Raheem failed to sustain his form in an underperforming City side that seemed distracted by the looming and eventual departure of then coach Manuel Pelligrini. Two-thirds into the season, in a loss to rivals Manchester United, Sterling picked up a groin injury that would ultimately cast him out of a spot in the starting lineup, giving the media a whole new slew questions and judgements on his development heading into the summer. While the 2016/2017 campaign may have brought new doubts, it also brought along the ingenuity, personality, and influence of Pep Guardiola.

While we all know of Guardiola’s reputation as a master tactician and scholar of the game, not enough has been said about my man’s player management skills. Of course, the 14 trophies in four seasons he won with FC Barcelona made him the most successful coach in the club’s history, but his eye for talent paired with his ability to nurture it should be deemed almost as impressive. Look no further than Pedro Rodriguez, a player that may not have had the talent that Sterling has in abundance, but one that benefited from the teachings of Guardiola and the world-class players that surrounded him. In 2009/2010, Pep confirmed that Pedro would be promoted to Barcelona's first team and he responded with a breakthrough year, during which he became the first player to score in six different club competitions across a single season and in the same year. 99 goals and 20 trophies later, it’s hard to argue with Pedro's development, killer instinct, and understanding of the game.

As the 2016/2017 season wore on, in a team that clearly struggled to adjust to the exceptionally high standard that is Pep football, Sterling had a bounce back season, registering 10 goals and 16 assists. Even more importantly, the development mentally and off the field was evident, and all of the hard work was beginning to pay dividends. With more intelligent off-the-ball movement, Sterling was finally learning how to impact the game for himself and his teammates with less of the ball at his feet.

Now at 23, Sterling is enjoying his best season to date. We are all witnessing the consistent impact, industry, and hunger in his game that should justify all of the hype as well price tag that City paid Liverpool for his services. With 21 goals and 5 assists across all competitions at the halfway mark of this season, he has already eclipsed the entirety of his offensive output while at Liverpool. As ironic as it was to see his former club hand Guardiola and Man City their first loss of the BPL campaign, it’s hard to see anyone slowing them down. As the 2018 World Cup awaits this summer, we wait patiently to see how Sterling will take what he has learned from his experiences this season to help drive the England national side deep into the knockout rounds on the biggest stage of all.