At the beginning of the season, many including myself believed that Leicester were dark horses for the Premier League top-six. I have to admit I thought that the top-four would be a stretch for the Foxes though. However, all the early signs so far this season suggest that Brendan Rodgers side have what it takes to make the top-four.
Win against Southampton was impressive
On Friday night, Leicester broke a Premier League by recording a 9-0 away win at ten-man Southampton. The Foxes did play for much of the match against ten-men after Ryan Bertrand’s first-half sending off. The result was also a strange anomaly.
However, what was impressive was the ruthless nature in which the side from the Midlands took the Saints apart. They could have easily settled on three, four or five goals. They went on and racked up a truly remarkable scoreline, though.
The likes of Ayoze Perez and Jamie Vardy showed no mercy. It was an illustration that the Foxes mean business this season. Everything went right for them, but they had the quality to finish the struggling Saints off in the final third.
Many players looking like top-four players
Its strange as the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham have endured mixed seasons by top-four standards, Leicester are showing no signs of slipping up. The reason for their high level of performances is that the Foxes possess some high-quality players.
The likes of Ben Chilwell, James Maddison and Youri Tielemans are players who have previously been linked with clubs who routinely finish in the Premier League’s top-four. Veteran striker Jamie Vardy famously turned down a big-money move to Arsenal a few seasons back too.
The likes of Tielemans, Chilwell and Maddison would all get teams into the above teams and are of better quality than players already at the aforementioned clubs. Leicester are fortunate to have such quality players. Hopefully, for the clubs sake, these talented players see their future in the Midlands and not at other so-called ‘big clubs’.
The Foxes are one of a select band of clubs to have won the Premier League. However, traditionally they are not a team who fight it out with the big boys at the top of the English top division. If they can keep the current team together and keep adding quality to their squad, then they may become a much more familiar name in the top echelons of English football.
Nice to see a new team in the top-four
Obviously, we all know about Leicester’s ‘miracle’ title victory. It was a remarkable season and it showed that most neutrals want fresh teams in the Premier League top-four and top-six. For too long the same six teams have almost had a monopoly of the top-six.
As a supporter of a team that has not finished in the English top-flight’s top-six for a while, I would love to see Leicester finish in the top-four. They are a likeable team, who play good football and have a good balance.
The bookmakers now seem to believe that the Foxes can finish in the top-four this season too, as Leicester are now odds of 11/8 to qualify for the Champions League, which makes them fourth favourites to achieve that objective in the Premier League.
There is still plenty of time left in the Premier League campaign. However, the Foxes are looking very much at home in the top-four and I for one hope it lasts until the end of the season.
Will Leicester finish in the Premier League top-four this season?
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