Can Leicester City Really Beat Arsenal & Tottenham To The Title?

Can Leicester City really do it? This is the nagging question that seems to be on all football fans lips as the seasons end keeps creeping upon us. Leicester City, who this time last season were in the middle of a relegation battle, now find themselves with a whole new challenge of holding onto top spot in the English Premier League with only 13 games remaining.

Their fans must be in dreamland, and its even got to the point where every other fan is averting atleast one eye away from their own team to see if Leicester can really do it. With the likes of Kasper Schmeichel, Wes Morgan, Robert Huth, Riyhad Marhrez, N’Golo Kante, Danny Drinkwater and obviously Jamie Vardy amongst many others all putting in world class performance after world class performance, fans around the globe are starting to wonder if the impossible can really be possible.

Leicester found themselves at this stage last season after 25 games with 17 points, 6 points adrift of safety and a team that was only just starting to realise its potential. Then manager Nigel Pearson found a way of recovering the form that saw early season victories over Manchester United 5-3 and a 1-0 away win against Stoke, with also impressive draws with Arsenal and Everton. Then came the slump, just 2 draws from 13 games saw them rooted to the bottom of the Premier League and although the shoots of recovery sprung around the Christmas period with two 1-0 victories and a 2-2 draw against Liverpool, another slump in form followed and had every media pundit alike all tipping them for the drop.

Although Leicester had been on this downturn in form, their performances were encouraging and in some cases lady luck had completely deserted them. After what was another hard fought loss at White Hart Lane going down 4-3 to Tottenham, the spark finally lit under the Leicester City rocket, with victories over West Ham, West Brom, Swansea and Burnley the team were on the up, only to suffer a set back with a 3-1 loss to Chelsea.

With everyone now seemingly resigned to Leicester going down, they went on another run of superb form which saw them only concede one goal in the remaining four games on the last day to then relegated QPR. It was a fantastic escape from the relegation trap door, and one which Nigel Pearson was rightly heralded for.

Just as the season ended the news broke of Nigel Pearsons sacking, some fans happy, some bemused, and some fans wondering what had gone on.

In came Claudio Ranieri, the man known to many as the ‘Tinkerman’ because of his constant chopping and changing during his time at Chelsea. But it wasn’t going to be the same story this time around, he has essentially kept the core of the team that kept Leicester City in the Premier League adding the likes of N’Golo Kante and the tireless Shinji Okazaki to the ranks. Even still, the optimism around the King Power stadium was one of staying in the Premier League and consolidating once more.

But, now in 2016 with just 13 games left, Leicester and their passionate fans find themselves top of the league, five points clear of Tottenham and Arsenal and in dreamland. The run of 25 games and just 2 defeats is pure testiment to their hard working never say die attitude that they have adopted. The pleasure that runs through the squad is there for all to see in the smile of the ever loveable Okazaki who would chase down a Formula One car if Ranieri told him to. The whole squad can be lauded for their application and effort from the goal keeper who makes great save after great save, and the defense who would throw themselves under a moving bus for 3 points. With Kante and Drinkwater in their midfield never missing a beat, the front 3 of Vardy, Mahrez and Okazaki has been in sensational form, with Vardy leading the leagues scoring charts with 18 and not to mention the record breaking 11 game scoring run. The whole squad has been a joy to watch with people I haven’t even mentioned yet like Fuchs, Simpson, Albrighton and Ulloa all putting a shift in when called upon.

So, the question here in lies, can Leicester City beat Arsenal, Tottenham and Man City to win the Premier League? After a season of saying they will fall away, the wheels will fall off and every other way of stating their case for one of the big guns to swoop in, the pundits are baffled. They do not know whether to nail their colours to the Leicester mast incase it happens, because as we all know, pundits change their minds more than their underwear to suit the common theme.

I like the rest of you cannot say if Leicester will win the Premier League, the only thing I can say is that they deserve it more than most and it would befit the hard work and endevour they have shown since kicking the first ball back at the start of the season. The big clubs have tried to throw it away and its only Leicester who seem to want it. It would be a massive win not just for Leicester fans but for football in general if Leicester could do the impossible and would be in my humble opinion, the biggest and greatest achievement ever to grace the English game at least.

It will all make for an amazing documentary one day, but until then, lets keep the Leicester band wagon going and hope they get their hands on that famous trophy.