Best of the rest but losing to David: Leicester City Vs bottom of the table
Fewer slogans can describe a club more perfectly than Leicester City’s motto: Foxes Never Quit.
This motto came to life against Brighton and Hove ALbion as Leicester secured a 2-0 victory with two goals being scored in the last 15 minutes. Nonetheless, the overall performance of the squad was stagnate and sloppy at times, as Claude Puel’s side continue to struggle against lower placed teams and are at risk of not being named best of the rest.
The first 80 minutes against Brighton saw an average and disappointing Leicester City side play against a far weaker club. Oddly enough, we say the opposite when the Foxes play the “top six”.
Fighting Goliath
Since Puel became manager in October, the Foxes have seen a surge in form that puts them as the best of the rest. Solid performances against the top six teams of England have become normal.
A win against Tottenham Hotspur and decisive ties against Manchester United and Chelsea have proven the class Leicester City have as a club. Even close losses against Liverpool in the Premier League, the Blues in the FA Cup, and a penalty shoot out defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup showed that Leicester can go toe-to-toe against top clubs.
Yet, it is because of these performances against the top Premier League clubs that frustrates the Foxes faithful. To be the best of the rest, the effort against the top clubs must be the same for the bottom. For Leicester, it has become harder to perform consistently against clubs below them.
The Perfect Run
Since the beginning of the calendar year, Leicester City have had a rollercoaster ride. The year started on a bright note. The Foxes easily beat clubs like Huddersfield and Watford. This led to their best team performance in a 0-0 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
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This was the form that Leicester were supposed to be in ever since the championship winning season; beating mid-level teams and putting up respectable performances against the top six. This form, however, would not last.
Losing to David
A disappointing 2-1 loss against “best of the rest” candidate Everton began the poor run of form. Three consecutive 1-1 ties at the King Power against Swansea City, Stoke City and AFC Bournemouth curbed morale just as much as the 5-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
This frustration has bled into the current success. Away victories against Brighton and West Bromwich Albion did not come easily either. As mentioned before, a 2-0 win against the Seagulls only came after an 80 minute stalemate that saw the Seagulls besting Leicester but unable to clinically finish when it mattered the most.
The same can be said about the 4-1 victory against West Brom. The Foxes could not take the lead against the league’s worst team until the 62nd minute. Nonetheless, six points are six points, but they did come with great difficulty.
Becoming the best of the rest
Leicester City now sit eighth in the table with 43 points and seven games left. Two of those teams are Arsenal and Tottenham which, considering City’s form against top clubs, can lead to points. The other five games, except for seventh-placed Burnley, are against bottom of the table teams. The plan if you are Claude Puel is simple: Do not underestimate the weaker teams.
City have come a long way since the great escape of 2014/15; however, they must never forget that they were once a team that top clubs would consider a guaranteed victory.
Leicester City are on the verge of ending the season in seventh and establishing themselves as consistent Premier League and Europa League competitors. However, to reach that point, they simply must not underestimate their remaining opponents.
The form against the top six teams has been solid since Claude Puel took control in October, but to be a great team is to not only play well against the best teams in the league – it’s about being consistent against all teams.
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Leicester City love to play against the big teams on the big stage. If they cannot bring that competitive nature towards the weaker teams in the Premier League, theywill remain eighth, looking at a missed opportunity of not being named best of the rest.