Some positive Leicester thoughts ahead of Newcastle game

The last individual I will speak about is Patson Daka, whose performance in the first half — again vs. Aston Villa, accentuated future positives that the Zambian can offer the Foxes. The output differential, when compared with Jamie Vardy, is obviously a talking point.

The former England international is the second top-scorer in the Premier League (as of writing this) this season, whereas Daka’s goals per minute ratio — aided by scoring four against Spartak Moscow — is slightly better than his LCFC strike partner; 0.72 to 0.57.

It’s a small sample size, and not truly indicative of who is currently the “better finisher”, but does offer an interesting perspective. The major difference though, and this is the main rationale behind this segment, is how effective Daka is when pressing the opposition, whereas Vardy’s style can come off as passive.

When closing down the opposing defenders, Daka is relentless. Regardless of whether there’s an opportunity to press, he chases lost causes and forces mistakes from centre-backs. This description does sound reminiscent of Vardy, but not an accurate reflection of how he operates under the management of Brendan Rodgers. In his mid-30’s, Vardy is much more a predator of mistakes, instead of an enforcer.