This is the best Leicester City starting XI

A scary midfield

As with the backline, the options for a more defensive/progressive midfielder, a progressive/box-to-box midfielder, and a more creative midfielder are not particularly large. One would not be including Papy Mendy or the seldom used Dennis Praet.

In that more defence-minded position, Boubakary Soumare has overtaken Wilfred Ndidi. Due to improved possession-retention and neater passing, the Frenchman offers more options during fixtures than the defensive juggernaut of Ndidi.

To back this up, ‘Bouba’ is in the 89th percentile for aerials won, 88th for tackles, 79th for completed passes, making 2.7 tackles per game. On top of a 60% dribbling success rate, this makes our French midfielder truly a strong and integral talent.

None of that would matter without the box-to-box progressor: Youri Tielemans. From ‘worldie’ goals to consistent performances, despite all the fanfare of transfers and the slow but sure withdrawal of the Belgian from Leicester, Tielemans remains the best midfielder at the club. A 7.21 Sofascore rating, only beneath James Maddison.

It is also worth noting that Tielemans has added defending to his game: the figures now have the Belgian in the 87th percentile for tackling and 83rd for blocks. From the progressor to the last man, there is no mistaking his place in the best XI.