To say that Leicester City have been the surprise package of the 2015-16 Premier League would be to undersell their truly incredible run of form as we approach the halfway point in the season
The high-flying Foxes have taken the country by storm with their enterprising brand of attacking football and currently sit at the summit of the Premier League table. Leicester City’s prodigious duo — Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy — have captured the imagination of the football world by producing some scintillating displays this season.
Mahrez and Vardy have already amassed a combined total 28 goals and 11 assists in the league since the beginning of the season, and with the new year upon us, the pair are showing no signs of letting up.
However, the winter transfer window is just days away and Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri will be mindful of the hawks that will be circling over Vardy, Mahrez and other important members of his squad. Can Ranieri hold on to his prized assets until the season is over?
Perhaps more importantly, where will the Foxes finish at the end of the season? We asked TheHardTackle team to predict Leicester City’s final position in the league table and here is what they had to say:
Malhar: 5th
Leicester have been the best team in the league thus far, and have proved with their recent victories against Chelsea and Everton that their current league position after 18 rounds of games is no fluke. Equally, there is no doubt that their ability to remain top of the league has been aided by the inconsistent displays of Manchester City and Arsenal — the two teams that will likely contest the title come the end of the season.
However, as great as they have been, the Foxes will probably finish just outside the top four. Claudio Ranieri’s men still have to play all the Premier League big boys away from home, and the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs both have significantly greater squad depth than Leicester to deal with injuries to key players. A fifth or sixth place finish is likely for Leicester.
Asheen: 1st
Leciester City will win the league. Maybe it’s illogical and maybe it goes against what all the pundits are predicting. Perhaps the fall from grace is inevitable, as the experts have alluded to. But this has been the year of Leicester City and they are not going to let that lead at the top of the table slip away easily. Vardy, Mahrez and co. are definitely fired up enough to go all the way.
With the way the other top teams in the league are slipping up (Hello Arsenal), the Foxes have more than an off chance of winning the league. It would be a triumph unparalleled in Premier League history by a club that has defied all the odds so far. Personally, I’m rooting for the underdogs to go all the way and they’re more than capable of doing so.
Prem: 6th
Leicester City have been the story of the season so far. While the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United have struggled, Leicester have taken the Premier League by storm and currently find themselves on top of the Premier league tree at Christmas. Two players have been instrumental in Leicester’s remarkable run of gilded form — Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.
As eye-catchingly brilliant as the duo have been, the Foxes could struggle to keep them from leaving in the January transfer window. Even if one of them leaves, it will be impossible for Claudio Ranieri to find a suitable replacement, and there is a fear that the Foxes could go down like a pack of cards.
While winning the league even with Vardy and Mahrez around would be wishful thinking, Leicester City have put themselves in such a position that they could easily make a top 7 finish. However, Raneri would surely be thinking about a finish in the top 4. What a story that would be in the Premier League!
. Soumo: 3rd
We all love an underdog story, and the success of Leicester City is something that all neutral fans would be following quite closely. However, questions have been raised about what would happen if Vardy or Mahrez get injured at some point in the season. Do the Foxes have a big enough squad to actually go all the way?
Well, the way this season has been going, it is almost impossible to predict something like that. However, if they can keep their players fit, and hold on to the likes of Vardy and Mahrez in the transfer market, there is absolutely no reason Claudio Ranieri wona t be able to do the unthinkable.
Rakshit: 6th
Leicester City’s final league position come the end of the season will be largely determined by the form of the teams below them. As pointed out by the other writers, Leicester will find it difficult to replicate the intensity of their displays in the 2nd half of the season as they did in the first.
At the moment, Arsenal and Manchester City look to be the teams that are best equipped to fight it out for the Premier League title come the end of the season. However, traditional powerhouses Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool will be hot on the heels of Leicester City for the other two remaining Champions League spots.
The lure of lifting the coveted Premier League trophy at the end of the season will ensure that the likes of Mahrez, Vardy, Kante and Schlupp stay put at the King Power Stadium. However, even with their presence on the football pitch, it seems highly unlikely that Leicester City will be able to finish in the top 4 come May. Leicester City will finish 6th in the league and qualify for the Europa League.
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