A closer look at Leicester City’s recent games and whether they have made the necessary turnaround following one of the worst starts in Premier League history.
Jamie Vardy downs a can of Red Bull completes an incisive counter-attack, and taunts the home crowd, capping the club’s biggest away win since that night in Southampton three years ago. It’s a textbook. City of Leicester They’ve returned. Or do they?
This is an undeniably good run. Ten points from five games are Champions League form. The last time City claimed a greater haul over the same period was in January 2021, during which they briefly sat top of the Premier League table. So to earn that many points immediately after one of the worst starts to a campaign by any club in Premier League history is impressive.
What it almost certainly means is that Brendan Rodgers will still be in charge of the club when the league pauses for the World Cup, which in turn means he is very likely to be in the dugout when it all kicks off again on Boxing Day. He has stoically got on with his job and begun to rescue a situation that many doubted he could turn around.
The consensus among supporters was that 11 points from a possible 15 were required for it to be considered that City had turned a corner. They may have fallen one short of that, but four clean sheets out of five may mean that many fans overlook that discrepancy.
But for the direction City was heading, turning one corner was not enough. They needed a full U-turn to get back on track. They are making progress, but it does not feel like that 180 is yet complete.
Let’s start with the considerable improvements. The city is enjoying longer spells of control in matches and in the period where they are not, they are at least putting up some resistance. Earlier in the season, when City lost grip of a match, usually in the second half, they would utterly crumble. They were playing through and playing around. There was no semblance of a contest.
At Wolves, City was the dominant side from the middle of the first half through to the five minutes before the break, and then from the hour mark to the full-time whistle. In those periods, City’s cohesion, intensity, cooperation, and tactical idea made them a very good team. Wolves didn’t have a sniff.
That one of their big periods of control came at the end of the match was significant. That they are fourth in a table of first-half results shows seeing out games has been a major barrier to success this season. At Molineux, and against Leeds a few days earlier, City earned the three points comfortably because, through cool heads and composed, high-energy play, they did not let the opposition back in.
The city’s defense is also much better, in more ways than one. There have been showings where they have completely shut down the opposition, like against Crystal Palace, whereas the rearguard action at Wolves was tested, but performed like a fully-functioning defense should.
Wolves had chances, but they did not breeze through to create them (at least not after the first quarter of an hour). City put up a fight when they did reach the box. Players threw bodies in the way of shots, and if they weren’t there, Danny Ward dived to make saves. The Welshman, perhaps buoyed by the improvements the likes of Wout Faes have brought to the defense, looks more confident and it is having a tangible effect on his form.
In the early weeks of the season, it felt like City laid out the red carpet for the opposition the moment they got into the final third. There is a greater doggedness to them now.
Players have been adapting to individual instructions to help out the back line too. Youri Tielemans has been doubling up his duties to fill in at right-back, while James Maddison marshaled Wolves’ attack-minded full-back Hugo Bueno rather than pushing forward.
At the other end, there was a team that ran hard and exploited the Wolves’ weaknesses. Recognizing that they were uncomfortable in possession at the back, City pressed hard and caused turnovers. Recognizing that Jonny was incapable of keeping pace with Harvey Barnes, City targeted his side.
These are all signs of a good football team. But those aspects need to be continued when the games get tougher.
The city has won three matches and those three clubs now occupy the relegation spots. It is important that those games were won, but it means there will be much more difficult opponents to come, where the improvements will be put to the test, not least in the next three weeks.
And further progression is required. The city was perhaps fortunate not to concede at least once in the game. The wolves had more shots and more touches inside the box than they have had in any other fixture this season. A lot of those good moments came in the first 15 minutes when City was all at sea. If any of those chances had found the net – and they’re not going to stay out every week – then the match could have been very different.
Plus, Tielemans cannot be relied upon to score goal-of-the-season contenders from 25 yards every game. The city is not going to score four goals from five shots every game. That dazzling individual quality throughout City’s team should be the icing on the cake. A team is not successful on that alone.
Fans are beginning to recognize what they have always known about these players: they are a talented, competitive, and intelligent group. However, a good five-game run will not get them from where they are to where they can go.
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