And, to think, this was supposed to be the week when Leicester City would finally be revealed as pretenders.
Instead, Leicester moved five points clear of their nearest rival at the top of the table (Tottenham, of all teams) with 13 games left to play. No one — not even manager Claudio Ranieri — seems to know how, but the club’s unfathomable dream of a league title isn’t just alive, it’s rapidly picking up converts.
Coming into the week, fans and pundits felt a three-game stretch against Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal was a test the Foxes had no chance of passing. That’s three of England’s best known teams, two of which are viewed as the actual favorites to hoist the crown come season’s end.
Leicester’s big test got off to a dream start Wednesday, when they easily dispatched the Reds 2-0, thanks to two goals from forward Jamie Vardy. The first was a wonderful long-range volley sure to be among the goals of the year. It was yet another example of why the club was so eager to ink the striker to a huge contract extension, which they did over the weekend.
But as decisive as the win was, it wasn’t enough to silence the critics. Vardy’s second goal was written off as a bit lucky — something that seems to be said of him (and his club) more than anyone else — plus Liverpool isn’t all that good. The 19-time domestic champions are scrambling to find their footing under new manager Jürgen Klopp.
But Saturday’s 3-1 thrashing of Manchester City left little doubt. Yes, the Foxes were a bit lucky — that word again — but this time they didn’t need any Vardy magic (instead it came from the team’s other Player of the Year candidate, Riyad Mahrez). Most of the suspense was removed after defender Robert Huth’s third-minute opener, and as they have been all season long, Ranieri’s side was just more determined throughout. It’s not a stretch to say Sergio Agüero’s late goal for City made the scoreline look significantly closer than it actually was.
(So much for the theory that City’s announcement that Pep Guardiola would be replacing Manuel Peligrini this summer would galvanize the team around their well-liked and respected outgoing manager.)
Leicester still has one game left in the supposedly torturous stretch, but whatever the result against Arsenal this week, the team has proven — hopefully once and for all — it deserves to be near the top of the league table. In a season marked by unpredictability, it’s realistic the league champions will win with a point total around 75. With 13 games (39 possible points) remaining, the Foxes are just 22 points off that goal.
In an era when club soccer is ruled by big-money teams all over Europe, Leicester is proving there are other paths to glory (or, at the very least, past a hooker scandal). Prudent spending, savvy player recruitment, the right manager and a never-say-die attitude can turn a relegation candidate into a title contender. It’s enough to infuse dispirited fans with hope and strike fear into the heart of soccer’s elite. And even if it turns out to be just a one-off, it’s proof that in sports, anything can happen.
What happened to Stoke
While Stoke City may have ended 2015 on a high note — the club’s mutation into a dynamic attacking side appeared complete — the calendar year of 2016 has been decidedly less kind. And if you’re going by the last few weeks, it’s been downright disastrous.
Since Jan. 23, the Potters have been bounced from England’s two domestic club competitions and trounced 3-0 in consecutive Premier League matchups against Leicester, Manchester United and, on Saturday, Everton. Suddenly the goals have dried up, and the stout defense the club’s supporters could once depend on has gone missing.
It appears Stoke, more than any other team in the EPL, has been brought down by the midseason crush of fixtures. The team has been unable to keep up with the two-matches-per-week schedule, compounded by its loss of confidence on offense. Stoke has continued to push forward, but all this has done is left the defense open to attack — and opponents have been quick to take advantage.
But all is not lost. If manager Mark Hughes can figure out a way to wed the team’s new attacking mindset to its traditional defensive rigidity, a spot in the Europa League next season isn’t out of reach. The team’s poor run of form also may ensure Hughes, who was being mentioned as a candidate for the head coaching gig at Chelsea, sticks around for at least another year. He’s built a talented squad — just-arrived midfielder Gianelli Imbula should only add to this — but still needs to get everything sorted out.
Goal of the Week
Yes, Vardy’s goal against Liverpool was a sight to behold, but Manchester United forward Anthony Martial’s tally against Stoke was just as marvelous. Though the Red Devils have struggled to do anything fluidly this season, the lead-up to the strike made this one of the best team goals of the season. From Daley Blind’s movement-starting pass to Wayne Rooney’s pinpoint set-up to Martial’s fantastic finish into the top corner, everything about this goal was top class.
Card of the Week
Victor Wanyama has been one of Southampton’s most valuable players this year, but on Saturday he did everything he could to harm his team. Early in the second half of a 1-0 victory over West Ham, the midfielder committed an awful foul (1:05 mark) on Demitri Payet that resulted in a well-deserved red card. Though the foul was more clumsy and pointless than malicious, Wanyama was very lucky his mistake didn’t cost his team a much-needed win.
Post Premier League Rankings
Leicester still have Tottenham to worry about, Stoke’s rise comes to a screeching halt and Norwich slides into the bottom three (Last week’s rankings in parentheses).
1. Leicester City (1)
2. Tottenham (4)
3. Arsenal (2)
4. Manchester City (3)
5. West Ham (5)
6. Manchester United (8)
7. Southampton (10)
8. Watford (7)
9. Everton (13)
10. Liverpool (9)
11. Stoke (6)
12. Chelsea (12)
13. Crystal Palace (11)
14. West Brom (14)
15. Bournemouth (15)
16. Swansea (16)
17. Newcastle (18)
18. Norwich (17)
19. Sunderland (19)
20. Aston Villa (20)