ClapThe start to this season’s Premier League has told us all one thing: expect the unexpected. The usual dominance of the top six has been well documented over the course of the last few years, and you could argue that has been well-earned by the six teams in question. However, while that may be the case, we’re also inclined to believe that there is something of a revolution on the horizon.
Leicester City, West Ham United, Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers (and Everton to a lesser extent) have all showcased signs that they could, within the next few years, be real contenders towards the top of the table.
The Foxes march on
As reported by BBC and The Independent, one team that was able to really prove that this past weekend was Leicester.
The Foxes went into their game against Newcastle United expecting to get a positive result, but even with that being the case, very few could’ve anticipated that they would run out 5-0 winners over the Magpies.
Alas, that’s exactly what they did, and while Newcastle’s red card certainly helped matters for them, they were able to show the kind of clinical edge that you need to thrive at the top level.
Brendan Rodgers, understandably so, was eager to praise his team – but also wanted to maintain a sense of calm.
“It was an outstanding performance and result. Going down to 10 men can work for or against you but I thought how the players dealt with that and managed the game was outstanding.
“In the second half the players showed a wonderful appetite.”
“It’s very early in the season … it’s a big ask because of all the other clubs that have been regulars there. We’re only really focusing on how we play, looking at our performance levels,” said Rodgers.
“If you look at the top two teams in this country, they’re brilliant with the ball,” Rodgers added.
Finding the right angles
“They can have long periods of possession, 60-70%, but when they have to counter attack, they counter attack. We saw that today from us.
“We pressed hard, we were hungry for goals. A clean sheet, five good goals. It’s a good day for us.”
Leicester are no strangers to success at this level, having stunned the football world to win the Premier League just a few short years ago.
This time around, however, it feels different. We all know that Liverpool and Manchester City are the clear and obvious favourites to win the title, but that isn’t the point. The point is that Leicester have been able to prove that you can rise back up and continue to defy expectations, even when it seems all the more unlikely.
Rodgers has received all kinds of criticism over the years and while some of that may be warranted, most of it isn’t. The man himself knows what is at stake here and if they can continue to maintain this consistency, reaching the Europa League could be the minimum that they expect when the final few months of the season roll around.
