Leicester City - Almost there

Article by e-Leicester Correspondent Jonathan Smith

Charlton became the thirteenth Championship side to leave the King Power Stadium empty handed this season following Saturday afternoon’s 3-0 defeat. Ipswich suffered the same fate last Saturday as the league leaders, Leicester City, continued their relentless charge for promotion. Jamie Vardy and David Nugent scored again to take their combined tally for the season up to 32 goals. Danny Drinkwater scored the second of the day just after half time. It was his sixth goal in all competitions so far this season; an impressive return considering he only scored once last season in 46 appearances. Experts within the game are constantly quoted as saying ‘there’s no easy games in the Championship’ but City seem to be disproving that statement with each victory. In reality, the experts are probably correct and the Foxes are just making it look easy with a perfect mixture of hard work and ability. They haven’t lost in their last fourteen league games and last tasted defeat almost two months ago against Premier League outfit Stoke City in the FA Cup. Winning breeds confidence and City certainly have plenty of that at present. There are still plenty of tricky looking fixtures still to come but the table toppers have proven that potential banana skins can be avoided if approached in a professional manner. Without meaning to sound arrogant, Leicester just don’t look like losing as long as they maintain the high standards they’ve set so far.

City still have seven away games to negotiate. Six of them will be journeys North to places such as Blackburn, Bolton, Burnley and Barnsley. They’re not places for the faint-hearted and may require a different style of football in order to win or at least avoid defeat. Pearson has previously said that his team have gone into every game this season with the intention of winning and I can’t see that changing between now and the end of the season but there may be times when a point on the road will suffice. Only four teams have taken anything away with them from the King Power Stadium so far this season and three of those only managed to earn a point. Again, there are a few banana skins thrown in there with Yeovil and Doncaster still to pay a visit but it’s hard to see the impressive home form coming to a halt anytime soon.

There’s a thirteen point gap between Leicester at the top and Derby County in third place and there’s thirteen games still to play this season. It’s a very healthy lead but it’s still not an unassailable one. It seems a lot of supporters are already dreaming of celebratory pitch invasions and visits to some of the country’s most iconic stadiums next season but Nigel Pearson will ensure his troops keep their feet firmly on the ground between now and May.

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