The Championship is often referred to as one of the toughest leagues out there. Each season is fraught with tough clashes and unpredictable outcomes, as 24 teams fight it out to reach the glamorous heights of the Premier League.
The challenge does not seem to have phased Leicester City as they cruised to 10 wins in 11 games, dropping points on one occasion, a defeat to Hull City in early September. That impressive start saw them match the tally of previous record holders Sheffield United who also managed 30 points in 11 games back in the 2005/06 season of the Championship.
Leicester adds another record to their stellar season
Since then, Leicester has played 3 more times and won each game setting an unprecedented tally of 39 points in 14 games. The club also set a new in-house record this weekend of nine consecutive league wins as they beat Queens Park Rangers 2-1 thanks to a stunning 80th-minute strike from Harry Winks.
Leicester has taken to the challenge of the Championship like a duck to water, consistently delivering the performances needed to get across the line. Though they still look shaky at the back, the defensive structure feels like it has been vastly improved, even if we exclude the occasional let-offs due to the opposition missing some clear-cut chances.
After 14 games this season, the Foxes have scored 29 goals and only conceded 8 goals in that time. At this point last season, Leicester still had a fairly prolific goal-scoring streak of 22 goals. However, they had shipped a whopping 27 goals in that time, managing only three wins out of 14 games.
Reforged for their Championship return
A lot of pundits and football fans believed Leicester was too good to go down last season despite their poor defensive record and they should come right back up. Over the summer, they lost key players like James Maddison, Harvey Barnes, and the 2021 FA Cup-winning goal scorer Youri Tielemans.
Enzo Maresca, a relatively inexperienced manager, was brought in to guide the side back to their winning ways, whilst they recruited in the summer. They brought in wingers like Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu, England internationals Harry Winks and Conor Coady, as well as new number-one keeper Mads Hermansen.
Despite all the belief Leicester had placed in them, very few expected the Foxes to start this season off with such impeccable form. Despite how easy one may have thought the challenge of the Championship would be for Leicester, their start to the campaign is nothing less than impressive. They have seemingly taken the league by storm, only being closely rivaled by newly promoted side Ipswich Town, who sits in second with 34 points after 13 games.
Will this Leicester City side continue to build on their exceptional start or is their impressive form destined to come to an end soon enough? Oddly enough the 2005/06 season that Sheffield United set the record, they failed to win the title, instead finishing second on an impressive 90 points. That saw them lose out to Reading, who amassed a hefty 106 points that season.
With all that said, where do you see Leicester City finishing at the season’s end?