Leicester City’s start to the season hasn’t been convincing, but they’re on the right track

Leicester City’s fairytale Premier League success feels like a lifetime ago now. The Foxes were never expected to kick on from that and continue to challenge for the title, but top-half finishes and European football qualification were still more than achievable.  

That’s why few would have had the midlands side down for relegation just six years later. But varying factors, like talisman Jamie Vardy ageing, their best players being lured away and owners King Power struggling financially due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic have taken their toll.

Leicester had a very difficult time last season, but they had the chance to avoid relegation on the final day of the season. The Foxes delivered on their side of the deal, beating West Ham United at the King Power. However, Everton’s victory over Bournemouth sealed Leicester’s feat.

Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha will be hoping that his side can bounce straight back to the promised land and he has appointed Enzo Maresca as the man to try and achieve that. The Italian worked under Manuel Pellegrini at West Ham and most recently as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City.

Given Guardiola’s track record of former pupils going on and becoming good managers, it’s a promising appointment and one that made Leicester more favourable in the Championship odds despite the fact key players like James Maddison, Youri Tielemans and Harvey Barnes all departed the King Power this summer.

Leicester have started their promotion charge with two wins, and while it’s hard to criticise the Foxes for that, they haven’t looked convincing in those matches. They hosted Championship play-off losers Coventry and matchday one and Kyle McFadzean gave the visitors the lead early in the second half at the King Power.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall saved his side late on, however, levelling the scores in the 77^th minute and scoring the winner 10 minutes later. Despite dominating proceedings away to Huddersfield again in gameweek two, Leicester left it late again — with Mavididi popping up with his first league goal for Leicester in the 73^rd minute.

The three points are all that matters and the Foxes are, of course, still adapting to life in the Championship. Playing in the Premier League for the last nine years, Leicester aren’t used to being in a position where they have control of football matches and have opposition sitting back in blocks against them.

That will hopefully come in time for Maresca’s side over the course of the season. What’s important now is that they have won their first two games and are on the right track to gaining promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

That knack to win games when things aren’t plain sailing is arguably a trait you need in the Championship anyway. Games come at you thick and fast and the competitiveness of the division is second to none. Leicester will have more hard games than they will easy games this year, that’s already been proven after just two weeks.

The Championship tips are firmly in Leicester’s favour and it would be a big shock if they don’t gain promotion back to the Premier League at the end of this season

• ‘Deep water’ is an isolated adoption of an unhappy couple’s open marriage
• The Role of Technology in Enhancing the Quality of Premier League Matches
• In a referendum, Belarus’ Lukashenko obtains powers and lifetime immunity
• The Nation’s Top Cricket Tournaments of Bangladesh
• Can Anybody Stop Manchester City Making It a Fantastic Four in 2023/24?