Leicester City made a very poor start to the season with just one point in the first seven matches. A lot of questions were raised as the Foxes made no changes to the midfield or the attack. They only signed Wout Faes as a replacement for Wesley Fofana. Brendan Rodgers made a few tactical changes, and that has changed the fortunes of the team. They have won five of their last eight games and suffered only two defeats. The team showed a lot of improvement in the attacks as well as in the defence. We now look at some of the stats that show how Leicester City managed to make their move out of the relegation zone.
The Foxes have won five, drawn two, and lost eight matches this season. They have scored and conceded 25 goals each. Leicester City averages 1.07 xG and 1.39 xGA per 90 minutes. The above viz shows the percentile rank of the team in comparison to other teams in the English Premier League. It can be observed that the Foxes are poorly ranked in the division. They have done well to pass the ball and score goals. But the percentile rank in other departments is a bit disappointing. However, there were a lot of improvements in the attack and the defence.
The defensive stability
Leicester City’s defence raised a lot of question marks after conceding 22 goals in the first seven games. The Foxes were unable to defend their goal and averaged more than three goals conceded per match. The above viz shows the defensive territory of the team. It indicates that the Foxes were involved in a lot of defensive actions in the defensive third. Overall, the team averages a 61.4% win rate for defensive duels and 43.1% for aerial duels. They intercept the ball 42.67 times per match.
The defence showed some stability in the next eight matches, conceding just three goals. After failing to keep a clean sheet in the first seven matches, the Foxes kept six in the next eight matches. By looking at the defensive territory map of the last eight matches, it can be observed that the Foxes made more interceptions inside their own penalty box. The defence doesn’t concede cheap free-kicks and is yet to give a penalty.
Fine attacking display
Leicester City players also showed some improvement on the attacking side as well. They just scored eight goals in the first seven games with 52 shot attempts. In the next eight matches, they attempted 101 shots and scored 17 goals. The average shot per match increased from 7.4 to 12.5.
James Madison has been a key figure in this run for the Foxes. The attacking midfielder scored four goals during the period and also assisted three times. He had a direct role in almost 50% of the goals. The 26-year-old is Leicester’s top goal scorer this season and will be eyeing a finish in the top half of the table.
Leicester City are returning to life in the English Premier League. They are now scoring goals, and the defence has been excellent. Brendan Rodgers will be happy with the kind of display shown by his players. He might have to buy a few players in the transfer window to strengthen their chances of a good finish. The manager will be pleased to see his side moving up the table.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine