Leicester City moved closer to the relegation zone and are looking certain to be embroiled in a relegation dogfight this season after Swansea City comfortably notched up a 2-0 victory over the struggling defending Champions.
Swansea City looked like a lost team a few weeks back and have already changed their manager twice this season but there was no evidence on the day and they showed the match against Manchester City was because of City’s superior quality and not because of their loss of form.
After a cagey start, Alfie Mawson’s thumping volley and an incisive team goal finished by Martin Olsson gave the hosts a commanding 2-0 half-time lead.
Leicester offered more resistance in the second half – substitute Islam Slimani was denied by a fine save by Lukasz Fabianski – but fell to a fifth successive defeat, increasing the pressure on manager Claudio Ranieri.
Let us take look at the talking points from this match.
PAUL CLEMENT WIELDS HIS MAGIC WAND
Swansea City looked down and out when Bod Bradley was in function and while he should not be blamed for his appointment, the Swansea tenure will certainly be a blip on his career. Paul Clement was the man to replace him and while there was apprehension and a sense of resignation along with it, a few people understood the value of the former assistant manager of Bayern Munich. He came in with a unique footballing brain and his ingrained winning mentality has left a deep impression on the players. 4 wins in their last 6 games with the losses coming against Arsenal and City, they have moved up to the 15th spot and while no one is getting complacent, the season is suddenly looking much brighter for them.
LEICESTER CITY DOOMED?
Last year, the Foxes started winning games early. Ranieri decided to stick with a team and play them week in, week out and the ploy worked brilliantly with the players bonding and forming an excellent chemistry and footballing understanding. But there were cynics who were waiting for the slump but alas, it did not come as Leicester went all the way and did the unthinkable.
Worryingly for them, there has been a similar kind of trend this season but in the opposite direction. A drop in performance level was expected and the fans hoped that it was a minor blip. But 25 games into the season, there are in the 17th spot and to be honest, they don’t look like a team who can make a major turnaround. Over 10 hours without a goal and 5 losses on the trot. Are the Foxes doomed?
THE CLOSEST PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE IN YEARS
Other than Chelsea, who are well clear of the 2nd place by 10 points, the Premier League table at the top and in the bottom half is the closest in years. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are separated by 2 points and they are 2nd and 6th respectively. At the bottom, a couple of wins is now proving to be enough to make a drastic climb up the charts while a loss is changing the dynamic once again.
It is god news for the fans of the League but it is also a wake-up call for the teams who were resting on their laurels after a good start or some teams who were waving the white flag already.
