The 2015 - 2016 Barclays Premier League Season has been anything but conventional. After twenty three weeks, the Champions Chelsea are drifting in the bottom half of the league, 22 points off Leicester City. The same Leicester City who finished in 14th last season with 41points.
Usually around August and September, the premier league table takes a couple of weeks to realign itself back to the way it was when the last season ended. With Chelsea struggling and Leicester on top of the world, this hasn't fully happened this year. From the start of the season, Leicester have been hovering in and around or on top of the premier league with every journalist, pundit and fan alike all speaking the same line that "it won't last" or "the wheels will come off". Leicester are now sitting very pretty, three points clear of Manchester City. After destroying Liverpool 2-0 last night the question now has to be asked. Will it last and can the wheels stay on Claudiao Ranieri's fairytale season. If they are to do it the next couple of weeks are key for Leicester as they face Manchester City and Arsenal away.
The last time they faced Manchester City was only a few weeks ago on December 29th when the sides drew 0-0 at The King Power Stadium. Leicester haven't beaten Manchester City since 2003 so history and form isn't exactly on their side. Its also important to note that the Manchester City side back in 2003 wasn't backed by an unlimited bank balance from the Middle East. The bookies don't fancy them either but even they don't always get things right, ask Ronda Rousey.
It will come down to the attitude that Leicester go to the Etihad with. If they go to play conservatively and hope for a draw to deny City points, they will probably suffer the same fate that Everton did in the Carling Cup Semi Final second leg. If they go out confident and without fear like they have all season and try to take advantage of a slightly weakened Manchester City who are missing Kevin De Bruyne and Vincent Kompany then who know's what could happen. Ranieri has a tough task in setting up his Leicester squad to really go out at Manchester City but to also not leave themselves exposed to a very on form Sergio Aguero.
Arsenal despite struggling with form of late will be the big mental test for Leicester when the sides meet at the Emirates on the 13th. In what has been a fantastic season for Leicester that has been full of high points, last nights victory over Liverpool being one, the visit of Arsenal to the King Power Stadium back in September was definitely the contrasting low point when Arsene Wenger's men left 5-2 winners. Leicester can take solace in the fact that Arsenal despite showing signs of challenging for the title this year, have been showing some really poor form as of late, which has included two nil all draws with Stoke and Southampton along with a one nil loss to Chelsea.
Should Leicester do the unthinkable over the next couple of weeks and win these two games, they could be potentially sitting six points clear at the top, full of confidence and with a pretty handy run of games to follow which includes Norwich, Newcastle, Swansea. With Manchester City still in the running for the Premier League, The FA Cup, The Champions League and the coveted Carling Cup Final, Leicester may benefit from Manuel Pellegrini's men trying to do too much and suffering from fatigue and injuries in the run up to May. Also with Pellegrini getting his P45 on July 1st, you would wonder if his priority is to win as much as possible for Manchester City before he departs or if he wants to focus on the biggest prize in club football, the Champions League.
As unlikely as it seems that Leicester will manage to do it, the same could be said at the start of the season that they would even make the top ten, let alone make a decent challenge for the title. At the end of the day, anything is possible and although the odd's and the financial might of the footballing world stands between them, Leicester could do it. They just need to believe, and the last twenty three weeks has shown they can.