Consistency Key to Leicester City Pulling off Unlikely Premier League Title Win

Nine games remain in this most compelling of Premier League title races—nine games to see if Leicester City can pull off what was once the impossible.

That's no longer the case, of course. By now, the impossible is not only possible, but increasingly probable. By now, only a madman would bet against Claudio Ranieri and his unlikely heroes.

With 29 matches out of the way, Leicester sit proudly—and deservedly—atop the table, five points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, eight clear of Arsenal and a massive 10 above Manchester City, who have a game in hand.

Winning the title would be as unprecedented as this challenge has been unexpected. Since the club's founding in 1884, Leicester have never won a top-flight league title, coming closest as runners-up in the old First Division in 1928-29.

Jon Super/Associated Press

So can the Foxes do it? After watching every twist and turn this unpredictable Premier League season has served up, even the most cynical among us have learned not to doubt; only to watch and believe. Not only can Leicester do it, but if we're being honest, most of us are now expecting it to happen.

As the season began, not even the most rabid of supporters would have believed—not so soon after a relegation fight and last spring's miraculous escape. Survival was the current campaign's target, plain and simple. In fact, as late as October, after a victory over Norwich City, it was the only thing Ranieri cared to talk about.

“We have 15 points, 25 less than we need (to avoid relegation)," he said, per TeamTalk. "After we get that, we will see what happens.”

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Leicester got there and then some. Since taking over the top spot on Nov. 21 after a 3-0 victory at Newcastle, the Foxes have hardly budged, falling to second only briefly after a three-match winless spell before reclaiming first place after a draw at Aston Villa on Jan. 16.

To understand how they've done it, first consider their consistency. While other challengers have stumbled, Leicester have remained steady. That three-match winless run was their longest of the season. To counteract it, Ranieri's men have posted unbeaten runs of six, 10 and seven matches. In building this unexpected challenge, the Foxes have helped themselves immensely by being stubbornly difficult to beat.

Ranieri deserves credit, of course, but so do the players. The back line—marshaled by Wes Morgan and Robert Huth—has been reasonably solid, conceding 31 goals to this point, or just over one per game. In midfield, N'Golo Kante has been one of the biggest revelations of the season with his all-action style. That Kante signed for the tidy fee of £5.6 million (h/t Leicester Mercury) makes him one of the best buys in recent Premier League history.

But it's up front where Leicester have won the most admirers. Expert counter-attackers, the Foxes have thrilled audiences all season and earned a deserved reputation as entertainers.

Earlier this season, striker Jamie Vardy, a non-league player as recently as 2012, set a new Premier League record by scoring in 11 straight matches. But for all of Vardy's goals, the real danger man is Riyad Mahrez, another bargain signing who's taken the league by storm. With 15 goals and 11 assists, the 25-year-old ranks among the league's most lethal attackers.

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

A leading candidate for player of the year honors, Mahrez netted a stunning strike on Saturday to give Leicester all three points at Watford. It was just the latest example of the Algerian's immense value. In December, the Guardian's Martin Laurence noted: 

"

While Vardy, (Marc) Albrighton, Kante and (Danny) Drinkwater have rightly been lauded for their work ethic in winning the ball upfield, it’s key to have a player that can carry play forward at speed to pick out team-mates in those situations. Mahrez is the man with magic in his boots at Leicester and should be considered the player of the season so far.

"

If Leicester do go on to win the title, there can be no doubt. Mahrez would be the player of the year, and Ranieri will have pulled off one of the biggest surprises in all of football's history.

Up next for the Foxes is a stretch of four games that should yield a maximum of points. Beating Newcastle at home, Crystal Palace away, Southampton at home and Sunderland away won't exactly be painless, but a team with title ambitions should expect to win all of those fixtures.

Rui Vieira/Associated Press

The run-in becomes significantly more difficult after that. On April 17, Leicester will host West Ham United, a side currently making a strong push for the top four. After a comparatively manageable home date against Swansea City, the Foxes will finish their league campaign with matches against Manchester United (away), Everton (home) and Chelsea (away).

United and Chelsea haven't lived up to their own high standards this season, but two tricky away matches near the end of the season mean that if Leicester do lift the trophy, they will have earned it.

At this point, it would be foolish to doubt them.