Written by Barney Ronay at theGuardian.com
Do not adjust your television set. This is really happening. As Leicester City continue to thrum along in low gear at the top of the Premier League table, it will some time very soon become necessary to twiddle the knobs, clear the snow from the screen and take a long, clear look at what is no longer an improbable run of form but an entirely genuine, brilliantly executed push for the league title.
Leicester didn’t beat Manchester City against the head at the Etihad Stadium. This wasn’t a heist or a mugging. They played here as they always do, defending deep with heart and craft – with Robert Huth a giant at both ends – and surging forward like a pack of black-shirted ferrets.
In Riyad Mahrez Leicester also had the most striking attacking presence on the pitch, scorer of their clinching second goal, a piece of skill to decorate any match and a cautious early contender for defining moment in this gloriously insubordinate season.
Mahrez was always likely to take centre stage, an obvious poster boy for the contrast between the market value of the two XIs. This was billed as Leicester’s expendables, swept up from the factory floor, versus the fruits of Manchester City’s billion-pound project. Really, though, the dominant factor here was simply Leicester’s energy and authority. Plus, in decisive pockets, Mahrez’s distinctive creative brilliance.
On a wet squally day Leicester’s skinny-legged conductor mooched about the pitch with malevolent purpose, a footballer of such insouciance you half expect to see him emerging from one of Leicester’s goal‑bundle celebrations with his bow tie rakishly dangling, tuxedo askew.
At times when Leicester have the ball with their goalkeeper or the opposition are attacking Mahrez will simply wander around, shoulders drooping, having acquired in the last few months the slightly aloof, lurking menace of the best creative players.
To continue reading this article, click here.
