After last season’s incredible efforts in winning the Premier League, it was always going to be a struggle for Leicester City to replicate that success in 2016/17.
Their 2015/16 campaign will always be legendary but it never signified that there was a new force in English football, capable of consistently challenging for silverware season after season.
That’s been shown in the Foxes’ mediocre start to the Premier League campaign this time around, with losses and defeats littering their season.
It’s not all doom and gloom though; they’ve enjoyed a thrilling UEFA Champions League campaign and look forward to knockout football in Europe’s elite competition in 2017.
Recently, they’ve also shown signs that the old Leicester City spirit is still there and they can still spring a few surprises against England’s best sides.
Here are TEN photos to help sum their season so far…
A bad start
Leicester’s season got off to a dreadful start with an opening day defeat to one of the teams that were promoted over the summer, Hull City. It was not the result anybody expected but hinted at the season to come.
Goals from Adama Diomande and Robert Snodgrass were what sunk them, despite last season’s talisman Riyad Mahrez equalising.
If anyone thought Leicester could retain their title, they were already second guessing themselves by the end of the opening day.
New contenders
Liverpool’s thrashing of Leicester 4-1 at Anfield saw new Premier League contenders emerge. This season really has been the return of England’s biggest clubs with Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and City all going toe-to-toe for the title.
Two defeats in the Foxes’ first three games saw many write them off early doors and to be fair, the naysayers were right. This wasn’t going to be another blow-away season from Leicester. At least not in England anyway…
European dreams
Leicester’s stunning dismantling of Club Brugge away from home in their first ever Champions League match was a joy to behold, not just for Foxes fans but most Premier League fans in general.
The feel-good factor had returned and not content with slaying England’s best, it seemed Leicester were up for bringing the fight to the continent.
A goal from Marc Albrighton and a double from Mahrez gave them a victory and sent the travelling fans home very happy indeed.
Still giant killers
Leicester were famous giant killers in England last season and recaptured that spirit with a victory over Portuguese giants Porto at the King Power stadium in September.
Islam Slimani’s nodded effort home was enough for victory, returning to haunt Porto after a prolific spell scoring against the club for Sporting Lisbon.
There were a few hairy moments over the 90 minutes but the Foxes held on for a famous win and a significant boost to their chances of qualifying from the group.
Three wins from three
Leicester’s European season got even better when they hosted Copenhagen and polished them off too.
It propelled Leicester to five points clear at the top of Group G, putting them just one win away from the last 16. Just like last season, Foxes fans were dreaming and wondering where all this could end.
Leicester had taken to European football like a duck to water, confounding all expectations for a second season in a row.
Still struggling domestically
It may have been going almost perfectly in Europe but back at home, Leicester were struggling badly. As champions, they were the team everyone wanted to beat and patchy form meant that by the time Watford beat them 2-1 at Vicarage Road, they were just 2 points above the relegation zone.
They’d gone from champions to relegation contenders in a matter of months. With their focus on Europe, matters at home were becoming urgent.
Knockout boys
Leicester qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League with a game to spare after completing the double over Club Brugge and winning 2-1 at the King Power stadium.
Shinji Okazaki and Riyad Mahrez scored within the first half an hour to ensure there was no real drama on the night, despite a second half goal from the Belgians giving them something to think about.
It was a remarkable achievement in a debut Champions League campaign but fully deserved – with Leicester unrecognisable from the team labouring in the Premier League.
Down to earth
Leicester’s European ambitions were finally brought back down to earth when they travelled to Portugal and were destroyed 5-0 on a dismal night for Foxes fans.
They had nothing to play for after already qualifying and Ranieri made 10 changes from his usual selection, but for a team who always play with pride and passion, the heavy scoreline was a massive blow.
It was the worst ever defeat for an English team in the Champions League but the Foxes still finished top of their group. They’ve gone on to draw Sevilla in the last 16, a mouth-watering prospect for Leicester fans.
Still got it
Leicester bounced back from that dreadful result in Porto with their best Premier League performance of the season against Manchester City at home.
Surging to a 4-0 lead before being pegged back by two late goals, the 4-2 victory brought back the swashbuckling spirit of last season. Jamie Vardy even bagged a hat-trick, recapturing the form that made him a superstar in 2015/16.
It showed that for all the talk about relegation battles and last season being a fluke, Leicester are still a quality side on their day and should not be taken lightly.
Massive fight ahead
Since that 4-2 victory, Leicester have suffered two more defeats in three matches, with the other finishing in a draw.
A defeat to Everton at the King Power Stadium has left them just three points above Sunderland and the relegation places, facing a massive fight in 2017 to retain their Premier League place.
It would be quite the story to win the title one year and be relegated the next. Ranieri’s men must ensure they don’t make history for all the wrong reasons, after writing it for all the correct ones.