Leicester City talking points from their 4-1 victory over Huddersfield Town, looking at the festive period, Tom Cannon’s double, Ricardo Pereira’s performance, transfers, and more
If Leicester City wins the Championship, they might consider the previous month to have been the most important part of the campaign.
With teams’ depth, fitness, quality, and mentality put to the test by a demanding fixture list, December and the holiday schedule are frequently seen as make-or-break months. While some sides succeed, others crumble. City belongs to the latter group.
Over their past eight games, starting in early December and ending with the New Year’s Day triumph over Huddersfield, City have gone unbeaten, earning 22 of a possible 24 points. That’s four more than Southampton, and nine more than both Ipswich and Leeds. It means their lead at the top is as big as it has ever been, moving into double figures for the first time.
That’s not to say City have been perfect. Over such a busy period it would be unreasonable to expect that. Enzo Maresca said his team were “not mentally sharp” against Huddersfield and that the players had told him they were tired.
The first half was a drab affair, even by the usual standards of City home matches, where the opening periods are often light on action as Maresca’s men are frustrated by organised, deep-set defences. Tom Cannon’s goal was only the fifth they have scored in the first halves of their 13 fixtures at the King Power Stadium, but it came in the 40th minute from just their second shot of the match. Maresca said his side were playing too much on the outside, and not enough on the inside.
Then, once City got 3-0 in front, they let standards slip, not only allowing the Terriers to score but to then put pressure on and cause a few nerves as they threatened an unlikely comeback. But again, it would be difficult to expect a 90-minute performance at the end of a draining month.
Because what’s clear is that City have performed better and more consistently than any other team in the division over this period. They’re improving too. That’s now three teams they’ve played twice. In the first rounds of matches against Rotherham, Cardiff, and Huddersfield, they won all three but with an aggregate score of 5-2. Over these past few weeks, they’ve beaten them all again, but by 9-1 collectively. They now have scored the most goals in the division, as well as having conceded the fewest.
They’re now on the club’s longest unbeaten run since the 2016 Premier League title win. The past month, perhaps more than any, has shown they have the stuff of champions.
Maresca mantra means trigger-happy Cannon can be more than stop-gap
And then there was one. At the end of November, when Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho were sharing the sole striker role and were staying fit, it felt like having four forwards in one squad was unnecessary.
But just over a month later and City only have one available. Cannon’s first start finally came when Maresca had no other options. But that doesn’t mean he will be a stop-gap. The evidence is there that he can establish himself as the manager’s first choice.
It helps that he’s started the year with a bang. His two goals were terrifically-taken. The first was a sweet hit, the ball rocketing into the bottom corner. The second showed all of the qualities you would want in a striker: movement, strength, composure.
It was clear to see before New Year’s Day, in Cannon’s substitute appearances, that he’s keen. He’s trigger happy. There’s only a small sample to go on at the moment, but he’s averaging 4.5 shots per 90 minutes. The next highest in the squad is Iheanacho with 2.7 shots per 90 minutes.
It’s not as if he’s shooting from way out. He’s just sniffing out good opportunities and putting himself in the right place to profit. The evidence so far suggests he possesses those natural striker instincts. And he’s only just turned 21, so there’s scope for those to be honed too.
But just because it’s taken time for him to be afforded his chance, it does not mean that he will return to the bench the moment one of the other three strikers gets fit or returns from international duty. If you do well in a Maresca team, then you stay in a Maresca team.
Patson Daka didn’t play at all for months, then when injuries gave him his chance, he took it. Maresca rewarded him by keeping him in his 11. The same can be true of Cannon.
When asked if he’d been protecting Cannon in recent weeks while Daka was leading the line, Maresca said: “It’s just because Pat deserved to play. So we decided to give Pat chances and minutes. When they wait and they get the chance and they do well, it’s correct, or you have to be honest with them, to continue that.
“So Pat waited for a long time, he took his chance and we gave him minutes. Now Tom is here, first game, two goals, we are happy for Tom too.”
In the short term, with Vardy injured and with Daka and Iheanacho at the Africa Cup of Nations, supporters will get to see plenty of Cannon. But even when the others are back, he may still be City’s main man up top.
Why Ricardo 2.0 is one of Maresca’s biggest, most satisfying achievements
In all of the achievements of Maresca’s reign so far, getting so much out of Ricardo Pereira is among the best. The halfway point of the season has only just passed but the Portuguese has now played more minutes this campaign than in the past two combined. Continue at his current rate and by the end of the season, he will have featured more often than in the past three seasons combined. Giving him breaks every now and again, the Italian has managed Ricardo very well.
City supporters have longed to see the Ricardo of old. Before the first of his big injuries, he was the club’s best player. He was a thrill to watch in the way he dribbled the ball and threatened defences. Being City’s best attacker while playing as a right-back is ludicrous, but it was true.
That version of Ricardo has perhaps still not been seen, at least not in full flow over a long stretch of games. But what they have now is Ricardo 2.0, a player whose style and assets have changed but are still effective.
With Huddersfield operating with a back five, Ricardo pushed up from full-back beyond Harry Winks to attacking midfield, and it was from there that he made a difference. His clever movements allowed him to get into the box to score one fine header and get on the end of two more big chances. He could have had a hat-trick.
Beyond that, he still connected play well in tight, advanced areas, poking the ball back for Cannon’s opener, and did his bit in defence too. He’s just an excellent all-around player.
To say Ricardo is back would not be right. This is a new Ricardo. Perhaps that is because of his injuries, or perhaps it’s just because of how players evolve. Vardy is a far different player now to the one that arrived at the club, and he’s never had a long series of injuries.
But while the flying Ricardo of old may not be seen again to a consistent level, the satisfaction of seeing him playing is still there. It’s one of the best jobs Maresca has done, the Portuguese’s impact acting as proof of his qualities as a manager.
Chance to recruit from position of strength amid Carvalho links
January is here which means transfers can take place. Watching City over the past couple of months, you could hardly say they’re desperate for signings. But in the past, City have been in a position of strength and not brought in new faces, and it has cost them.
If they can make their squad better and not disrupt the harmony and camaraderie within the group, why not do so? They’ve got room for one more loan player and must be an attractive proposition for a young Premier League player keen to get minutes.
The links to Liverpool’s Fabio Carvalho are interesting. He’s already won the Championship once before, with Fulham, and proven he can perform at this level, so the possibility of lifting the second-tier title this season may not be as thrilling to him as it would be for others, but, after a difficult loan spell with RB Leipzig, he may just be looking for a confidence booster from now until the summer.
Someone who can play on the wing and in attacking midfield would be perfect for City. It would bolster areas where they are a little short, and push on the players who they already have in those positions.
