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Sports Features of Thursday, 21 April 2016

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

Does Leicester have the Mentality to win the Premier League?

Ghana's Daniel Amartey in action for Leicester City Ghana's Daniel Amartey in action for Leicester City

Truth be told, this has been the most unpredictable English Premier League season in many years. In fact, in the entire history of the EPL, the title race has never had such unpredictable results. And as the top four giants in the race for the Barclays Premiership warm up to go head-to-head this coming weekend on Super Sunday, we ask whether the foxes have the mentality to clinch the title. However, to answer this, we have to assess all eventualities, but as the close of the season draws nearer the premier league betting of Leicester winning the league gets a lot more interesting.

Yes, If They Can Handle The Pressure

You really don't have to be an expert to see that - against all odds - Leicester are among the favourites to clinch the ultimate crown this season. However, as much as they seem in pole position, Leicester are slightly disadvantaged in that they don't have the experience of handling the immense pressure that characterises the end of a season run (if you choose to discount their relegation battle from the previous season). This phase is notoriously the most difficult time in the Premier League and as it’s still pretty tight up at the top the last few games will determine who gets to take the silverware home, and who will qualify for the Champions League and Europa cups.

This is also the time when some players tend to break form and this could be due to tiredness on Leicester’s part (let’s not forget that they have a very similar team that’s been fielded almost all the way through the season) or bowing under the mounting pressure of the expectations from fans, managers, and club owners. However, with Leicester winning 4 of their last 5 league games 1-0 and with both key players Vardy and Kante scoring during the international break, it would seem that confidence is still high and they are grinding results out every week. So If the Foxes can handle the pressure, then there's no reason they shouldn't bag the 2015/2016 title and if they do, it will truly shake up the future of the Premier League.

Yes, If They Can Steer Clear of Last Minute Injury

This will very much depend on the outcome of; i) Liverpool’s late kick off versus Tottenham on Saturday, and ii) their game against Southampton this coming Sunday. So far, the Foxes have displayed unmatched determination, courage, and real belief, but if Liverpool can take points off Tottenham on Saturday and Leicester go on to defeat Southampton on Sunday, they will be a minimum of 7 points clear at the top of the table, which will give them the ability to rest players and put some breathing space between 1st and 2nd.

However, with Leicester still needing to play Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea in their final three games, they’ll need to ensure that they don’t suffer any injuries to their standout players in the run up to these games. Given that many of their players returned to the East Midlands from international duty unscathed and with only two players injured currently, one would believe that they are good for their money in this regard and that should they rotate (when needed) it would be hard to see them suffer such a drastic dip in form to allow Tottenham back into the race for the title.

No, Not If Manchester City Put Up a Good Final Fight

The ‘soon-to-be-ex’ Pellegrini’s Boys have a reputation for finishing strong as the season ebbs. Couple this with the fact that they are currently under an end-of-term spell following Manuel's announcement that he will be leaving at the end of the season and have a lot to prove before the arrival of Guardiola in the summer, there are a few reasons to become a little worried for the Foxes. However, City’s form in the league has been extremely disappointing, and with a series of injuries to defensive powerhouse, Vincent Kompany, England shot-stopper, Joe Hart, and midfield maestro, David Silva, it may prove too much of a burden to overcome. However, with the return of Samir Nasri and Kevin de Bruyne approaching, City are not quite yet out of the running.

No, if Spurs manage to sneak up on them

Leicester might carry the underdog status for now, but it is Spurs who are under the least pressure to perform. In the past, this has acted as an excellent help for winning the title and if the least expected team crawls out of nowhere and pries the silverware from the fingers of the favourites, it might not be all that surprising.

Despite all the odds stacked up against them at the beginning of the season, at 5 points clear Leicester can win the Premiership – as long as they can maintain form and keep the most dominant of opponents at bay. Either way, it should be an exciting conclusion to the 2015/16 season in what will be one of the most memorable seasons of Premier League history.