Football Feature: How Leicester City went from a top-four team to a relegation candidate

After a few managerial tweaks, they finally proved to be a team worthy of Champions League quarterfinalists. However, due to ill-timed transfers of top players like Riyad Mahrez, Ben Chilwell, and N'golo Kante, among a few more, besides the death of their owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the club was alternating between crisis and stability. 

After Brendan Rodgers' arrival, they improved their performance and finished fifth for two successive seasons in the Premier League. However, Leicester has again hit the relegation zone, securing one point from six matches in the current season.

How Leicester City became a top four club

In 2019, Leicester finished 9th in the Premier League, but things significantly improved after Brendan Rodgers took over. However, they couldn't finish fourth the following season due to injuries. 

In addition, Manchester United pulled off an impressive performance after Bruno Fernandes' arrival landing them in the fourth position. Leicester was already struggling after Harry Maguire left to join the Red Devils. 

The remaining squad had winger Harvey Barnes, 22-year-old Ben Chilwell, right-back Ricardo Pereira, James Maddison, Wilfred Ndidi, and Youri Tielemans, excluding the mainstays.

32-year-old Jamie Vardy, 23-year-old Caglar Soyuncu, 31-year-old Jonny Evans and Kasper Schmeichel were the team's core. The gradual drip of talent leaving the club and the arrival of dissatisfactory recruitments initiated their downfall.

Rodgers deployed Ndidi, Tielemans, and Maddison in the most tactically efficient way possible. However, the system collapsed in a year.

How the history of Leicester City began to collapse with the death of its owner

Although they finished even closer to fourth in 2020-21 than the year before, the team showed signs of fading out. 

Leicester felt burdened because their best players had stopped playing. Pereira only competed in 28% of the minutes in 2020-21 due to a knee injury, and Ben Chilwell moved to Chelsea for $55million.

They welcomed centre-back Wesley Fofana, along with 24-year-old fullback Timothy Castagne but the drop in performance quality caused them to miss the fourth spot for the second consecutive year.  

In 2021-22, Fofana was afflicted with injury issues, and Evans only played 39% of the minutes. Pereira competed in 29% of the minutes owing to an injury as Leicester finished eighth. 

Leicester could have a worse future if the transfer window is boring.

In the 2022-23 season, Leicester is the only team without a single win and the only club thriving with fewer than four points. They now reportedly have a 26% chance of being relegated. 

Even as the stalwarts from the previous season - Ndidi, Tielemans, Maddison and Vardy have each started five of the six games, Leicester has failed to pull themselves back. 

The $88.4million departure of Fofana to Chelsea, injuries to Soyuncu and Pereira besides the late arrival of $18.70million signing Wout Faes have contributed to their misery.

Meanwhile, the club replaced Kasper Schmeichel, who left for Nice, with Danny Ward, a 30-year-old with no previous experience as a first-division starter.

Ward conceded 2.5 goals more than the standard estimate in their six games matches. Furthermore, Vardy's presence on the field has been inconsequential as he only attempted five total shots so far. 

If Leicester fails to bolster their squad, their name might be wiped out of the Premier League next season.