Leicester City's game on Tuesday night marked their exact midway point in the Premier League season, running out triumphant at the King Power Stadium against Chelsea and moved into first place.

The Foxes have just one point less at the same number of games played than the 2016 title winners. 

Manchester United and Manchester City both won their games in hand but that doesn’t change the fact that the Blues are two points from the top spot. 

  • Rodgers hungry for glory

It’s coming up to two years now since Leicester announced the appointment of Brendan Rodgers. With many fans and pundits questioning why he left a successful, silverware winning side for a mid-table Premier League side, Rodgers has shown exactly why since his arrival in the East-Midlands. 

Rodgers narrowly missed out on the title with Liverpool in 2014, losing it at the final hurdle so maybe the Northern-Irishman still feels he has something to prove in England’s top division. 

The Leicester boss has made enormous strides with the Foxes, bringing European football back to the King Power and now maybe even challenging for the title. Rodgers has injected confidence into the players, bringing the best out of them. As well as that, he has made some successful signings. The players are gelling well together with every player fully understands their roles and giving everything for the cause.  

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  • Spoilt for options

Leicester have numerous formations they can play now with Rodgers now adding more depth into the squad. The Foxes have had issues this season with  players being out injured, but the players have certainly stepped up to their roles including the likes of Nampalys Mendy, James Justin, and Dennis Praet.

With long-term absentee Ricardo Pereira now returning from injury, it will be very tough for the manager to pick the two wing-backs. Timothy Castagne and Justin are both playing tremendously well, it would be a tremendously tough call to drop either of them.

With the addition of summer signing, Wesley Fofana, another tough call for the former Celtic boss to make is which centre-back pairing he could select. One option is the experienced Jonny Evans alongside either the monstrous Caglar Soyuncu or young Fofana, or youth throughout could potentially be the way forwards.

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  • Non-reliant on Vardy

Last year, Leicester were reliant on Jamie Vardy to bag the goals. As good as it is for your main striker to be in form, the players around you also need to be involved. As much as he is still fundamental to the side, if he’s not quite himself, there needs to be other ways of finding the back of the net. 

This season has proved that the Foxes aren't just dependent on Vardy, with both James Maddison and Harvey Barnes getting on the score sheet more often. The young English pair both have six league goals, as well as Youri Tielemans getting four also. 

Vardy is yet to score in the year of 2021 but despite that, Leicester have won every single one of their four games. After the unfortunate news that Vardy will undergo hip surgery leaving him out on the sidelines for a few weeks, it’s now even more key that players are chipping in goals.

If Leicester can get some wins on the bounce without their key striker, can they be title contenders?