Regardless of what happens during these last eight matches in the English Premier League, the rise of Leicester City is a story that will stay as one of the greatest surprises in league history.
Since the Premier League started being called the Premier League, the only title run that rivals this Leicester stunner was Blackburn’s 1994-95 title. Even so, Blackburn's title race wasn’t as long of a shot as what we have seen this year from Leicester, because the Rovers were the runners-up in 1993-94.
They might have their differences, but the 1994-95 champions Blackburn and the 2015-16 title challengers Leicester also share a few things in common. In the race for their first English title in 81 years, the Rovers laid their trust in a duo of prolific attackers in Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton.
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Well, in the race for their first ever English title, Leicester has its pair of prolific attackers in Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez. While they had different styles of play and the game back then was different than it was now, Vardy and Mahrez are, perhaps, as vital for the Foxes as Shearer and Sutton were to Blackburn.
Following that line of thought, Vardy and Mahrez will soon face a difficult choice Shearer and Sutton probably had to face after their stint of success with Blackburn: should they stay or should they go?
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The rumors are already flying around the media, with the likes of Barcelona and Chelsea already on the hunt for Mahrez’s signature. Vardy has also incited the interest of many European powerhouses. Nonetheless, the Premier League top scorer recently re-signed for three-and-a-half-years with Leicester.
But despite the new contract, Vardy’s stock is still high with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, especially after The Times reported a £30m buyout clause in the striker’s contract, which puts his future in his hands alone if anyone is willing to pay the fee.
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It all comes down to this: staying with the Foxes and try to push their list of memorable achievements to a global level or taste the glamour of playing for one of Europe’s most renowned clubs.
A little over a decade ago, both Shearer and Sutton chose the former and remained with Blackburn to try their luck in the Champions League. Unfortunately for them, the next season did not go as Blackburn fans hoped, with the club getting knocked out of the competition still on the group stage of the Champions League and finishing sixth in the Premier League.
While history didn’t turn out so well for Blackburn, there is a good chance that Leicester could make some noise in the Champions League next season, especially considering their results against England’s hopefuls for this Champions League.
The Foxes dropped both of their matches against Arsenal but had a much-improved performance in the second game. Playing in front of more than 60,000 people, Leicester managed to hold the Gunners to a tie until Danny Welbeck provided a last-second stunner.
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The Foxes’ luck was very different playing against Manchester City. They held the Citizens to a tie in the first match and managed to come away from Etihad Stadium with a 3-1 victory in the second encounter.
Leicester also split the season series with Liverpool, tied Manchester United, and beat Chelsea.
With that track record like that facing top English clubs, it’s hard to bet too much against Leicester's chances versus the Bayerns and Barcelonas of the world.
Large or slim chances aside, the future will come down to the decisions those two men make. Do Vardy and Mahrez believe they can take over Europe like they surprised England?
