Premier League plotlines: Have Leicester given up and does that cheapen the ‘fairytale’?

Our writers round up the weekend’s Premier League talking points.

Given up already? Was Ranieri right to rest stars for Champions League?

Eyebrows were raised when Leicester's team sheet showed that playmaker Riyad Mahrez and their record signing Islam Slimani were on the subs' bench at Stamford Bridge, with Ranieri admitting afterwards he was resting them ahead of the Champions League encounter with FC Copenhagen tomorrow. But without Mahrez, who tormented Chelsea twice last season, Leicester threw away a golden chance to test Antonio Conte's experimental defensive formation, and didn't register an effort on target.

Clearly the former Chelsea boss got his team selection wrong, effectively throwing away a league game in favour of the Champions League, where Leicester already have maximum points and should now qualify for the knockout stages.

Does it cheapen last season’s fairytale that the champions seem to have already given up on a title defence?

Is it risky for Antonio Conte to take on Diego Costa?

During Chelsea’s win over Leicester, Costa repeatedly gestured for Conte to take him off, perhaps fearful of picking up the booking that would rule him out of next week’s clash with Manchester United.

When Conte snubbed the traditional ‘sub me’ gestures, Costa even turned to clutching his hamstring in a bid to get off the pitch.

Afterwards, the Italian provided a somewhat unconvincing argument as to why he turnen a blind eye to Costa’s pleadings: "I kept Costa on until the end of the game because he is an important player for us.

"He has a good personality and he transfers that passion. We need that passion every moment of the game though I knew it was a risk because he if he took another yellow card, he misses the next match."

Conte is a tough manager but he should be wary of falling out with Costa – look what happened to Jose Mourinho last season.

Can Swansea live the American dream?

Swansea are now effectively owned by Americans, so perhaps it should not be surprising they have made Bob Bradley the first Premier League manager from the USA.

The 58-year-old has a good pedigree internationally and has MLS experience too, but his appointment has still been greeted with some sniggers and derision by some who see still England as the guardians of football.

Despite his lack of knowledge of the Premier League, he is a trailblazer for his country and his nationality should not matter.

More of a concern is sorting out Swansea's leaky defence and seeking some stability at a club that has made him their fifth boss in five years back in the top flight. History says he is unlikely to be in charge for the corresponding fixture next season, but that will have nothing to do with his nationality.

Talking point: Has old pal Koeman found a way to unsettle Guardiola?

There was a tone of awe in Pep Guardiola’s voice when he spoke about his days as Ronald Koeman’s team-mate at Barcelona. The respect that Manchester City’s manager has for his Everton counterpart is obvious.

Koeman deserves that respect too, and not just for his talents as a ball-playing central defender. The former Holland captain did a fine job over two years as Southampton’s manager, and is making a very good impression at Goodison Park too.

His team were outplayed by City on Saturday, but not outsmarted; a decision to pack the midfield and defend in depth just about paid off, although Everton needed a fair chunk of luck and some inspired goalkeeping to come away with a point.

What was fascinating about Koeman’s set-up though was that, with what little possession they had, his team looked useful on the counter-attack. The Everton manager’s intention was to absorb pressure and hit City on the break. With a little fine-tuning, it is a policy that other teams may use to cause Guardiola problems in the Premier League this season.

Can Spurs battle on all fronts without Toby?

There would not have been a Tottenham supporter without his heart in his mouth when Toby Alderweireld was stretchered off on Saturday. The Belgian has been Spurs’ best defender since joining the club and with six games in 21 days to come, Mauricio Pochettino will have to shuffle his pack.

One possible solution is to drop Eric Dier into the middle of defence, a role the England international played during his youth. And while some may have their doubts, Pochettino is more than happy to move the 22-year-old into the heart of his back-four. “The good thing about Eric is that he can play like a midfielder, full-back or centre-back,” he said. “He can perform as good in the three positions. That is important and we will see what happens with what the decision is for Tuesday, but that is one option more than we have.”