The rise and fall of Leicester City

Unless Arsenal can recover from the shock of losing at home to Watford and produce a surprise win at Stamford Bridge tomorrow, there’s every prospect of Chelsea’s pursuit of the title turning into a procession.

That being so, the most compelling story of the Premier League season could yet feature, for the second year running, Leicester City. Except that this time, the drama surrounding the Foxes will unfold at the other end of the table, where, astonishingly, the reigning champions are teetering on the brink of the abyss.

Ahead of the weekend’s action and before they face Manchester United, at the King Power Stadium tomorrow, Leicester share 21 points with a newly resurgent Swansea, just two clear of the drop zone currently inhabited by Crystal Palace (19), Hull City (17), and table-proppers, Sunderland (16).