The time has finally come to properly recognize and respect the best and most consistent team in the Premier League. And that team would be Leicester City.As in league-leading Leicester City, the favoriteto win the Premier League title.It’s the first week of February and the Foxes still sit atop the Premiership. This surprising front-running is boosted by the fact that Leicester is not playing in Europe.Manchester City and Arsenal both have to contend with extra midweek fixtures and international travel for Champions League, and even Tottenham and Manchester United face road trips in the Europa League. So Leicester, no longer involved in domestic cup competitions, has an undeniable advantage over its Premier League competition.While scheduling will certainly help for the final few months of the season, Leicester City sits at the top of the heap because of its consistency on the pitch. Only two defeats after 24 rounds fit into the framework of a team on course to win the title.With almost two-thirds of the season complete, the sample size should no longer come into question. Tuesday’s 2-0 victory overLiverpool reinforced that the Foxes are for real.Leicester, however, did experience a period of adversity. The Foxes had only one victory overfive matches from Boxing Day until the middle of January. But even after that dip in form, they still sit three points clear at the top of the league.Is this a fluke? Where did Leicester City come from? And are the Foxes really good enough to claim Premier League hardware?Two seasons ago, Leicester sat one division below the Premier League, in the Championship, and allegedly broke the rules ofFinancial Fair Play by reporting a greater loss than what was allowed – by more than double the allotment, actually.However, Premier League promotion led to a scrappy relegation battle and safety in the richest league on the planet, so the issue has simply been forgotten, rather than necessarily resolved.
