City’s 2020/21 Season In Numbers
Leicester City entered the campaign with a European journey to look forward to for the first time since 2016/17 and it kicked off in the best possible fashion.
Winning the first five games on their travels across all formats, including the first four Premier League away fixtures, was a near-perfect start to the season.
The 3-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns signalled the first time the Foxes had won their opening Premier League fixture since the title-winning season of 2015/16, courtesy of a Jamie Vardy brace and Timothy Castagne’s debut goal.
Better was to come as eventual champions Manchester City were beaten 5-2 at Etihad Stadium, with Leicester scoring at least five goals in a league fixture for the first time since putting nine past Southampton in October 2019.
Together with a 4-2 win over Burnley in the maiden fixture on Filbert Way, it meant City had netted 12 times in the three September matches, averaging four goals a game as the attacking talents within the squad came to the fore.
A first win at Arsenal for 47 years was secured in their next away outing, thanks to Vardy’s late strike, and the perfect away record continued following a trip to face newly promoted Leeds United at Elland Road.
Not only did the convincing 4-1 success maintain the Foxes’ 100 per cent success rate on their travels, but also lifted Brendan Rodgers’ outfit up to second in the top-flight table, having collected 15 points from their first seven fixtures in 2020/21.
And the Club’s maiden UEFA Europa League campaign had also got off to a good start, with the 3-0 victory over Zorya Luhansk on matchday one of the group stage kickstarting a six-game winning streak in all competitions, which included a 2-1 triumph away at AEK Athens.
Then came Leicester’s biggest-ever European victory - beating Portuguese side SC Braga 4-0 on Filbert Way - against a team that would also qualify from Group G. Kelechi Iheanacho scored twice on the night and assisted another to make it three wins out of three in the Europa League.
Completing the double over AEK Athens confirmed top spot for the Foxes in December and came in between picking up six Premier League points via victories over Sheffield United and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Leicester reached double figures for 2020/21 Premier League wins in the first game of the New Year by defeating Newcastle United 2-1 at St. James’ Park, as James Maddison and Youri Tielemans got on the scoresheet in the North East.
The team’s largest away win of the season then came at bet365 Stadium, winning by a margin of four goals to progress into the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup at the expense of Sky Bet Championship side Stoke City.
And the following weekend, Rodgers’ men clinched their 10th clean sheet of the campaign, beating Southampton 2-0 at King Power Stadium with goals from Maddison and Harvey Barnes.
It was part of a five-game winning streak across all formats in January, which also involved an impressive 2-0 scoreline at home to Chelsea, thanks to Wilfred Ndidi’s first goal of the season and Maddison’s latest strike, sending the Foxes to the Premier League's summit.
February was equally impressive and featured a six-game unbeaten run, with four wins and four clean sheets, including victory over title holders Liverpool and progression into the FA Cup Quarter-Finals for the second consecutive season.
City soon equalled their largest-ever Premier League home victory with the 5-0 success over Sheffield United matching the same scoreline achieved on Filbert Way against Newcastle United a season prior.
More history was made in the FA Cup when Manchester United were defeated 3-1 in the last eight at King Power Stadium, signalling a first semi-final appearance for the Club since 1982.
A memorable day would follow at Wembley as Iheanacho’s solo strike was enough to overcome Southampton and reach the showpiece for the first time in 52 years.
Beaten finalists on four previous occasions, Saturday 15 May, 2021 was Leicester’s day as Tielemans’ stunning effort helped record a 1-0 triumph over Chelsea at the national stadium.
Exactly 137 years after forming, the Foxes finally got their hands on the oldest cup competition trophy, becoming the 44th team to win the FA Cup.
The Club has now lifted all three of English football’s most prestigious honours – the Premier League, the League Cup (three times) and now the FA Cup.
Back in the league, City ended a 23-year wait for victory at Old Trafford by beating Manchester United 2-1, with goals from defenders Luke Thomas and Çağlar Söyüncü sealing three points at United’s home for the first time since 1998.
It proved to be the final success of the season and thus equalled the Club’s all-time record for the most away wins in a season (11 in 19 games), also achieved in 2015/16.
In total, Leicester's 20 victories in 2020/21 was second only to the title-winning season five years ago and added to their overall tally of 195 wins in the Premier League era.