Leicester’s 3–0 loss to Southampton last weekend marked their 11th of the season, eight more than in the entirety of the previous campaign after only 22 games. They now lie 15th in the table, without an away win this season, and only five points above the relegation zone – a far cry from the halcyon days of last season.

This all raises the question: why has it gone so wrong for Leicester City?

As with the last unexpected Premier League champions, Blackburn Rovers, the lack of investment in Champions League standard players is telling. Club record signing Islam Slimani has not managed to replicate Jamie Vardy’s goal scoring exploits of last season, netting 6 in 16 across all competitions. Ahmed Musa, despite impressing in Russia for CSKA Moscow, has failed to live up to his billing with only 2 goals in his 14 league games this season.

As things stand, Leicester’s best chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season is to win in this.

Similarly finding a replacement for N’golo Kante has proved more difficult than first imagined. For all of the stars in the title winning side, perhaps none were more integral to the way Leicester played than the diminutive Frenchman. The Foxes have sorely missed his industry, energy, and indefatigable running. While Nampalys Mendy has done a perfectly respectable job in aiming to imitate the performances of his compatriot, he’s come across as exactly that, a cut-price, imitation N’golo.

Teams have also grown accustomed to Leicester’s style of play. Opponents have learnt how to stifle the Foxes’ main attacking outlets, the mercurial Riyad Mahrez and doggedly combative Jamie Vardy and thereby cut out the threat of a counter attack.

Opposing managers are also willing to concede possession, which nullifies Leicester’s dangerously quick break. Last season they listed 18th in the Premier League possession statistics, averaging 44.8 percent over the campaign. Their 4-2 victory over Manchester City in December with only 29 percent possession highlights the threat Leicester still possess on the break, as they’ve also found to great success in the Champions League.

Jamie Vardy was the real Player of the Year

There’s also been a very real sense that Leicester aren’t focused on the league this season, choosing instead to prioritise the Champions League. Ranieri has regularly rested key players with European games in mind, notably leaving Mahrez out of the side to face Chelsea a few days before playing FC Copenhagen, and more or less explicitly stated his preference when explaining his choice.

“The Premier League is one year long,” he said. “Champions League is two months, in or out. We want to go in the knockout in Champions League or Europa League. To achieve this you have to have all your players fit and I prefer to preserve some players for Tuesday night.”

Realistically, Leicester were never going to mount a serious defence of the Premier League title. In fact, the feeling around the Midlands club before the start of the season was that progress from the Champions League group stage and a top-10 finish would be acceptable – something which is still eminently achievable. It’ll be some achievement for them to emulate the Manchester City team of 1938, the last defending champions to be relegated.

An FA Cup tie and East Midlands derby against Derby County ought to provide some respite for Ranieri and his men but as things stand, Leicester’s best chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season is to win in this.