After winning the Premier League with Leicester City in 2016, striker Jamie Vardy had a decision to make… Stay with The Foxes or leave for Arsenal?

Plenty of eyebrows were raised as the Englishman decided to turndown The Gunners and stay with Leicester.

Three and a half years later and it’s hard to think that Vardy regrets making that decision.

The Foxes are once again flying high in the English top flight, this time under Brendan Rodgers, and once again Jamie Vardy is leading in the scoring charts.

No striker has managed to outscore the thirty-two year old, who has bagged a magnificent sixteen goals in the opening seventeen games of the Premier League. He’s contributed 40% of Leicester’s league goals this term!

Ironically it’s an Arsenal hitman that’s second in the scoring charts but Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang is five goals behind Vardy.

Arsenal are also lagging behind Leicester City in the league table. The Gunners are in tenth spot and a whopping seventeen points behind the second placed Foxes. In the start of November, Jamie Vardy scored one and assisted in another as his side beat Arsenal at The King Power Stadium (BBC Match Report).

Rodgers has transformed Leicester back into a team that can threat any other side in the Premier League.

Jamie is once again the go-to striker, play him in behind any defence and you’ll be betting on him hitting the back of the net!

The former England international might be a veteran now but he still has the pace that can take him beyond opponents. He also has that lethal ability to put away chances.

In that 2016 title winning season, Vardy scored twenty-four times in the league. I believe he’ll beat that tally this term. But he was a good scorer in all the seasons since that win; scoring thirteen in 2016-17, twenty in 2018 and eighteen last term.

Some might say that Vardy would’ve been better served leaving and winning trophies elsewhere like N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez.

I tend to disagree.

Firstly, Arsenal haven’t done much in the league or the Champions League in that timeframe.

He worked up the leagues, much like the club. He too was written off in previous years. He was consistent throughout the whole campaign.

As well as causing a constant threat by staying on the shoulder of defenders, Vardy’s smart runs also creates space and that’s seen James Maddison shine.

Rodgers is understandably delighted with his striker:

“Jamie’s playing consistently at a very high level.”

“For me, it’s like having two players up there because of his work and his threat.”

“People sometimes ask me, ‘Why don’t you play with two strikers?’ Well, when you have the likes of him and Luis Suarez, who I had at Liverpool, it’s like having two. They are so good and offer such a threat.”

“I mentioned Luis because he played as a single striker for me as well. They are so good that they can occupy defenders on their own.”

“You look at his speed last week when he was breaking away – it’s a huge testament to him, how he’s looking after his body.”

“He’s so dangerous and I think you’ve seen his intelligence as well. He’s getting better in how he’s setting up the game.”

Via The Mirror

Only Liverpool are outperforming Leicester City in the Premier League. The Foxes currently sit ten points behind the league leaders. If any team were to have a fairytale run to catch Jurgen Klopp’s men then it would be Leicester City, especially if Jamie Vardy can continue his fine scoring form.

But even if Leicester don’t go on and win the league, they have an excellent chance to qualify for the Champions League in only their second time in their history. That would be another dream season and cement Jamie Vardy’s hero status for the club and prove he was right to stay there.

Posted on December 18th, 2019 by scott
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