Leicester boss Ranieri expects Chelsea to finish top four

The tone for the day was set by Manchester City collapsing 2-0 at Stoke and Leicester then seized the opportunity to go top of the league by beating Swansea 3-0.

This season has been uncharacteristically unpredictable, and that is what I love most about the Premier League. Such outcomes will represent a triumph for the ages and fuel the hopes of every other team about what can happen in any given campaign.

Likewise, despite Leicester’s incredible successes this season, manager Claudio Ranieri is yet to utter a word about his footballing ideals, because he did not arrive at the King Power Stadium last summer with a specific philosophy in mind.

The Foxes are the shock leaders of the top flight following just one defeat in 15 matches this term.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho “has been a great coach in the past but, as a person, he is fake”, says former Blues striker Adrian Mutu who briefly played under the Portuguese at Stamford Bridge in 2004.

The win was Arsenal’s first for three games, meanwhile the Black Cats drop back into the relegation zone.

Leicester City, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Watford: These are the teams that round out the top 10. The simultaneous events are happening by chance, like in that scene in “Trading Places” when Dan Akroyd’s taxi briefly passes Eddie Murphy’s limousine before momentum carries the vehicles toward their destinations.

“Chelsea are Chelsea and Mourinho is Mourinho”.

12 months on, Leicester’s phenomenal run sees them topping the table, whilst Chelsea are languishing in 14th position. Olivier Giroud was superb in the Champions League on Wednesday and he should be the difference maker here.

The Dutchman was undoubtedly the difference maker in the game against Liverpool, as his 69th minute shot deflected on Martin Skrtel resulting in an unfortunate own goal for the Serbian. His second was the game-winner. What will hurt Slaven Bilic’s men here is they are at their most effective when they hit teams on the break, but Stoke will be happy to sit deep and force them to come at them, and with Marko Arnautovic in form, after scoring the goals that downed Manchester City last week, he and Stoke will expect more of the same.

Will the top goal-scorers Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez continue their fine form atop of the league and will such a good performance be enough to see them beat the defending champions?

The once Aston Villa outcast who was struggling with in his career at Villa Park, Albrighton has reignited his career well and truly.

But take nothing away from the rest of the clubs, especially City, who are showing that it doesn’t take millions in the bank to produce an effective, winning team, one that can play a vibrant, attacking brand of football that gets people out of their seats.