Martin O’Neill says Leicester City have been ‘phenomenal’ in 2015

“I couldn’t get the feeling we could score today, it was hard to receive the ball and become the focal point of the attack”.

The form of Jamie Vardy, the Premier League’s top scorer with 15, and Riyad Mahrez, whose penalty double at Goodison Park took his tally to 13, have grabbed the headlines but it is the work ethic within the team which has been at the root of Leicester’s success.

Claudio Ranieri’s surprise title contenders again underlined their collective strength with a wonderful team effort that ensures Leicester go into the Christmas period at the top of the table after their 11th win in 17 matches.

“It is an extraordinary run, it is absolutely phenomenal”, he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Now you think this is actually possible”.

Martin O’Neill sees no reason why Leicester City, with recruitment in January, can not secure Champions League football next season.

Japan captain Makoto Hasebe helped Frankfurt to their first win in eight as they beat Werder Bremen 2-1 at home, while Hiroki Sakai’s Hannover lost 1-0 against leaders Bayern Munich at home and Gotoku Sakai’s Hamburg also went down to Augsburg in the same fashion. And just for the very first time you’re looking at whether the league is there for them or not.

“It’s not true of course, but it’s getting to that stage and it is remarkable”.

That is an outcome Leicester could only have dreamed about this time previous year when Ranieri’s predecessor Nigel Pearson was overseeing a calamitous early part of the campaign. “Leicester are defying all the odds now and this is not just a coincidence any more”.

It was clumsy rather than anything more malicious but that did not concern Algeria winger Mahrez who stepped up and calmly converted from 12 yards out.

Arsenal and Manchester City, on 33 and 32 points respectively, could close the gap when they meet on Monday, but asked what he felt his side could start thinking of if they reach his 40-point target, Ranieri shrugged: “I don’t know”.

“Especially in the front line (they need to avoid injuries)”.

Leicester broke the deadlock in the 28th minute when Christian Fuchs’ throw-in was flicked on by Vardy to Okazaki who did not appear to be offering a serious threat to Everton’s goal when Funes Mori brought him down.

With each match, though, they seem to harden their resolve.