Roberto Martínez has championed Leicester City as genuine contenders for the Premier League title and believes their “inspirational” rise under Claudio Ranieri has the support of every neutral in the country.
Leicester will stay top of the table at Christmas should they beat Martínez’s Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday, having returned to the summit with Monday’s win over Chelsea – their 10th victory in 16 league matches. They are nine points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur in pursuit of Champions League football and 12 ahead of an Everton side that have attracted praise for their attacking football but have won only five league games this season and drawn the last three.
Martínez said: “Leicester deserve to be top of the league, they are one of the best counterattacking teams in the league, they’ve got goals, spirit and togetherness. Claudio Ranieri deserves all the credit for developing the belief in that team. Of course they are title contenders, why shouldn’t they be?
“It is not just because they are top, it is because they have been so competitive in every game they have played. I have seen a change from the first two fixtures when they were testing themselves to see if they could compete. Now they have incredible belief, they are going out there believing they can win and when you have that momentum it can be very, very powerful.
“You have to be fortunate with injuries and suspensions and Leicester are no different, but the way they are playing at the moment Leicester are capable of achieving anything this season.”
Leicester’s threat to the customary Champions League qualifiers is something Martínez hopes Everton will match this season, although recent results have undermined that prospect. But the Everton manager claims Ranieri’s team are an inspiration to football in general.
He added: “They are refreshing for modern football. We all know that finances dictate a lot and the expected teams are always there come the end of the season but to see Leicester there is inspirational. You want every footballer to believe they can achieve something they were not predicted to achieve. I’m sure every neutral fan in the country has a soft feeling for Leicester achieving something this season. It is the most open league in many years and that is good for football.”
The Everton manager also reiterated his belief that the January transfer window will be quiet in terms of incomings and outgoings at Goodison. “Our position is quite clear, quite strong,” he said. “The strategy was to see how far we can go throughout the season with this squad. We are quite consistent in terms of what we are doing in January. We won’t be losing any of our key players in January and it is not the right time to bring players who help you in a major way. It is only about making tweaks.”
