Leicester City sunk to a 12th Premier League loss in 13 games as the Foxes were beaten 1-0 on the road by Chelsea.
Despite Ruud van Nistelrooy changing tacts for Leicester and the likes of Mad Hermansen and Luke Thomas having standout games for the visiting side, a lack of firepower in the attack was once again the King Power Stadium side’s downfall.
With Ricardo Pereira also making his return to Leicester’s first-team, there were some positives for the Foxes despite slumping to yet another defeat, with Wolves now six points clear of City and looking comfortable outside of the relegation zone.
And club legend and fan Gary Lineker has shared his honest verdict on Leicester’s Premier League survival chances with ten league games left to play.
READ MORE: The two winners and two losers from Leicester City’s defeat vs Chelsea at Stamford Bridge
Photo by Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images
Gary Lineker concedes that Leicester will be relegated this season
Speaking on the Rest is Football, the Match of the Day pundit conceded that Leicester will be relegated from the Premier League this season, with Lineker admitting that he’s ‘lost all hope’ in the Foxes pulling off a miracle.
With Leicester facing the likes of Manchester City, Newcastle United and Liverpool in their next five games, it’s easy to see why many fans have now started to lose hope about staying up ahead of Wolves, and Lineker is now no exception.
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Lineker said when asked about Leicester’s latest Premier League defeat: “12 defeats in 13 Premier League games for Leicester. I mean, it’s beyond depressing and we can’t score a goal to save our lives, can’t keep a clean sheet. It’s pretty, pretty grim.”
When asked by Micah Richards if he has conceded that Leicester are going down, Lineker replied with: “Foxes never quit Micah, Foxes never quit until it’s mathematically possible. Now I’m speaking like a manager, of course I’m giving up. I’ve lost all hope.”
Is there any hope that Leicester will survive the drop?
Leicester’s return to the Premier League has been as painful as it has been predictable, with the 2015/16 league champions simply not equipped to take on the task at hand that is competing in the English top-flight.
And with ten games to go having lost 12 of their last 13 Premier League games, Lineker’s comments about losing all hope will resonate with a lot of Leicester fans, who after yesterday’s defeat will now feel that relegation is all-but certain.
Indeed, big questions have to be asked in the summer in regards to what direction Leicester must go in with Van Nistelrooy clearly not the right fit for the Foxes, and a suitable replacement must be identified heading into the 2025/26 season.