Maresca openly acknowledged a key comparison between the two teams. Leicester City has had a strong start to the season, with many people speculating that they could potentially become the greatest Championship team in history. To achieve this status, they must surpass Reading’s 106-point record from the 2005/06 campaign, and they are currently on a trajectory to exceed that total, having won 11 out of their first 12 league matches. With 33 points out of a possible 36, they appear to be strong contenders for the title, alongside Ipswich Town, who will struggle to keep up if Leicester continues to accumulate points at their current rate.
The Foxes faced significant departures in the summer, including James Maddison, Harvey Barnes, and Timothy Castagne, who were pivotal to the team’s success in the Premier League last season. Despite the strength of their squad, they’ve performed exceptionally well to reach their current position. Even on paper, they should have been near the top of the table, irrespective of their early-season performance. Most of their fans didn’t anticipate this strong start.
In addition to handling departures, they also needed to integrate new signings and adapt to Maresca’s playing style. Fortunately, they swiftly embraced Maresca’s guidance and are now the frontrunners to return to the Premier League at the first opportunity.
Regarding Leicester City and Burnley, comparisons have arisen due to Leicester’s impressive performance and Burnley’s title win in the previous season. However, Maresca is eager to avoid claiming superiority over Vincent Kompany’s team from the 2022/23 season. He stated that he doesn’t believe they are better than Burnley, as Burnley dominated the Championship with 101 points last season. Currently, Leicester still needs 70 more points to surpass that tally. Maresca emphasized that it’s disrespectful to discuss Leicester without acknowledging Burnley’s achievements and noted that they are content with their current progress.
| Leicester City – 2023/24 Departures | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player Name | Signed For | Loan/Permanent |
| James Maddison | Tottenham | Permanent (fee involved) |
| Harvey Barnes | Newcastle United | Permanent (fee involved) |
| Timothy Castagne | Fulham | Permanent (fee involved) |
| George Hirst | Ipswich Town | Permanent (fee involved) |
| Victor Kristiansen | Bologna | Loan |
| Youri Tielemans | Aston Villa | Permanent |
| Caglar Soyuncu | Atletico Madrid | Permanent |
| Daniel Amartey | Besiktas | Permanent |
| Ayoze Perez | Real Betis | Permanent |
| Jonny Evans | Man United | Permanent |
| Boubakary Soumare | Sevilla | Loan |
| Luke Thomas | Sheffield United | Loan |
| Nampalys Mendy | Without Club | Permanent |
| Ryan Bertrand | Without Club | Permanent |
| Tete | Shakhtar D | End of Loan |
As for whether Leicester is superior to Burnley last season, it appears that Leicester is on track to comfortably surpass Burnley’s 101-point total. What is remarkable about Leicester is their ability to start the season strongly despite the challenges they faced. While their results might not be as impressive given their squad quality, they deserve credit for outperforming other recently relegated Premier League teams like Leeds United and Southampton. However, as Maresca pointed out, there is still a significant portion of the season left, and their consistency will ultimately determine if they can be regarded as a better team than the 2022/23 Burnley side.