The First 10 Games – How Leicester Started Every Premier League Campaign

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The First 10 Games – How Leicester Started Every Premier League Campaign

Leicester City will compete in the Premier League for the eighth consecutive season in 2021/22 – but how have they fared before?

2021-06-18T07:12:00.000Z

The First 10 Games – How Leicester Started Every Premier League Campaign

Leicester City will compete in the Premier League for the eighth consecutive season in 2021/22 – but how have they fared before?

2021-06-18T07:12:00.000Z

The First 10 Games – How Leicester Started Every Premier League Campaign

Leicester City will compete in the Premier League for the eighth consecutive season in 2021/22 – but how have they fared before?

2021-06-18T07:12:00.000Z

The First 10 Games – How Leicester Started Every Premier League Campaign

Leicester City will compete in the Premier League for the eighth consecutive season in 2021/22 – but how have they fared before?

2021-06-18T07:12:00.000Z

The First 10 Games – How Leicester Started Every Premier League Campaign

Leicester City will compete in the Premier League for the eighth consecutive season in 2021/22 – but how have they fared before?

2021-06-18T07:12:00.000Z

Following confirmation of the Club's 2021/22 fixture schedule on Wednesday, LCFC.com takes a look back through the years, through the perspective of the Foxes' first 10 matches in each of their 15 Premier League seasons to date...

1994/95 – A maiden Premier League appearance

Manager(s): Brian Little, Mark McGheeFinal league standing: 21stFA Cup: Fifth roundLeague Cup: Second round

Leicester City 1 Newcastle United 3Blackburn Rovers 3 Leicester City 0Nottingham Forest 1 Leicester City 0Leicester City 1 Queens Park Rangers 1Wimbledon 2 Leicester City 1Leicester City 3 Tottenham Hotspur 1Everton 1 Leicester City 1Leicester City 2 Coventry City 2Chelsea 4 Leicester City 0Leicester City 4 Southampton 3

City's first season in the Premier League ended in disappointment as Brian Little moved to Aston Villa in November, but Mark McGhee was unable to avoid relegation back to the second tier. The signs were there early on, though, with three successive defeats to start the season, while Leicester had to wait until late September for their first victory of the 1994/95 season.

1996/97 – Back in the big time & cup glory

Manager: Martin O'NeillFinal league standing: 9thFA Cup: Fifth roundLeague Cup: Winners

Sunderland 0 Leicester City 0Leicester City 2 Southampton 1Leicester City 0 Arsenal 2Sheffield Wednesday 2 Leicester City 1Nottingham Forest 0 Leicester City 0Leicester City 0 Liverpool 3Tottenham Hotspur 1 Leicester City 2**Leicester City 1 Leeds United 0Leicester City 1 Chelsea 3West Ham United 1 Leicester City 0**

Martin O'Neill's Foxes impressed early in 1996/97 and it was one to the remember for the Blue Army, as Leicester lifted the League Cup for the second time in their history and qualified for Europe. During City's first 10 matches back in the top-flight, they secured encouraging victories over Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United, while also collecting draws against Sunderland and Nottingham Forest.

1997/98 – Early promise

Manager: Martin O'NeillFinal league standing: 10thFA Cup: Fourth roundLeague Cup: Third roundUEFA Cup: First round

Leicester City 1 Aston Villa 0Liverpool 1 Leicester City 2Leicester City 0 Manchester United 0Leicester City 3 Arsenal 3Sheffield Wednesday 1 Leicester City 0Leicester City 3 Tottenham Hotspur 0Leeds United 0 Leicester City 1Leicester City 1 Blackburn Rovers 1Barnsley 0 Leicester City 2Leicester City 1 Derby County 2

City combined domestic and continental duties for the first time since the 1960s during the 1997/98 campaign, which culminated in a second successive top-half finish in the Premier League. Consecutive wins over Aston Villa and Liverpool, meanwhile, were followed by draws against Manchester United and Arsenal – a 3-3 classic remembered for a Dennis Bergkamp hat-trick and Steve Walsh's late equaliser.

1998/99 – Established in the top flight

Manager: Martin O'NeillFinal league standing: 10thFA Cup: Fourth roundLeague Cup: Runners-up

Manchester United 2 Leicester City 2Leicester City 2 Everton 0Blackburn Rovers 1 Leicester City 0Leicester City 0 Middlesbrough 1Leicester City 1 Arsenal 1Derby County 2 Leicester City 0Leicester City 1 Wimbledon 1Leeds United 0 Leicester City 1Leicester City 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1Aston Villa 1 Leicester City 1

League Cup heartbreak was the headline for Leicester during the 1998/99 season, with O'Neill's side losing out to Tottenham Hotspur in the final at Wembley Stadium. City were cruelly denied a victory at Old Trafford on the opening day of the season, as David Beckham scored a last-gasp free-kick for Manchester United. Their start to the new campaign, though, included encouraging league wins over Everton, Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur.

1999/00 – O'Neill's final season

Manager: Martin O'NeillFinal league standing: 8thFA Cup: Fifth roundLeague Cup: Winners

Arsenal 2 Leicester City 1Leicester City 1 Coventry City 0Leicester City 2 Chelsea 2West Ham United 2 Leicester City 1Middlesbrough 0 Leicester City 3Leicester City 1 Watford 0Sunderland 2 Leicester City 0Leicester City 2 Liverpool 2Leicester City 3 Aston Villa 1Tottenham Hotspur 2 Leicester City 3

Recovering from their Wembley setback one year earlier, Leicester lifted the League Cup for the second time in four years by overcoming Tranmere Rovers 2-1 in February. Their start to the Premier League season, meanwhile, was decent as well with three wins, two draws and three defeats leaving them with 11 points after eight matches, before impressive back-to-back successes over Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.

2000/01 – A flying start

Manager: Peter TaylorFinal league standing: 13thFA Cup: Quarter-finalsLeague Cup: Third roundUEFA Cup: First round

Leicester City 0 Aston Villa 0West Ham United 0 Leicester City 1Bradford City 0 Leicester City 0Leicester City 2 Ipswich Town 1Leicester City 1 Southampton 0Chelsea 0 Leicester City 2Leicester City 1 Everton 1Sunderland 0 Leicester City 0Leicester City 0 Manchester United 3Liverpool 1 Leicester City 0

Manager Peter Taylor and goalkeeper Tim Flowers won Manager and Player of the Month respectively in September as City climbed to the summit with a 0-0 draw at Sunderland. While a 3-0 defeat by Manchester United appeared to dampen spirits in October, City remained in the top four until March, but eventually slumped into the bottom half.

2001/02 – The end of an era

Manager(s): Peter Taylor, Dave Bassett, Micky AdamsFinal league standing: 20thFA Cup: Fourth roundLeague Cup: Third round

Leicester City 0 Bolton Wanderers 5Arsenal 4 Leicester City 0Leicester City 1 Ipswich Town 1Derby County 2 Leicester City 3Leicester City 1 Middlesbrough 2Leicester City 0 Fulham 0Newcastle United 1 Leicester City 0Charlton Athletic 2 Leicester City 0Chelsea 2 Leicester City 0Leicester City 1 Liverpool 4

A disappointing opener against Bolton Wanderers set the tone for City in 2001/02 as the Club's final season at Filbert Street ended with relegation from the Premier League. Taylor was replaced by Dave Bassett following the 2-0 defeat by Charlton Athletic, while Micky Adams took over the reins for the final weeks of the campaign, once relegation was confirmed.

2003/04 – Premier League football on Filbert Way

Manager: Micky AdamsFinal league standing: 18thFA Cup: Third roundLeague Cup: Third round

Leicester City 2 Southampton 2Chelsea 2 Leicester City 1Leicester City 0 Middlesbrough 0Aston Villa 3 Leicester City 1Leicester City 4 Leeds United 0Liverpool 2 Leicester City 1Leicester City 1 Manchester United 4Fulham 2 Leicester City 0Leicester City 1 Tottenham Hotspur 2Wolves 4 Leicester City 3

Fresh from guiding Leicester back to the top-flight at the first attempt, Adams recruited frugally in the summer, with Les Ferdinand, Lilian Nalis and on-loan Marcus Bent among those to arrive. The first-ever Premier League fixture at Walkers Stadium, now King Power Stadium, maybe foreshadowed what was to come as the Foxes lost a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Southampton. A 4-0 win over Leeds, though, did briefly lift spirits.

2014/15 – The greatest 'Great Escape'

Manager: Nigel PearsonFinal league standing: 14thFA Cup: Fifth roundLeague Cup: Second round

Leicester City 2 Everton 2Chelsea 2 Leicester City 0Leicester City 1 Arsenal 1Stoke City 0 Leicester City 1Leicester City 5 Manchester United 3Crystal Palace 2 Leicester City 0Leicester City 2 Burnley 2Newcastle United 1 Leicester City 0Swansea City 2 Leicester City 0Leicester City 0 West Bromwich Albion 1

While Leicester actually began the 2014/15 season well, beating Stoke City and Manchester United, a sharp downturn in form saw them locked to the bottom of the table until April. However, under the management of Nigel Pearson - the winner of titles in League 1 and the Championship - City won seven of their final nine matches to secure their Premier League status in dramatic fashion.

2015/16 – Fairytale Foxes

Manager: Claudio RanieriFinal league standing: 1stFA Cup: Third roundLeague Cup: Fourth round

Leicester City 4 Sunderland 2West Ham United 1 Leicester City 2Leicester City 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1AFC Bournemouth 1 Leicester City 1Leicester City 3 Aston Villa 2Stoke City 2 Leicester City 2Leicester City 2 Arsenal 5Norwich City 1 Leicester City 2Southampton 2 Leicester City 2Leicester City 1 Crystal Palace 0

The greatest season in Leicester City's history. Despite pre-season title-winning odds of 5,000/1, the Foxes began the campaign in the form of would-be champions. As the season progressed, City started to believe, beating the league's elite, and eventually winning their first-ever top-flight title by a margin of 10 points under Claudio Ranieri. The Foxes' early form was brilliant, but few believed Ranieri's men could maintain it...

2016/17 – Domestic frustration

Manager(s): Claudio Ranieri, Craig ShakespeareFinal league standing: 12thFA Cup: Fifth roundLeague Cup: Third RoundUEFA Champions League: Quarter-finals

Hull City 2 Leicester City 1Leicester City 0 Arsenal 0Leicester City 2 Swansea City 1Liverpool 4 Leicester City 1Leicester City 3 Burnley 0Manchester United 4 Leicester City 1Leicester City 0 Southampton 0Chelsea 3 Leicester City 0Leicester City 3 Crystal Palace 1Tottenham Hotspur 1 Leicester City 1

As champions, City went into the 2016/17 season opener at Hull City after competing in the International Champions Cup and the Community Shield, but were beaten by the Tigers at KCOM Stadium. However, while the Foxes may have been disappointed by their 12th-place finish, they nonetheless surprised many by reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League on their maiden appearance.

2017/18 – Eventual cup quarter-finalists

Manager(s): Craig Shakespeare, Claude PuelFinal league standing: 9thFA Cup: Quarter-finalsLeague Cup: Quarter-finals

Arsenal 4 Leicester City 3Leicester City 2 Brighton & Hove Albion 0Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0Leicester City 1 Chelsea 2Huddersfield Town 1 Leicester City 1Leicester City 2 Liverpool 3AFC Bournemouth 0 Leicester City 0Leicester City 1 West Bromwich Albion 1Swansea City 1 Leicester City 2Leicester City 2 Everton 0

Just one win from Leicester's opening eight matches of 2017/18 led to Claude Puel replacing Craig Shakespeare at King Power Stadium, before ultimately finishing in ninth place in the Premier League. City also enjoyed runs to the quarter-finals in both the FA Cup and League Cup, losing out to Chelsea and Manchester City respectively on Filbert Way. Puel's reign, on the other hand, began with a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Everton on Filbert Way.

2018/19 – A stop-start opening

Manager(s): Claude Puel, Brendan RodgersFinal league standing: 9thFA Cup: Third roundLeague Cup: Quarter-finals

Manchester United 2 Leicester City 1Leicester City 2 Wolves 0Southampton 1 Leicester City 2Leicester City 1 Liverpool 2AFC Bournemouth 4 Leicester City 2Leicester City 3 Huddersfield Town 1Newcastle United 0 Leicester City 2Leicester City 1 Everton 2Arsenal 3 Leicester City 1Leicester City 1 West Ham United 1

Leicester enjoyed two bursts of consecutive victories over the opening eight matches of the 2018/19 season, but defeats against Manchester United, Liverpool, AFC Bournemouth and Everton held them back. In February, former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers arrived at the Club, helping to guide the Foxes to a second ninth-placed finish in as many seasons for City.

2019/20 – Looking upwards

Manager: Brendan RodgersFinal league standing: 5thFA Cup: Quarter-finalsLeague Cup: Semi-finals

Leicester City 0 Wolves 0Chelsea 1 Leicester City 1Sheffield United 1 Leicester City 2Leicester City 3 AFC Bournemouth 1Manchester United 1 Leicester City 0Leicester City 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1Leicester City 5 Newcastle United 0Liverpool 2 Leicester City 1Leicester City 2 Burnley 1Southampton 0 Leicester City 9

There was plenty of reason for optimism early on in 2019/20 with victories over Sheffield United, Bournemouth, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United. Impressive draws with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea, meanwhile, added to City's points tally before a 2-1 success over Burnley kick-started an eight-game Premier League winning run - a Club record - which would also include a staggering 9-0 triumph over Southampton at St. Mary's Stadium.

2020/21 – Flying on the road

Manager: Brendan Rodgers:Final league standing: 5thFA Cup: WinnersLeague Cup: Third round

West Bromwich Albion 0 Leicester City 3Leicester City 4 Burnley 2Manchester City 2 Leicester City 5Leicester City 0 West Ham United 3Leicester City 0 Aston Villa 1Arsenal 0 Leicester City 1Leeds United 1 Leicester City 4Leicester City 1 Wolves 0Liverpool 3 Leicester City 0Leicester City 1 Fulham 2

Two runs of three consecutive wins, followed by two losses on the spin on each occasion, saw the Foxes make another encouraging start in 2020/21. While fans were still unable to attend, due to COVID-19, Leicester were particularly impressive on the road, securing wins over West Bromwich Albion, Manchester City, Arsenal and Leeds away from home. City would finish in fifth once more – also lifting the FA Cup for the first time in the Club's history.

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