Leicester City returned to the promised land of Premier League football at the first time of asking last season, winning the Championship by a single point from Ipswich Town.
The Foxes’ relegation from the top flight two seasons ago came as something of a surprise, as they spiralled from eighth in 2021-22 to 18th just 12 months later.
While it’s good to have the 2015/16 champions back amongst England’s elite, it might not be a long stay, as Leicester are the favourites to go back down in the Premier League relegation odds 24/25.
The Midlands side are priced at 1/2 to return to the Championship, with several factors appearing to hinder their chances of staying up.
With that said, carry on reading as we assess four of the reasons why Leicester are so heavily backed to suffer relegation.
Potential points deduction
The first, and most obvious factor adding to Leicester’s predicted relegation is the fact that they look set to start the season with a points deduction.
The Foxes were slapped with breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) in March after exceeding the allowable losses limit, but the charge could not be imposed because they were in the Championship.
Now that Leicester are back in the top flight, a points deduction looks incredibly likely. They could see as many as 10 points taken off them before the new season even gets underway.
While Everton successfully navigated their way to safety despite a points deduction last term, it will be no easy feat for Leicester to overcome.
The departure of Enzo Maresca
Enzo Maresca had an empathic season in the dugout at the King Power Stadium, boasting an impressive win rate of over 67% en route to Championship glory.
However, the Italian, who was formerly assistant manager to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, was lured away from the Foxes when Chelsea came calling at the end of the season.
Maresca departed the Midlands side, bringing six of his backroom staff to Stamford Bridge, and Steve Cooper has since been appointed Leicester boss.
While Cooper saved Nottingham Forest from relegation in the 2022-23 campaign, he was sacked in December and replaced by Nuno Espírito Santo further up the East Midlands.
The loss of Kieran Dewsbury-Hall
Maresca isn’t the only person that Chelsea have snatched away from the King Power this summer, as the Blues announced the signing of Kieran Dewsbury-Hall at the beginning of July.
The 25-year-old midfielder was one of the Foxes’ best players last season, scoring 12 times and assisting on 14 occasions as he was named in the Championship Team of the Season.
Leicester have attempted to bolster their attack by signing Issahaku Fatawu from Sporting Lisbon and Bobby De Cordova-Reid for free from Fulham.
However, Dewsbury-Hall’s departure could see them lose their central spark, and he will be a massive loss when it comes to scoring or creating chances.
A tough start to the campaign
Indeed, the race for Premier League survival is a marathon, not a sprint, but Leicester face a tough start to the campaign that could be detrimental from the start.
With the potential of being hit with a hefty points deduction, a good start to the season is paramount for Leicester if they want to gain momentum and claw back some ground.
However, they face Tottenham, Aston Villa and Arsenal in their first six games, while trips to London for clashes with Fulham and Crystal Palace will by no means be easy.
The Premier League odds will certainly not be in their favour to win those fixtures, and their confidence could take an early knock while Cooper could become under increased pressure with modern day football taking no prisoners.
