Player Focus: Mahrez Essential in Leicester's Stunning Season

After the way in which Riyad Mahrez rampantly tore into Manchester City at the Etihad, it’s remarkable to think that such a sensational moment as his clinching goal came just a few weeks after manager Claudio Ranieri said he had to work to recover his best form, and readjust to defences that had supposedly figured him out. 

“It’s important he understands this new thing on the pitch, that everyone wants to stop him,” the Leicester City manager said. 

City might have wanted to stop Mahrez on Saturday, but they seemed to have no idea how to actually do it, as he tore past them with pure guile and technique. 

It was a stunning return to goalscoring form, his first strike in eight games, and could yet be a key moment in securing first place at the end of the season. In that sense, it was also a timely return to goalscoring that only emphasised his elite quality and importance to this side. 

It was not just that he used that bewitching, twitching skill in such a big game. It was that he so decisively and definitely applied it for such a big goal. 

This was a signature display, in what is likely to be a signature season. 

Jamie Vardy - who has himself enjoyed a recent super-charged resurgence - may be Leicester’s top scorer, but it is probably Mahrez who has been their top performer overall. 

He is the playmaker, the fulcrum, as Ranieri has himself argued. 

The Italian has already called Mahrez their “main player” and how, when he gets the ball, there’s a sense “something special could happen”. 

It’s the type of thing we’ve heard before about players that have enjoyed some of the most celebrated individual campaigns, and gone on to even finer feats. 

Mahrez may yet be set to join them on the list of players of the year, and perhaps even more. 

Some football coaches espouse the theory that the league is - not always, but in general - won by the side with the best single player. Sergio Aguero still probably holds that status for the Premier League in terms of inherent talent, but Mahrez doesn’t seem too far behind him in that regard, and he is probably applying his own ability to a higher level this year. 

Just look at his stats compared to the most recent players of the year, to illustrate. 

With 14 goals and 10 assists in 24 appearances so far, Mahrez has been involved in at least one goal per game. That contribution is already better than the returns of Eden Hazard in 2014/15 (23), Gareth Bale in 2010/11 (8) and, if he continues his current rate, it will go well beyond the Welsh player in 2012/13 (25) and Wayne Rooney in 2009-10 (29).

By the end of the season, it seems likely that only Robin van Persie in 2011/12 (40) and Luis Suarez in 2013/14 (43) will have bettered him in that regard from recent players of the year, which is some company to keep. 

There are also the more intricate in-game moments. Mahrez has dribbled more (3.3) than all of those players in those seasons, except Eden Hazard (4.8), been fouled more (2.1) than everyone except the Belgian (3), played more through balls (0.5) than anyone except Suarez (0.5), and made more tackles (1.3) than everyone except Bale 2010/11 (1.5). 

That suggests a remarkably complete level of performance, and could yet lead to Mahrez and his team completing a huge feat - unlike virtually all of these players. 

This is why there’s another dimension to this. One of the most impressive aspects of a brilliant individual campaign is when they play a huge role in bringing a team beyond a level they wouldn’t otherwise reach. 

With all of those other recent players of the year, the individuals took their team to a certain level, but not to truly sensational heights. Bale couldn’t get Tottenham Hotspur beyond fifth in either 2010/11 or 2012/13, Rooney’s Manchester United only finished second in 2009/10 and it wasn’t exactly a huge surprise that Chelsea won the title in 2014/15, even if Hazard was supreme in that feat.  

Suarez couldn’t quite bring Liverpool to that level in 2013/14, which seemed such a disappointment, even though few fancied them to even get top four before the campaign. 

That is what could be so stunning with Leicester’s campaign, and their star. They look like they could pull off a modern miracle by winning the league, and it is already remarkable that they are now almost certain to reach the Champions League. 

Mahrez has been essential in reaching that level. 

If they do finish the job, it could mean he merits a player-of-the-year more than anyone since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008/09.

Who do you think will be named Premier League Player of the Season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below