9th August

This is the one you've all been waiting for (and no I don't mean Paul Pogba).

LEICESTER CITY

Well here we are. The end of the line. The top of the table. The best team in the Premier League in 2015/16 was Leicester City. No matter how times you say, write or even think it, it just doesn't get any less bizarre. Leicester who were favourites for relegation before the season started, who were 20th for large periods of 2014/15, who were 5000/1 to win the Premier League. And they only went and toppled City, Arsenal and United amongst others. Now the first thing I want to make clear is that Leicester did not win the title solely on the basis of the other teams faltering. Their staggering total of 81 points should not have been enough to win the title by ten points, but it was more than enough to win the title as often as not in the last decade or so. They only lost three games all season, conceded just 36 goals, scoring 68. These are all worthy stats of winning the title. 

There are so many historic moments and twists in this chase that it's hard to know where to begin. I remember in November, most people (including me) still thought that they wouldn't make top four. People kept making excuses why they couldn't, wouldn't do it. Once they lost to Liverpool and then drew with City, Villa and Bournemouth over Christmas it looked as if the Jamie Vardy and Leicester City bubble had burst. Not to be. When they lost to Arsenal, everyone was eager to claim that Leicester would never be able to produce the grinding 1-0 wins over teams that would sit back and defend deep, since the early stages of their title chase were built on teams going at them, unaware of how dangerous Leicester were on the break. Again, people were wrong. This whole season was Leicester facing test after test and being written off, only to succeed. 

For me, personally, because you know everyone has a moment, the moment I thought for certain that Leicester would win the title was when they butchered Man City 3-1. I'd never seen a performance like it, they just took them apart. This was on the back of them playing us off the park. Even after they lost to Arsenal, I was convinced the title would be Leicester's. 

As for how Leicester's season started? It's weird to think that only six months before they won the title, it was all about Jamie Vardy breaking the record. Leicester's season didn't even start that strongly in comparison to later on. They won on the opening day against Sunderland, then beat West Ham, before drawing with Spurs and Bournemouth, beating Villa, then drawing with Stoke, and losing to Arsenal. So with twelve points after seven games, they were 6th. Their first humbling at the hands of the Gunners (the only game they lost by more than one goal all season) was supposed to signal the end of Leicester's great (by their standards at this point) start. 

But if anything, it signaled the start of Leicester's kicking on, and they wouldn't lose another game for three months, winning eight and drawing two of their next ten games, including the 1-1 draw with United that secured Vardy's record. They were top of the Premier League by the time they lost again, a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Boxing Day. It's weirdly fair to say that Leicester's record against the so called big teams in the first half of the season was pretty average. They beat Chelsea, but drew with United, Spurs and City, and lost to Liverpool and Arsenal. And draws with Bournemouth and Villa, either side of a 1-0 win over Spurs, meant that Leicester were losing ground to Arsenal in the title race. 

But weirdly, up until this point, all the focus had been on Leicester's antics. So when the goals dried up around this Christmas period, a lot of people missed a more important factor - Leicester had become very good at keeping clean sheets, something that carried over into the rest of the season. Three straight wins against Stoke, Liverpool and finally City, dispelled the myth that Leicester were done, and even after their second game of the season to Arsenal, they were favourites for the title. 

For most people, this is where the Leicester City story took off. For me, it shows why they were worthy winners. Because they were nearly faultless on the run in, winning eight and drawing four of their last twelve games, and two of those draws were against United and Chelsea by which time the title was (basically) won. 

They followed up defeat to Arsenal with five 1-0 wins in their next six games, and the only time they dropped points against West Brom, their rivals failed to take advantage. Leicester rode their luck brilliantly and proved adept at winning games scrappily, keeping seven clean sheets in nine games, conceding only in the two games they drew to West Ham and West Brom. After that it was all but irrelevant, as Spurs drew with the Baggies, meaning Leicester could do basically anything in their last three games and win the title. 

Overall, there's no doubt in my mind that Leicester were worthy winners. They had quality up and down the team, almost everyone had an incredible season. Goalkeeper Schmeichel lived up to his father's name, Huth and Morgan were rock solid at the back, Kante and Drinkwater were absolute bosses of the midfield, and of course, Jamie Vardy was a real goalscorer. But for me two men made the difference. Riyad Mahrez was just unreal, a player of such high quality that he swept aside anyone who he came up against. He scored, he assisted and he contributed more to this Leicester team than almost anyone, more than even Vardy and Kante. No the man who made the most difference was the unmatched Claudio Ranieri, who brought a loveable streak to the Premier League. In Mourinho and LVG in particular, the Premier League is full of managers who are controversial because they're just nasty and rude, which makes them funny and characters. But Ranieri was like a loveable puppy who proved that you don't have to be a grumpy, mean old man to be a great Premier League manager. 

I really really want to see Leicester do well again this season. Sadly, the loss of Kante could prove pivotal and they'll struggle to make top four but if Mahrez stays, and he and Vardy can replicate their form of 2015/16 then who knows? For Leicester City, the dream might only just be beginning...

Olympic Watch

• I was gutted for our women to lose both the rugby semi-final and bronze medal match so emphatically.
• It was also a real shame to see Louis Smith come off the pommel. It's hard to be too critical, but since I heard on the radio that the team basically carries him so that he can bolster their score on the pommel, then it just leaves a bitter taste in the mouth for me. Hopefully GB can come back strongly in the individual medals. 
• And on the positive side, Ed Ling turned in a brilliant performance in the shooting. He was composed and excellent throughout and thoroughly deserving of his bronze. 
• But the final word has to go to Daniel Goodfellow, and his partner Tom Daley, who produced a sensational final dive under immense pressure to nail down a hard earned bronze for GB in the diving. Hopefully Tom can add to his personal tally next weekend.