that there is some contact. His foot is going to brush the back of the sna

Leicesters Premier League title charge was built on exhilarating attacking play in the first half of the season, but their mean defence is coming to the fore now. After a fourth 1-0 victory in five games against Crystal Palace on Saturday, we take a look at how the high-flying Foxes have adapted… When Leicester sat top of the table at Christmas it was largely thanks to a record of 37 goals in 17 games. Jamie Vardys record-breaking scoring run had propelled them to unthinkable heights, but when the goals started drying up for the 29-year-old it was widely anticipated the magic would fade and the Foxes would start to slide.Their defensive record did not exactly cry out solidity, after all. Leicester had conceded 24 times in those 17 games - the same number as relegation-threatened Swansea - and it wasnt until late October that Claudio Ranieri had to come good on his promise of pizza to reward their first clean sheet of the season. Three months on, however, and Leicesters players are dining on pizza almost every week. Premier League viewers have become accustomed to seeing them at the top of the pile - and the Foxes are just seven games away from making history with a title challenge that is rapidly gathering momentum. Leicesters Premier League record before and after Christmas Leicester 2015/16 Before Christmas After Christmas Games played 17 14 Wins 11 8 Draws 5 4 Losses 1 2 Goals scored 37 17 Goals conceded 24 7 Clean sheets 3 9 Leicester remain a deadly force on the counter-attack, but the statistics illustrate how the emphasis has shifted since Christmas. Before then, the Foxes were averaging 2.2 goals per game, but they have only netted 17 times in 14 outings since then at a rate of just 1.2 goals per game.Despite the drop-off in goals scored, however, Leicesters results have remained consistent, with their average points per game only falling slightly (from 2.4 before Christmas to 2.0 afterwards) while their lead at the top of the table continues to grow. Leicesters Premier League record before and after Christmas Leicester 2015/16 Before Christmas After Christmas Goals per game 2.2 1.2 Shots on target per game 5.1 3.9 Goals conceded per game 1.4 0.5 Shots on target faced per game 4.2 3.4 Points per game 2.2 2.0 A run of four shut-outs in five games has highlighted their defensive resilience in recent weeks, but the stinginess has been apparent for months. Since Christmas, and with help from midfield enforcer NGolo Kante, a first-choice back five of Kasper Schmeichel, Danny Simpson, Robert Huth, Wes Morgan and Christian Fuchs has only been breached seven times.Once we got that first clean sheet, it cemented the idea in peoples heads that keeping a clean sheet is a great foundation to build upon, said back-up goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer on Sky Sports News HQ. Weve got players who will always score goals, so if you can keep a clean sheet when the season gets tighter and the pressure starts to mount, you can win games by the odd goal. Speaking on Sky Sports News HQ, Leicester City goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer highlights their defence as the key to their impressive recent form Having found defensive shut-outs so hard to come by at the start of the campaign, Leicester have now kept nine in their last 13 games. In the same period, no other Premier League side has managed more than seven. They have the look of champions about them, noted Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp in his Daily Mail column - and hes not the only one to have been impressed.They dont give a lot away, said Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew after Riyad Mahrezs first-half strike settled Saturdays game at Selhurst Park. Theyre underestimated defensively. Theyve got energy and theyre up to the ball all the time. Theyre tight and its difficult to create against them. Most Premier League clean sheets since Christmas Team Clean sheets Leicester 9 Southampton 7 Arsenal 6 Manchester City 6 The two centre-halves are confident in possession, they rarely make mistakes and they dont slash at clearances. They make good clearances from their defensive third and theyre fast. They have a lovely balance to the team and you have to admire them.Leicester have also had to adapt to their opponents attempts to nullify their goalscoring threat. The Foxes thrived in the first half of the season by ceding possession to their rivals, waiting for mistakes and springing forward on the counter-attack, but since their 2-1 defeat to Arsenal the likes of Norwich and West Brom have played them at their own game. Kasper Schmeichel, Robert Huth and Christian Fuchs have shone in recent weeks The Foxes have therefore averaged 53.4 per cent possession in the last five games compared to 40.5 per cent earlier in the season. The enforced change of approach has resulted in fewer opportunities for Ranieris attackers to get in behind, but their defensive solidity has made the difference at the other end.Leicester are now within touching distance of one of the most extraordinary achievements in football history, and while Mahrez and Vardy are likely to battle it out for the player of the year gong, they are certainly not the only individuals who are due a considerable share of the credit. Leicesters remarkable stats We look at the numbers behind Leicesters Premier League title charge.Also See:Leicesters remarkable statsLeicester to slip up?Ranieri remaining groundedMahrez: Title getting closeCaleb Swanigan Jersey . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses. Bill Walton Jersey . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. Everton manager Roberto Martinez says that keeping Baines at the club is a "massive boost and exciting for the future" because he brings "maturity and football knowledge in a very specialized position on the pitch" and an "infectious and positive influence to the rest of the squad. https://www.blazerslockerroom.com/Hassan-Whiteside-City-Edition-Jersey/ . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. Rodney Hood Jersey . Darren Helm scored on Detroits sixth attempt in the shootout and then Jonas Gustavsson stopped Andrew Shaws shot, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. Clyde Drexler Blazers Jersey . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. "We had to dig deep with our fighting spirit and weve done that," United striker Wayne Rooney said.RENTON, Wash. --?Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman fired back at Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians on Wednesday, shooting down Arians contention that leaping over the line to block field goals is bad for football.Its bad for his team, Sherman said. If he means bad for his team is bad for football, then I can see that. But they have a predictable cadence, and itll happen to them again if they keep doing it the same way.In the second quarter of Sunday nights game, Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner leaped over the line of scrimmage and blocked Chandler Catanzaros field goal attempt. Wagner also leaped over the line on Catanzaros attempt in overtime. The game ended in a 6-6 tie.Arians told SiriusXM NFL Radio that long-snappers will now have to raise their heads up and risk getting hit in the face. Sherman was asked if Arians had a point.No, no, that sounds foolhardy, Sherman said. By the time he snaps the ball, theyre over him. If you watch that play, by the time the ball is through his legs and he would have time to look up, Bobbys in the backfield. So that rhetoric is denied.Later Wednesday, Arians said, I dont give a s--- about it anymore. Its in the past.As for the legality of the play, NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino explained in an interview with NFL Network why Wagners leap Sunday night wasnt penalized.Theres contact, and then theres incidental contact, Blandino said. He can run up and jump, but he cannt land on players.dddddddddddd Now if he brushes a player or brushes a teammate with incidental contact, that would be legal.So hes gonna run, jump and clear the line, block the kick. You look at the TV copy replay, and you can see that there is some contact. His foot is going to brush the back of the snapper, but that is not significant contact. Its incidental. He didnt land on players. So thats what made it legal.Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said the call was cut and dry.Its not an illegal play, he said. Its not. We talked to the guys and its not. [Arians] has his opinion on how hed like that to go, but its not an illegal play.Added Sherman, It was a legal play. And every year theres something else theyre trying to get against the defense. Now youre saying we cant jump over your snapper because you made your cadence so predictable, you made your snapper keep his head down, and now you want to change the rule again because you got your kick blocked. Thats unfortunate.On Wednesday afternoon, Arians said hes going to use his vote on the competition committee to vote for making leaping the center illegal.I dont think I need to [push the committee], Arians said. Its already been pushed. Ill definitely vote for it in my vote.Information from ESPN Cardinals reporter Josh Weinfuss was used in this report. ' ' '