Leicester City have endured a blip in the Championship that has seen them drop into second place.
Enzo Maresca‘s side have lost three of their last five games and Leeds United have leapfrogged them to move up to the summit, albeit having played a game more.
The Foxes have been well clear at the top for most of the season, so it will be fascinating to see how they react when they travel to Ashton Gate to face Bristol City at the end of the month.
Many now feel Leeds, who certainly have the momentum, will go on to win the title, potentially leaving City to battle it out for second.
One EFL pundit has even made a surprising play-off claim.
Darren Ambrose makes worrying Leicester City admission
Former Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace midfielder Darren Ambrose made a surprising claim when speaking on talkSPORT’s EFL All Access podcast.
“Since this Financial Fair Play broke, they have been on a bit of a slump, they’ve not been performing particularly well,” Ambrose said.
“It shouldn’t matter on the pitch, it shouldn’t matter to them (players) at all. They have picked up a little bit, they beat Sunderland, they drew to Hull, which would’ve been disappointing to them.
“If Leicester finish in the play-offs, I don’t think they’ll go up.
“If Ipswich or Leeds finish in the play-offs, I think they can still navigate through there and go up.”
It’s certainly a bold prediction to make, particularly with how dominant Leicester have been for much of the season.
But, they’ll just have to use the doubters as motivation.
Leicester City have a point to prove
In fairness, many have heaped praise on The Foxes throughout the majority of the campaign, citing what a brilliant job Maresca has done.
But, of late, the narrative has completely switched and it seems supporters and pundits have almost written them off, in many ways.
Sure, they’ve not been at their best recently, results-wise, but the performances certainly haven’t been poor by any means.
In defeats to Middlesbrough, Leeds United and Queens Park Rangers, City were perhaps unlucky not to end up on the winning side.
It’s been the lack of a clinical edge that has cost them, so Maresca must find a solution to his side’s profligate nature.
Leicester will feel they have a point to prove and that eagerness to prove the naysayers wrong has to start at Ashton Gate on Friday.