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. Jon Lester Jersey . 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 stats Leicester to slip up? Ranieri remaining grounded Mahrez: Title getting close Kerry Wood Jersey . Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist stood tall with 41 saves between the pipes, but it was defenceman Ryan McDonagh who got the first star of the game as he had a goal and an assist and now has two goals and four assists for six points in two games. Ryne Sandberg Jersey . On Thursday theyll learn even more. Despite the cloud of uncertainty that has followed them around from the moment general manager Masai Ujiri was brought in to put his stamp on the franchise, the Raptors have surpassed all pre-season expectations. http://www.thecubsteamshop.com/Cubs-Steve-Cishek-Kids-Jersey/ . But unfortunately for the Niagara Falls, Ont., native, a pulled muscle wouldnt allow him to go past the second set. Japan sealed its victory over Canada in the first-round Davis Cup tie after Nishikori downed an ailing Dancevic 6-2, 1-0.Miami Gardens, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - A top-10 matchup takes place in the 2014 Orange Bowl, as No. 8 Mississippi State battles No. 10 Georgia Tech at Sun Life Stadium on New Years Eve. Mississippi State had spent a large portion of the season as the No. 1 team in the land, as the Bulldogs sprinted out to a 9-0 start. A tough 25-20 loss to eventual SEC champion Alabama was the teams first defeat, and it also dropped a 31-17 decision to bitter rival Ole Miss in the regular-season finale. As a result, MSU finished with a record of 10-2 overall, 6-2 in conference, finishing second in the SEC West. The Bulldogs own a 10-7 record in bowl games, and this is their third straight bowl appearance, but only their sixth since 2000. Last year, Mississippi State routed Rice in the Liberty Bowl, 44-7, giving the team wins in six of its last seven bowls. MSU has appeared in the Orange Bowl twice previously, splitting bouts back in 1937 and 1941. Georgia Tech went 10-3 this season, which included a 6-2 record against Atlantic Coast Conference foes. The teams league ledger earned it the Coastal Division title, and with it a date against Florida State in the ACC Championship Game. The Seminoles narrowly won, 37-35, ending the Yellow Jackets five-game win streak. Still, it was a highly successful campaign for ACC Coach of the Year Paul Johnson and his team, which is making its 43rd bowl appearance. The Yellow Jackets are 23-19 all-time in bowl games, and this is their seventh trip to the Orange Bowl. Their last appearance in this particular event was in 2010, when it fell to Iowa in a 24-14 final. Overall, Georgia Tech is appearing in its sixth straight postseason tussle, but will be seeking only its second win in the last 10 bowl games. Last season, the Yellow Jackets lost to Ole Miss in the Music City Bowl, 25-17. The Orange Bowl came into existence back in 1935, with Bucknell blanking Miami-Florida, 26-0, and the most recent installment saw Clemson outlast Ohio State in a 40-35 final. Balance was the key to Mississippi States success on offense this season, as the team averaged 239.8 ypg rushing and 266.3 ypg through the air. As a result, the Bulldogs put up 37.2 ppg to rank second in the SEC, and they got impressive individual efforts from guys like RB Josh Robinson (177 carries, 1,128 yards, 11 TDs) and QB Dak Prescott (195 carries, 939 yards, 13 TDs; .612 completion percentage, 2,996 yards, 24 TDs, 10 INTs). Prescott spread the wealth this season, as nine different players logged double-digit catches, led by DeRunnya Wilson (38 rec., 575 yards, seven TDs). The teams defensive effort was on point for the most part, particularly with regard to stopping the run (126.5 ypg) and keeping foes off the scoreboard (19.4 ppg). Swarming to the ball was MSUs strength, as no player had more than Bernadrick McKinneys 61 taackles. Chicago Cubs Jerseys. . Included in that total were eight TFL and three sacks for McKinney, who slotted in with a group of players with multiple sacks, right behind team leader Preston Smith, who tallied 14.5 TFL and the fourth-most sacks of any player in the conference with nine. Overall, the Bulldogs ranked second in the SEC with 36 sacks, and they recorded 15 INTs, three each being credited to Will Redmond and Richie Brown. The task at hand is to get 11 wins and go out with a win in Miami, but at the same time it is my last bowl game and we want to have a little fun while were down here, said MSU offensive lineman Ben Beckwith. You always have the game in the back of your mind with everything you do and every time you do something you think about beating Georgia Tech, but well have fun with it. Beating Georgia Tech isnt going to be easy, as the Yellow Jackets hammer the ball at you from the outset, and they dont give up until youre battered the bruised. They finished the regular season as the No. 2 rushing team in the country, churning out 333.6 ypg and scoring 41 TDs, and they led the ACC in scoring at 37.0 ppg. Tech yielded only 10 sacks, while converting 57 percent of its third-down opportunities and controlling the clock for more than 34 minutes per outing. The team doesnt have a 1,000-yard rusher, although QB Justin Thomas came close in amassing 965 yards, and no player had double-digit TDs, again Zach Laskey tallying nine scores as part of his 788-yard effort. Synjyn Days also got in on the act with 753 yards and six TDs. Thomas added nearly 1,600 yards, 17 TDs and only five INTs when the Yellow Jackets decided to put the ball in the air. DeAndre Smelter led the receiving corps with 35 grabs for 715 yards and seven scores, while Darren Waller finished with five TD catches. Georgia Techs effort on defense wasnt quite up to par with that of the offense this season, but the unit still did not enough to help the team record 10 victories and win a division title. Opponents put up 25.1 ppg, doing so behind typical outputs of 168.8 ypg on the ground and 227.6 ypg via the pass. The teams total defensive allowance of 396.4 ypg ranked it 12th in the 14- team conference. P.J. Davis spearheaded the Yellow Jackets defensive effort with 108 total tackles, 75 of which were solo efforts, while Quayshawn Nealy logged 90 stops. Tech only posted 18 sacks and 57 TFL, but goaded the opposition into 27 turnovers, 17 of which were interceptions. D.J. White and Jamal Golden had four picks apiece. (This is) very exciting, said Thomas. We set our goals and reached them. We did big things this year. Now it is time to finish the job. 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