Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester are the second-worst defending champions in the Premier League’s 25-year history
Foxes have picked up a meagre eight points from their opening seven games in the top flight in the 2016-17 season so far
IT was the footballing story of the century: Leicester City incredibly winning the Premier League title.
Claudio Ranieri's Fearless Foxes romped home to the most unlikely of trophies, with the nation gripped as everyone's new second club went the distance.
Then, things started to unravel... Everyone looks at the 2015-16 season and thinks of Ranieri along with dynamic duo Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.
While the sensational pairing stole the headlines, there was one other player making both of them - and the rest of the squad - tick: N'Golo Kante.
Kante's hard-work, tough tackling and ability to get team-mates involved in the game attracted the attention of Chelsea, who splashed out £30million on the central midfielder.
Since then, Leicester just haven't looked the same animal.
Is it the hangover from last season? The additional games brought into the equation thanks to the Champions League? Or was it in fact Kante who was the real star for the Midlands side?
Well, regardless of the reason, the Foxes are now the second-worst defending champions of all time, after picking up just eight points from their opening seven Premier League games.
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Leicester currently sit 12th in the table with only two wins all year in the league, alongside 4-1 drubbings at the hands of Liverpool and Manchester United.
Without Kante in front of that back four, Ranieri's men have looked vulnerable, even shipping a further four goals against Chelsea in the EFL Cup.
The only team to ever perform worse in the season after grabbing the title were other surprise winners Blackburn Rovers, who in the 1994-95 season had just seven points from their seven games.
Leicester are joint-second-bottom with Chelsea, who just 12 months ago also racked up just eight points under Jose Mourinho... Before the Portuguese chief was given the boot.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, the Special One's Blues in 2005-06 managed to rack up 21 points - winning all seven games in their title defence.
Chelsea went on to win the title that year.
Elsewhere, Man United racked up 19 points twice, in 1999-2000 and 2011-12 along with the 2004-05 Arsenal squad.