Leicester City picked up their third win in eight days as they edged past Brentford to go ninth in the Premier League table and level on points with Manchester United, Everton and Arsenal. James Maddison, a player who has had a tough few months, has been a big part of Leicester’s resurgence from their early form.
On the 19th of September, Maddison was substituted at half-time after a performance that was well below his own personal standard, and the poor display prompted some self-reflection and self-analysis to see just how he could get back to his best form.
Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for James Maddison 👏#MOTD2
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) October 24, 2021
Before the week began Maddison had not scored a goal since February and hadn’t assisted a teammate all season. This week, he bagged an assist in Moscow and scored the winner against Brentford.
"I have had to be my own biggest critic and look at where I was maybe going wrong.It is just having that humbleness to look at myself. Thankfully I got a tap-in and I won’t score an easier one. (via BBC Sport)"
It’s not been an easy time for the midfielder; after flirting with Gareth Southgate’s England squad, to falling off form-wise and being well off the Euro’s squad, and nearly out of his club’s squad.
Maddison did end up losing his place in the starting line-up for a six game spell between September and October, and this really was his wake-up call. Since then, he has begun to look like his old self a bit, making runs at the opposition defence and doing his best to slot in either, Jamie Vardy or Patson Daka.
In his time away from the starting line-up, Maddison worked with Sport’s Scientists to improve his game, analysing his current performances and even watching back some of his old goals to see how he could recreate them within his game.
Nobody knows if the 24-year-old will get back to the form he has shown before, but Foxes fans will be hoping he’s on the right path, and he’s certainly begging to show it.