Ranieri wants Foxes to show title qualities

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri insists the next two months will define the Foxes’ season.

The champions are just two points above the relegation zone only seven months after winning the Premier League in one of sport’s biggest shocks.

They lost 5-0 in their final Champions League Group G game in Porto on Wednesday, having already qualified for the last 16, and now have a break from Europe until February with the draw for the second round made on Monday.

José Mourinho needs more goals from Wayne Rooney and the rest of his attackers if Manchester United’s Premier League campaign is to be revived.

The positives of progress to the Europa League knockout stages and League Cup semi-finals have been tempered somewhat by their league frustrations.

Mourinho’s men sit 13 points off the lead and nine behind the top four just 14 matches into the season.

A lack of cutting edge has been key, managing just seven goals in their last eight league matches – as many as Alexis Sanchez has scored for Arsenal on his own during that period.

Mourinho has been pleased with his side’s displays but is well aware of the missing ingredient, highlighted by Rooney managing a solitary Premier League goal this term.

Antonio Conte insists it is “difficult to accept” Chelsea as Premier League title favourites, despite their crushing win at Manchester City.

The wary Blues boss believes he will have a clearer picture of Chelsea’s title chances at the end of the hectic Christmas schedule.

Conte was at pains to point out that Chelsea started the season as “underdogs”, so has refused to countenance installing the west London outfit as league favourites despite his men topping the table.

Chelsea host West Brom at Stamford Bridge on Sunday with Conte desperate to ram home the message that his players must maintain a steely focus.