Leicester City bounced back to Premier League at first time of asking

It was touch-and-go at times towards the end, but Leicester have now secured promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

The Foxes - who won the Premier League against the odds in 2015/16 - had been relegated under Dean Smith on the final day of the 2022/23 season, bringing their nine-season spell back in the top flight to a close.

But Leeds' own automatic promotion hopes took a hit when they were beaten by QPR at Loftus Road on Friday night, which took Leicester over the line they have been threatening to cross for so long.

Here, we take a look at how Enzo Maresca and Co did it...

At first, it went like a dream.

When Leicester won 12 of their first 13 games after relegation from the Premier League, even at that early stage, it seemed as if it was a case of if, not when, they would bounce back at the first time of asking.

They were only the third team in second tier history to achieve that feat after Bury (1894/95) and Bristol City (1905/06) and were on course to obliterate Reading's Championship record of 106 points by a stunning 21-point margin.

Enzo Maresca's Foxes were simply blowing everyone away. Even reigning champions Burnley had only collected 22 points from their first 13 on the way to the title last term.

It was, perhaps, surprising in some ways, given the standard of players that had moved on in the summer, with the headline departures of James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Youri Tielemans compounding a painful drop from the top flight.

The signing of former England internationals Conor Coady and Harry Winks was sensible - and on another level for a Championship club - yet there had still been question marks over the club's decision to recruit younger, largely untested players. Of course, those were