Leicester City have tumbled down the Premier League in dramatic fashion… And it’s down to TIREDNESS

FROM champions to chumps in just nine months.

Leicester have fallen faster down the Premier League table than Jamie Vardy does in the opposition’s penalty box.

And the main reason for their remarkable slump into relegation candidates is... TIREDNESS.

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Claudio Ranieri’s squad have failed to deal with the increased workload that comes with  being in the Champions League for the first time.

As a result, they find themselves a staggering 26 points worse off at this stage of the season than during their miraculous Prem-winning campaign.

Quite frankly, the Foxes are knackered as four high-octane seasons through the divisions have finally caught up with them — as our statistics show.

Last term, Ranieri’s players averaged one game every seven days. This season, it is one game every five.

After 23 Prem fixtures in 2015-16, the Foxes squad had run 1,582 miles in total.

They have clocked 1,552 in the same period this season — a drop of 30 miles. That means the Foxes are, on average,  running more than a mile less per game compared to when they won the title by ten points. Not only that, they have netted 18 fewer goals  at this stage, too.

If they do not quickly address their form — especially after a run of two wins in ten games —  then Fifa’s World Coach of the Year   will preside over an embarrassing relegation to the Championship.

They have clocked 1,552 in the same period this season — a drop of 30 miles. That means the Foxes are, on average,  running more than a mile less per game compared to when they won the title by ten points. Not only that, they have netted 18 fewer goals  at this stage, too.

If they do not quickly address their form — especially after a run of two wins in ten games —  then Fifa’s World Coach of the Year   will preside over an embarrassing relegation to the Championship.

Last season, Rangers manager Mark Warburton spoke about how Ranieri had managed Leicester’s workload to perfection.

He said: “If you look at the way Leicester play, they have a really high energy, they press hard, the team run hard. To do that you must be in good physical shape. Your recovery programmes must be very, very high and they’ve got that  right.

“They get the right amount of days off, they get the right loading in training, which is reflected in the energy they have on matchdays.

“The fact Leicester aren’t involved in Europe helps.”

Now, with the Champions League set to resume against Sevilla later this month and an FA Cup replay with Derby next week, the fixture list will certainly not get any easier for the Foxes.

And their cause has not been helped by the sale of workhorse N’Golo Kante to Chelsea last summer. His absence has affected their form more than they would have known.

Against Liverpool on Tuesday, Kante made a season-high 14 successful tackles.

His ability to seize possession back and turn defence into attack was the springboard for  Vardy and Riyad Mahrez to enjoy the season of their lives. Now Leicester do not get the ball forward as quickly — and that hurts Vardy.

Leicester are officially the worst defending champions after 23 games, eclipsing Ipswich’s sorry  1962-63.

If they are not careful, they could become the first English champs to be relegated since Manchester City 79 years ago.