Hello all! We have another fun-filled weekend of Premier League action for you! There are eight games in the top flight today, but right here we will be focusing on a contest between second and seventh - Leicester City vs. Stoke City at the King Power Stadium.

Come on then, how many of you thought that Leicester would be joint leaders in the Premier League title race at this stage of the season? Not many, I'm sure! It has been quite a remarkable rise for the Foxes, who at this stage in the 2014-15 campaign were fighting for survival under former manager Nigel Pearson. Now, under the guidance of Claudio Ranieri, the club have a realistic chance of winning the Premier League for the first time.

As for Stoke, they have surprised everyone by maintaining a place in the top echelons of the league table for the majority of the season. They are only six points off a Champions League place and given that we are coming to the end of January, being in this position now means that they are firmly in the running to be playing European football in the 2016-17 season.

Of course I'm sure you're all eagerly awaiting the lineups for today's game, so I'll be kind and hand them over. Here goes...

LEICESTER XI: Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez, Drinkwater, Kante, Albrighton; Okazaki, Vardy
Subs: King, Gray, Ulloa, Dyer, Wasilewski, Schwarzer, Inler

STOKE XI: Butland; Pieters, Wollschied, Shawcross, Johnson; Afellay, Whelan; Diouf, Joselu, Shaqiri; Walters
Subs: Haugaard, Odemwingie, Wilson, Van Ginkel, Adam, Crouch, Bojan

As expected, Claudio Ranieri has rung the changes from the Leicester team that were knocked out of the FA Cup by Tottenham Hotspur in midweek. In total, eight alterations have been made, with Danny Drinkwater and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel being the only players to survive from the last team selection. Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, both of whom have been goal shy of late, return to the starting XI at the King Power Stadium.

Danny Simpson, Wes Morgan, Robert Huth and Christian Fuchs will man the back four, with Mahrez, Drinkwater, N'Golo Kante and Marc Albrighton returning to the midfield. Shinji Okazaki and Vardy will lead the line for the home side. It is the same Leicester XI that turned out for their last Premier League game, which ended in a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.

As for Stoke, the big news for Potters fans is that Xherdan Shaqiri is fit to start. The Switzerland international has been hampered by a hamstring problem in recent weeks, but he is ready to go this afternoon! Shaqiri is one of two changes made to the team that played out a goalless draw with Arsenal last weekend. The other change is the inclusion of Mame Biram Diouf. Marko Arnautovic misses out entirely with a hamstring problem, while Bojan drops to the bench.

As always, Jack Butland has his place in between the goalposts, with Erik Pieters, Philipp Wollschied, Ryan Shawcross and Glen Johnson lining the back four. Ibrahim Afellay and Glenn Whelan will sit in midfield, while Diouf, Joselu and Shaqiri will sit behind striker Jonathan Walters.

Leicester head into this match on the back of a disappointing midweek result as they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Tottenham Hotspur in a third-round replay. The Foxes succumbed to a 2-0 loss, conceding goals to Son Heung-Min and Nacer Chadli, but the result could turn out to be beneficial for the Foxes in the long term.

It's safe to say that out of the title contenders, including Arsenal and Manchester City, Leicester are the least likely of those in the race to come away with the prize. Around 12 months ago they were fighting to stay in the division, so while their rivals still have domestic cup action and European tournaments to focus on, the Foxes can put all their energy into the league.

It would be astonishing if Leicester did manage to go all the way, but who's to say they can't? They currently have 44 points - the same as Arsenal - and have won more than half of their 22 games in the top flight. Interestingly, when Ranieri was appointed following Pearson's dismissal, a lot of people thought he would be one of the first Premier League managers to be sacked, largely because of the long list of jobs on his CV. The Italian has coached 15 different clubs, including Leicester, so many thought that he would be on his way to his 16th fairly quickly. I'm pretty sure they've changed their tune now!

Ranieri has repeatedly claimed throughout the season that his team are not thinking about winning the league and are only focused on getting the required amount of points to stay in the top flight. Well, surely they will be thinking about the title and Champions League football now...

Ahead of today's game, Ranieri told reporters: "Yes. The table says there is no gap. However, everybody who knows football knows there is a big gap between Leicester and the other teams. This league is crazy. Tottenham, Stoke, Crystal Palace and West Ham - and I don't mention the big clubs.

"All these are fighting to achieve the European places. And Stoke is another tough match. It is changing. Last season it began with Chelsea and ended with Chelsea. Before that it began with Manchester City and ended with Manchester City. This season we are fighting. It is changing not only for us but for all teams.

"I am very pleased with my players because against teams like Tottenham I didn't see it (the gap). The statistics say there's no gap between Tottenham, who started 10-15 years ago to build a very good solid building, and Leicester who started this season.''

While this season has been a great one for Leicester, it has not been completely plain sailing in recent weeks. Jamie Vardy put his name in the Premier League record books by scoring in 11 consecutive matches, but strangely, the Foxes have been struggling for goals of late. They have not found the back of the net in four of their last seven matches.

In the league, after losing to Liverpool on Boxing Day, Leicester played out goalless draws against Manchester City and Bournemouth before sealing a 1-0 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. The Foxes showed some signs of concern in their last Premier League game, which ended 1-1 against Aston Villa, who looks destined for relegation. Shinji Okazaki took the lead in the 28th minute before Rudy Gestede equalised 15 minutes from time.

Goals have been lacking largely because of the drop in form in Vardy and Riyad Mahrez - Vardy has not celebrated scoring since mid-December, while playmaker Mahrez is yet to find the back of the net in 2016. Will that change today?

UPDATE! Before we go any further, we have a result from today's lunchtime kickoff - and it's a humdinger! Liverpool came from 3-1 down to clinch a 5-4 win over Norwich City at Carrow Road. Read our match report here.

Leicester have not been very busy in the transfer market this month. They completed the signing of Demarai Gray from Birmingham City at the start of January and they added a new face to the squad on Friday. Ghana international Daniel Amartey joined the club from Copenhagen on a contract that will run until 2020. The Ghana international, who can play as a midfielder or a defender, is believed to have cost the Foxes £6m.

After arriving at the club, the 21-year-old told Leicester's official website: "It's a great pleasure to join Leicester City. I know the club have been interested in signing me for some time and that was a big part of my decision to come here.

"All over Europe, people are talking about Leicester City and how well the club is doing in the Premier League. The team plays exciting, attacking football and I'm looking forward to being part of it."

Fancy some stats about Leicester? Of course you do! Well, the Foxes have the advantage of being at home this afternoon because they have won eight and lost just one of their last 13 matches in the top flight. Some negatives are that the team have the lowest overall passing accuracy - 69.6% - so far in the 2015-16 Premier League and they are the only team yet to score a league goal from outside of the box this season. All of their 39 goals have been struck from inside the area.

Right, enough about Leicester, let's turn our attention to Stoke. Mark Hughes's side have impressed this season as they are right in the hunt for a spot in Europe. With the additions of Bojan and Xherdan Shaqiri, the Potters have turned into a team capable of consistent results. They have already shown this season that they can beat Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea at the Britannia Stadium. Also, they managed to restrict Arsenal to a goalless draw last Sunday.

They have, though, struggled to maintain positive results on the road. They have only won back-to-back away matches once this season. In their last four games on opposition soil they have lost two, drawn one and won one, which was a 4-3 triumph over Everton at Goodison Park. They are in need of some consistency on their travels and they will be hoping that that starts today.

Ahead of today's match, Hughes told reporters: "At the moment [Leicester are] on a little bit of a run where positive results in terms of wins are not forthcoming, but I wouldn't suggest for one moment they are on the wane or on the slide.

"Their goalscoring threat has come through Vardy and Mahrez, so there was always a danger that if they stopped scoring or the chances being created weren't as readily available, then maybe their ability to win games would lessen.

"That seems to be happening at the moment, but I've seen recent games and they look just as threatening as they have done. They've still got a real threat and we'll have to play really well against them to get a positive result."

One player who is performing well in a Stoke shirt is goalkeeper Jack Butland. The England international has eased into his promotion to first-choice keeper following the departure of Asmir Begovic to Chelsea last summer. On the road, Butland has managed to keep five clean sheets in Stoke's last eight away games in the league.

There are reports, though, that Manchester United may be circling. Despite Real Madrid's impending transfer ban, there are still rumours suggesting that the Spanish giants will make a move for David de Gea, whose proposed move to the Bernabeu last summer fell through because paperwork was not filed before the transfer deadline in Spain. According to the Daily Mail, United have placed Butland as their top target should they end up losing De Gea.

As mentioned, Stoke's results on the road are lacking consistency, but they have only succumbed to defeat in three of their last 12 away games in the top flight. The Potters have won four and drawn the rest. On the flip side, no team in the Premier League has seen as few goals scored in games this season than Stoke - 46.

HEAD TO HEAD: Earlier this season, nothing could separate the two sides when they faced one another at the Britannia. Bojan and Jonathan Walters scored inside the first 20 minutes, but Leicester responded through Mahrez and Vardy to seal a 2-2 draw. However, Stoke come out favourably in the last seven head to heads as they have lost just one of them. Bojan seems to like these fixtures as he has been the first to score in each of the last two league matches between the two clubs.

PREDICTION: As we edge closer to kickoff, it's time that we make a prediction! Leicester have struggled for goals of late, so they need Vardy and Mahrez to be on top form today to overcome this Stoke team. The Foxes have the benefit of being at home and on paper, considering this season's form, Ranieri's side should be getting all three points. However, Stoke have quality of their own and we could see a share of the spoils this afternoon. Let's go for a 1-1 draw.

Both sets of players are about to walk out to a jam-packed stadium. The atmosphere is buzzing so let's hope the display on the pitch can match it!

KICKOFF! Stoke get us underway at the King Power, kicking from right to left...

Leicester test the Stoke defence for the first time in this match as they win a corner. The ball is whipped in aimed at Huth, but the ball is headed out and falls to Mahrez. The playmaker tries to swivel, but he gets the ball nicked off him.

Shaqiri, who is bursting into the box, tries to feed the ball through for Walters, but Schmeichel reads the pass and manages to gather the ball.

Both sides are just finding their feet at the moment with neither creating many meaningful chances. Shaqiri spots space up front and launches the ball forward for Walters to run onto, but there's too much pace on the ball and the goalkeeper manages to get to the ball first.

Leicester have struggled to get into this game so far. Fuchs has an opportunity to charge down the field, but it's a heavy touch and the ball trickles forward back into Stoke's possession.

Diame is just inches away from latching onto the ball and getting in behind Simpson. A through ball comes into his path and if he gets it he's pretty much one on one with the keeper, but he just misses it and the ball runs past him

Neither side have created a meaningful chance at goal inside the first 15 minutes. Albrighton sums up the start by sending a high cross into the box, but it was only Vardy who was in the box and it go nowhere near him.

Leicester get a free kick after Mahrez gets brought down on the break, but the team fail to make the most of it and Stoke go on the attack.

CHANCE! Arguably the best chance of the game so far as Pieters plays in a through ball behind Leicester's defence, slipping it into the path of Walters. The forward tries to cut inside onto his right foot, but the ball is smothered by a crowd of blue shirts.

SAVE! At the other end, Albrighton charges down the left and crosses into the box to find the feet of Vardy, who strikes with his left foot. The shot is on target, but Butland gets a touch on it and knocks the ball out for a corner, which comes to nothing for the hosts.

Pieters gets a talking to from referee Mike Dean after he fouls Mahrez while the playmaker is on the charge. That's two free kicks that he has given away, so he's lucky to get away without a yellow card.

Bad signs for Stoke as skipper Shawcross requires some treatment from the bench. The defender is laying on the floor and it looks to be a back problem. The stretcher comes out, but Shawcross gets to his feet. He seems okay to continue for now.

Great defending from Simpson! The ball is lofted into the box towards the right far post, where Diouf is there to pounce, but Simpson reads the move and tracks his marker before heading the ball clear.

STOKE SUB: Huge blow for Stoke as Shawcross cannot continue because of a back problem. The defender is replaced with Wilson.

We've only had two decent chances at goal, one of each for both sides, but in all honestly, that's been about it! The game has gone a bit flat and given that both teams have defended well, the attackers on show are struggling to make an impact.

Leicester try to ramp up the attack through Fuchs, who sends in a cross from the left-hand side. Butland hesitates on his line as two blue shirts stand in front of him. The ball comes in, but Pieters gets an important header on the ball to clear.

CHANCE! The ball is sent into the box for Leicester and they get a slice of luck when it bounces favourably in front of Okazaki, who goes for goal in the box, but he misses the target. The shot skies over the crossbar.

Schmeichel has looked solid in this first half and he shows his composure again when he leaps above everyone to collect the ball in the air to prevent any Stoke players from latching onto it at the far post.

Some more luck for Leicester as Vardy wins a soft free kick on the corner of the area. Albrighton swings the ball in low, but Stoke manage to clear. In the process they give away a corner, which once again the Potters defend.

Leicester's pressure pays off as they score their first goal from outside of the penalty area! The ball comes in from the corner flag and it eventually bounces to the feet of Drinkwater, who drills the ball hard and low into the bottom corner of the net. The ball took a deflection off Wilson on its way through, but Leicester won't care. At the moment, they are top of the league!

So, we enter the half-time break with Leicester earning themselves a 1-0 lead thanks to a strike from Danny Drinkwater, who has clinched the club's first goal of the season from outside of the box. It was a slow start to the game with both teams trying to find their feet. Opportunities were few and far between, but the home side ramped up the pressure towards the end of the half and it paid off when Drinkwater struck in the 42nd minute. We'll be back for the second half shortly!

RESTART! The home side get us underway for the second half. Can they extend their lead or will Stoke get themselves back into this game?

Stoke have looked threatening when on the attack, but they haven't created enough so far to trouble Schmeichel. We'll see if they change their approach in this half.

Stoke get a free kick in Leicester's half after Joselu gets a slight knock in the back from Huth, who gets a stern talking to from referee Mike Dean. We've not had any yellow cards in this game as yet.

The Potters have had most of the ball in these early stages of the second half, but they are yet to find a way through. Pieters tries to get the ball into the box, but it's a weak effort and Leicester comfortably clear.

Okazaki is pulled back and Leicester are awarded a free kick close to the near left touchline. Albrighton swings the ball into the box, but Butland gets there first and plucks the ball from the air.

Walters drills the ball into the box, but Morgan is there to kick the ball away. Stoke need to do a lot more if they are to get back into this game. Schmeichel has had very little to do so far.

Morgan is unhappy as he gets penalised for bringing down Diouf in his own half. Shaqiri is the man to take the free kick, searching for Walters in the box, but Leicester defend and give away a corner. Shaqiri takes it, but it's far too deep and ends up going out for a goal kick.

CHANCE! What a great chance for Leicester to double their lead. The ball is lost by Stoke in the middle of the park. Mahrez latches on and springs forward into the 18-yard box. He tries to lay the ball off to Okazaki, but he under-hits it and Stoke manage to clear.

BOOKING! The first yellow card has been brandished and it's for Shaqiri, who can have no complaints as he brought down Mahrez on the run.

SAVE! Joselu should have done so much better there! Johnson whips the ball into the box with a great cross. It finds Joselu, who leaps high before heading towards the net, but it's straight into the hands of Schmeichel.

LEICESTER SUB: Okazaki cannot continue and he limps off the field to make way for Ulloa.

He's back among the goals! Vardy has doubled Leicester's lead! The striker receives the ball over the top from Drinkwater. Wilson is on the wrong side when the ball comes down and Vardy rounds Butland before slotting the ball into the back of the net.

STOKE SUB: Odemwingie comes on for Diouf, whose had a quiet afternoon at the King Power.

The away side are struggling for answers here, but Leicester look more than comfortable. The home side play some intricate passes in the final third and the ball eventually falls to Drinkwater on the right, but his final touch is missing and the ball bobbles out.

STOKE SUB: That's the end of Shaqiri's afternoon as he is taken off and replaced with Crouch.

BLOCK! The home side are hunting for a third and they may have got one had it not been for Wollschied. Kante shows great feet by dodging past three Stoke players before sliding the ball forward for Vardy to run on to. However, Wollschied spots the run and intercepts to stop the striker from scoring another goal.

What happened there?! Leicester are awarded a free kick just outside of the area and for some reason centre-back Huth takes the set piece. It's a poor effort as he slices the ball well wide of the target. Can't understand the thinking behind that one!

The substitute has wrapped it up for Leicester! Vardy and Mahrez link up in the area before the playmaker nutmegs a defender and unleashes a shot across goal, which is turned in by Ulloa. Game over!

LEICESTER SUB: The home side wind the clock down by bringing on January signing Demarai Gray, who will replace Albrighton.

So, there we have it! Leicester have moved to the top of the Premier League table for 24 hours at least after sealing a comfortable 3-0 win over Stoke City. The Foxes are now three points above Arsenal (who play tomorrow), while the Potters have dropped to ninth in the standings.

Danny Drinkwater opened the scoring with his first goal of the season and Jamie Vardy netted his 16th league strike to keep Leicester on top. Leonardo Ulloa rounded off the triumph with a goal in the 87th minute. Thank you for joining us this afternoon - until next time, goodbye.