Verdict: Both teams to score – yes
Best Odds: 3/4
Bookmaker: Bet365
Weekend ahead of us brings the FA Cup clashes under the limelight with English teams fighting for their place in the fourth round of the competition. Everton are playing host to reigning Premier League champions Leicester City and will be looking to inflict another defeat to Ranieri’s men in just two weeks’ time.
Everton
Ronald Koeman’s charges head into the FA Cup challenge looking to extend their unbeaten run which now stretches to three games in a row. The Toffees started their run with a Boxing Day win over Leicester City, with 2-2 draw at Hull following and are now coming off from a compelling 3-0 triumph over Koeman’s former club Southampton. Everton are enjoying a positive patch which will have done wonders to the team’s confidence after a shaky start to the season, and the Goodison-based side will be hoping to extend the momentum past the Premier League games and secure their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Still, the Premier League remains the top priority for Everton who sit seventh in the table, nine points off the top six. The hosts will be hoping that team’s top striker Romelu Lukaku will be able to extend his goalscoring record which currently stands at 11 Premier League goals. The Belgium international forward is yet to open his account in Cup competitions and the forthcoming clash against the Foxes might be the perfect opportunity to do so.
Team News
Everton have a lengthy injury list to deal with ahead of the Leicester duel as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Bryan Oviedo, Yanick Bolasie and Arouna Kone are all ruled out with respective injuries.
Muhamed Besic and Matthew Pennington remain the long-term absentees, who are yet to make a bow this season for the Toffees, whereas there is a doubt regarding the fitness of Maarten Stekelenburg and James McCarthy.
Leicester City
The ruling champions of the Premier League have not had the best of title defences thus far as the team struggles to get out of the bottom half, currently sitting in 15th place with just six points off the relegation zone. Their woeful domestic exploits are pure contrast to European adventures where the Foxes are enjoying their UEFA Champions League. Claudio Ranieri’s men have been rather inconsistent in their performances throughout the season and now head into the game at Goodison looking to go unbeaten in three successive matches for the first time since November. It’s been a tough few months for the Foxes who lost their key man N’Golo Kante during the summer transfer window. Still, Leicester City have brought a couple of names such as Islam Slimani who has been the standout performer for his team lately. The King Power Stadium side is not wasting any time in the January transfer market as well as the Foxes have already wrapped up a deal for Genk midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and are expected to make some additional moves to bolster their ranks.
Team News
Claudio Ranieri is happy to report that he has no major selection issues ahead of the trip to Liverpool.
Hpowever, Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani will not be with the team due to their Africa Cup of Nations responsibilities which can be a bit of a problem for the visitors.
Key Aspects to Consider
- Everton are unbeaten in their last three matches
- Leicester kept a clean sheet in their last 2 games
- There have been over 2.5 goals in 4 of the two teams’ last 5 encounters
- Romelu Lukaku scored 11 goals for Everton this season
- Mahrez and Slimani miss out due to Africa Cup of Nations
Conclusion
Two of the last three matches between Everton and Leicester City ended in visiting side wining. The Toffees came out on top when two sides met on Boxing Day and will be keen to repeat the similar feat at Goodison again. Still, Leicester City are a force to be reckoned with despite their Premier League struggles and we expect to see an openly contested affair as both sides are keen to avoid a replay in case of a draw.
Verdict: Both teams to score – yes
Best Odds: 3/4
Bookmaker: Bet365
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