Verdict: Tottenham
Best Odds: 3/4
Bookmaker: 888sport
Tottenham Hotspur appear to have lost the pace in the Premier League and will need a swift return to winning ways at King Power Stadium in order to keep their title hopes effectively alive ahead of the busy Christmas schedule.
Leicester City
Claude Puel was quick to sew new seeds over at Leicester City and his vision for the future is already shaping up over at Foxes.
New boss already has a good number of games under his belt and clear signs of progress have been made despite the unfavourable results recorded over the past three matches in the Premier League. The Foxes are coming of from a 2-2 draw at Stoke City, a comfortable 2-0 loss against title contenders Manchester City and a disappointing 1-1 draw at strugglers West Ham last time out. Leicester City opened the scorings after only eight minutes through Albrighton but failed to hold on to their lead with Hammers leveling the score in the dying moments of the first half through Kouyate. What the frustrating results fails to portray is the way Foxes played in London – moving the ball from back to front quickly and economically, with some assurance and power. Vicente Iborra is slowly becoming Leicester’s playmaker and one of the most important players in the team and he’ll once again be the one to watch against Spurs.
Team News
Silva is still unavailable through his transfer suspension, whereas Puel will have no major selection issues.
Defender Robert Huth is suffering from an ankle injury, whereas Matthew James is nurturing his Achilles tendon.
Tottenham Hotspur
Following their impressive start to the Premier League season which seemingly saw them shake of the familiar Wembley frustrations, Tottenham Hotspur are once again struggling.
Spurs suffered a devastating 2-0 north London derby defeat at the hands of Arsenal and failed to recover – on the home front that is – since they were forced to settle for a 1-1 stalemate against West Brom at the weekend. The visitors were the first ones to take the lead through Rondon after only four minutes, whereas Spurs struggled to gain their footing and only managed to equalize through Harry Kane in the second half. It was Kane’s 40th club goal in 2017 with English international keeping himself firmly in the Golden Boot race. Contrary to their domestic struggles, Tottenham are enjoying a purple patch in Champions League having beaten the reigning champions Real Madrid and Dortmund away for the leading spot in Group H.
Team News
Danny Rose was dropped against West Ham after expressing his frustrations at the club and Pochettino is likely to leave him out of the team once again.
Toby Alderweireld is having a hamstring problem, whereas Victor Wanyama is out due to his knee issue. Eric Lamela could make his return following the birth of his child.
Key Factors to Consider
- Harry Kane scored 40 goals in 2017
- The Spurs striker netted in his team’s last two games
- Leicester City are without a win in their last three matches
- Tottenham only lost two away games this season
- Foxes only won two of their last five home matches
Conclusion
Claude Puel is making slow but sure progress with his Leicester City but the Foxes are unlikely to stand a fighting chance against Mauricio Pochettino’s under-pressure side. Spurs need to win in order to keep their title hopes alive and we fully expect them to go head in from the off.
Verdict: Tottenham
Best Odds: 3/4
Bookmaker: 888sport
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