Prediction: Leicester vs Manchester City



Verdict: Both teams to score – No

Best Odds: 23/20

Bookmaker: William Hill

Out-of-sorts Leicester City will be in all sorts of problems unless they can soon return to winning ways, but the match against title contenders Manchester City is probably not the perfect opportunity to do so. The Citizens have worries of their own with some key men missing, but they head to King Power Stadium in better spirits than the opposition.

Leicester

These past few years have been a real rollercoaster ride for Leicester City, but having soared to unimagined heights with the unlikely Premier League win, the Foxes have now been taken back to reality and could be involved in the survival battle. Oddly enough, Claudio Ranieri’s men largely impressed in their maiden Champions League campaign, taking 13 points from first 5 matches to secure the first place in the group, before the weakened side were hammered 5-0 by FC Porto in midweek. The heavy defeat is certainly not as big a problem as team’s poor league form, seeing that Leicester City have only picked up two points from last five fixtures. Sitting two points above the bottom three, the Foxes are clearly going through a very difficult patch and no wonder that Claudio Ranieri made it clear his players had to rediscover the fighting spirit that had been their key trait last term. The good news is that Leicester City will be facing severely weakened Manchester City and another team that are punching below their weight, so much will depend on which side cope better with the pressure on Saturday afternoon.

Team News

A number of first team regulars will be recalled after they were rested in midweek, but first choice keeper Kasper Schmeichel is unlikely to be risked.

Danny Drinkwater continues to miss out through suspension, whereas fellow midfielder Nampalys Mendy is short of match fitness.



Manchester City

In spite of the impressive start, things have not been going well for Manchester City this season and everybody is eager to see whether Pep Guardiola can prove his worth by turning the campaign around. The last week’s high-profile game against title rivals Chelsea proved disappointing on so many levels, as the Citizens not only suffered a costly defeat, but also saw Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho pick up lengthy bans for last-gasp red cards. It is the club’s top scorer that will be sorely missed in the next four Premier League fixtures, and it remains to be seen whether youngster Kelechi Iheanacho will prove a worthy replacement. The talented footballer did score against Celtic, but Man City could only muster a 1-1 draw at their Etihad Stadium, and it is clear they will have to show a massive improvement if they want to win at King Power. The Citizens have problems at the back due to both Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi being absent, but their recent form on the road can give them something to look forward to. Namely, Man City have won three away fixtures in row in the Premier League, defeating West Bromwich, Crystal Palace and Burnley, and they will certainly want to extend the excellent run against Leicester City.

Team News

The likes of Sergio Aguero, Nicolas Otamendi and Fernandinho are all banned for the Leicester City clash, whereas Vincent Kompany and Fabian Delph miss out through injury.

Key Factors to Consider

• Man City won three straight Premiership games on the road
• Leicester City are winless in last five league fixtures (D2 L3)
• The Foxes have never beaten Man City at home (D3 L4)
• Both teams scored in just one of their last four meetings
• Aguero, Fernandinho, Otamendi suspended for Man City

Conclusion

Both sides will be completely out of confidence following some poor results of late and with their key attackers either missing or firing blanks, a low-scoring affair is to be expected. There were not too many goals scored in their last four meetings and we are backing the trend to continue.

Verdict: Both teams to score – No

Best Odds: 23/20

Bookmaker: William Hill