Match previews supplied by David Chapman unless otherwise stated
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Watford v Leicester City
Premier League
14 March 2020
Leicester travel to Vicarage Road at a time when their hosts are hoping for a rejuvenation under former Foxes management team Nigel Pearson and Craig Shakespeare.
3rd place Leicester will be looking to build on Monday's 4-0 win over Aston Villa whilst Watford, who currently sit 17th, famously won their last home game against champions elect Liverpool.
Historically City have the better bead to head record with 30 wins to Watford's 21 with 17 draws. The last 10 league games have seen 6 city wins, 3 for the Hornets and 1 draw. However on a cautionary note the last 7 league games have all been won by the home side.
The Foxes have suffered two injury blows since the Villa game with Ricardo out for the season (and also set to the miss the Euros for Portugal) and James Maddison set to miss the next 2 weeks with ACL and calf injuries respectively. In addition to this 3 unnamed (at time of writing) 1st team squad members are known in a precautionary 7 day period of self-isolation after coming down with cold/flu symptoms that may be Covid-19. One positive bit of team news is that Ben Chilwell has shrugged of his hamstring injury which saw him miss the win over Villa which will enable James Justin to move to right back.
Watford will be looking to extend a good run of home form which has seen them take 13 points from the last 18 at Vicarage Road, only Liverpool have a better record in the last 6 home games.
This match last season was Brendan Rodgers's first game and resulted in a 2-1 home win with Jamie Vardy cancelling out Troy Deeney's opener before Andre Gray won it in the 90th minute.
The reverse fixture this season ended in a 2-0 win for the Foxes, Vardy again and Maddison the goalscorers on this occasion.
This game is difficult to predict especially with not knowing who the 3 1st team squad members are in isolation or if any others will follow.
That being said I am going to predict a 2-1 win for Leicester.
Premier League
14 March 2020
Leicester travel to Vicarage Road at a time when their hosts are hoping for a rejuvenation under former Foxes management team Nigel Pearson and Craig Shakespeare.
3rd place Leicester will be looking to build on Monday's 4-0 win over Aston Villa whilst Watford, who currently sit 17th, famously won their last home game against champions elect Liverpool.
Historically City have the better bead to head record with 30 wins to Watford's 21 with 17 draws. The last 10 league games have seen 6 city wins, 3 for the Hornets and 1 draw. However on a cautionary note the last 7 league games have all been won by the home side.
The Foxes have suffered two injury blows since the Villa game with Ricardo out for the season (and also set to the miss the Euros for Portugal) and James Maddison set to miss the next 2 weeks with ACL and calf injuries respectively. In addition to this 3 unnamed (at time of writing) 1st team squad members are known in a precautionary 7 day period of self-isolation after coming down with cold/flu symptoms that may be Covid-19. One positive bit of team news is that Ben Chilwell has shrugged of his hamstring injury which saw him miss the win over Villa which will enable James Justin to move to right back.
Watford will be looking to extend a good run of home form which has seen them take 13 points from the last 18 at Vicarage Road, only Liverpool have a better record in the last 6 home games.
This match last season was Brendan Rodgers's first game and resulted in a 2-1 home win with Jamie Vardy cancelling out Troy Deeney's opener before Andre Gray won it in the 90th minute.
The reverse fixture this season ended in a 2-0 win for the Foxes, Vardy again and Maddison the goalscorers on this occasion.
This game is difficult to predict especially with not knowing who the 3 1st team squad members are in isolation or if any others will follow.
That being said I am going to predict a 2-1 win for Leicester.
Leicester City v Aston Villa
Premier League
09 March 2020
Leicester welcome visitors from Birmingham for their second successive match after a 1-0 win over Birmingham City on Wednesday.
Leicester of course won the reverse league fixture 4-1 with goals from Vardy(2), Evans & Iheanacho.
However Villa knocked Leicester out of the league cup at the semi stage after a controversial second leg.
The overall (all competitions) head to head record is in Leicester favour with 42 wins 34 defeats and 25 draws.
The last 10 league games have been shared evenly with 4 wins apiece and 2 draws.
Brendan Rodgers will hope to have both Jamie Vardy and Wilf Ndidi back in the starting 11 on Monday as the foxes look to maintain their 100% start to March.
The key man for Villa, whether you love him or hate him is again likely to be Jack Grealish. The lad is so talented but lets himself down with some of his theatrics.
I believe the key to Leicester winning this game is keeping Grealish quiet maybe even consider man marking him.
On paper looking at the table this should be a comfortable win for Leicester, but nothing is ever won on paper (except maybe women's cricket semi finals). I am still going to predict a win for Leicester with a 2-1 score line.
Premier League
09 March 2020
Leicester welcome visitors from Birmingham for their second successive match after a 1-0 win over Birmingham City on Wednesday.
Leicester of course won the reverse league fixture 4-1 with goals from Vardy(2), Evans & Iheanacho.
However Villa knocked Leicester out of the league cup at the semi stage after a controversial second leg.
The overall (all competitions) head to head record is in Leicester favour with 42 wins 34 defeats and 25 draws.
The last 10 league games have been shared evenly with 4 wins apiece and 2 draws.
Brendan Rodgers will hope to have both Jamie Vardy and Wilf Ndidi back in the starting 11 on Monday as the foxes look to maintain their 100% start to March.
The key man for Villa, whether you love him or hate him is again likely to be Jack Grealish. The lad is so talented but lets himself down with some of his theatrics.
I believe the key to Leicester winning this game is keeping Grealish quiet maybe even consider man marking him.
On paper looking at the table this should be a comfortable win for Leicester, but nothing is ever won on paper (except maybe women's cricket semi finals). I am still going to predict a win for Leicester with a 2-1 score line.
Leicester City V Birmingham City
FA Cup
04 March 2020
Leicester have a welcome break from the League as they play host to championship side Birmingham City in the FA Cup.
Birmingham sit 15th in the second tier, seemingly safe from relegation and most 'blue noses' would agree that they are not likely to get promoted either.
Leicester edge the head to heads with 57 wins to Birmingham's 51 and the spoils being shared on 26 occasions.
Brendan Rodgers's team selection will indicate how seriously he (and the club) is taking the FA Cup, especially as the next league match is not until the following Monday.
Jamie Vardy has been confirmed as unavailable and it will be interesting to see who starts up front in place. Another key decision for the management team is whether or not to risk Wilf Ndidi from the start.
Birmingham will likely play a full strength side as they look to cause an upset at the King Power stadium. The key player for the visitors is likely to be top scorer Lukas Jutkiewicz who has scored 13 goals so far this season.
This game is difficult to predict a scoreline for before seeing the line ups but I will go for a 1-0 home win and a much needed confidence boost ahead of the visit of the other Birmingham team in the Premier League.
FA Cup
04 March 2020
Leicester have a welcome break from the League as they play host to championship side Birmingham City in the FA Cup.
Birmingham sit 15th in the second tier, seemingly safe from relegation and most 'blue noses' would agree that they are not likely to get promoted either.
Leicester edge the head to heads with 57 wins to Birmingham's 51 and the spoils being shared on 26 occasions.
Brendan Rodgers's team selection will indicate how seriously he (and the club) is taking the FA Cup, especially as the next league match is not until the following Monday.
Jamie Vardy has been confirmed as unavailable and it will be interesting to see who starts up front in place. Another key decision for the management team is whether or not to risk Wilf Ndidi from the start.
Birmingham will likely play a full strength side as they look to cause an upset at the King Power stadium. The key player for the visitors is likely to be top scorer Lukas Jutkiewicz who has scored 13 goals so far this season.
This game is difficult to predict a scoreline for before seeing the line ups but I will go for a 1-0 home win and a much needed confidence boost ahead of the visit of the other Birmingham team in the Premier League.
Norwich City v Leicester City
Premier League
28 February 2020
Leicester travel to Carrow Road to face the Canaries on Friday night, the last time the two sides met the draw ended Leicester's winning streak and many fans believe this result led to The Foxes recent slump.
Leicester will hope that Friday's match will be the start of an upturn in results with this game and all of March's fixtures being winnable for City.
Historically the head to head sees Leicester edging it with 23 wins to Norwich's 21 and the honours ending even on 13 occasions.
The last 10 league games have resulted in just 3 Leicester wins, 2 draws and 5 victories for Norwich.
In terms of the teams Leicester will hope that Wilf Ndidi is available, and if he is Brendan Rodgers will likely revert to 4 at the back with the main choice being between Chilwell & Fuchs at left back. James Maddison will be looking for a good performance on his return to Carrow Road.
The key man for Norwich is once again likely to be Pukki, he was a constant thorn in the side against Leicester at the King Power and along with young Todd Cantwell has been a stand out player for The Canaries all season.
The reverse fixture at the King Power ended 1-1 with Teemu Pukki scoring for Norwich before Leicester equalised through an own goal from Tim Krul which was initially credited to Jamie Vardy.
The last time the two sides met in the league at Carrow Road resulted in a 2-1 lead for Leicester courtesy of a Jamie Vardy penalty & Jeff Schlupp strike before Mbokani pulled 1 back for Norwich.
Neither side has been in great form of late and neither have won a league game in February, I hope Leicester change that on Friday night and I am predicting a 2-0 win for the Foxes.
Premier League
28 February 2020
Leicester travel to Carrow Road to face the Canaries on Friday night, the last time the two sides met the draw ended Leicester's winning streak and many fans believe this result led to The Foxes recent slump.
Leicester will hope that Friday's match will be the start of an upturn in results with this game and all of March's fixtures being winnable for City.
Historically the head to head sees Leicester edging it with 23 wins to Norwich's 21 and the honours ending even on 13 occasions.
The last 10 league games have resulted in just 3 Leicester wins, 2 draws and 5 victories for Norwich.
In terms of the teams Leicester will hope that Wilf Ndidi is available, and if he is Brendan Rodgers will likely revert to 4 at the back with the main choice being between Chilwell & Fuchs at left back. James Maddison will be looking for a good performance on his return to Carrow Road.
The key man for Norwich is once again likely to be Pukki, he was a constant thorn in the side against Leicester at the King Power and along with young Todd Cantwell has been a stand out player for The Canaries all season.
The reverse fixture at the King Power ended 1-1 with Teemu Pukki scoring for Norwich before Leicester equalised through an own goal from Tim Krul which was initially credited to Jamie Vardy.
The last time the two sides met in the league at Carrow Road resulted in a 2-1 lead for Leicester courtesy of a Jamie Vardy penalty & Jeff Schlupp strike before Mbokani pulled 1 back for Norwich.
Neither side has been in great form of late and neither have won a league game in February, I hope Leicester change that on Friday night and I am predicting a 2-0 win for the Foxes.
Leicester City v Manchester City
Premier League
22 February 2020
This clash sees 3rd v 2nd, with the visitors still reeling from their 2 year european ban but cheered by their 2-0 win in midweek.
The hosts have had a mixed 'break' with Madders hitting the headlines for being a young lad on holiday and a controversial 0-0 draw away at Wolves.
Leicester will be hoping that key players rediscover their form of the first half of the season and Jamie Vardy, in particular, finds his scoring boots again.
Wilfried Ndidi has been a big miss and manager, players and fans alike will hope he is available for this match.
One area Brendan Rodgers may look to change is down the left, we do seem a bit exposed if Chilwell plays then possibly play Albrighton in front of him as he tracks better than Barnes or play Fuchs at LB.
Man City have an embarrassment of riches to choose from and it will be interesting to see what sort of reception Riyad Mahrez gets should he play.
The head to head is heavily in Man City's favour, with Leicester winning 30 to the visitors 60 with 29 draws. The last 10 league games fit the same pattern with the results being W3 D1 L6.
The reverse fixture finished 3-1 to Man City, Vardy gave the Foxes the lead before goals from Mahrez, Gundogan(pen) & Jesus for the Citizens.
The corresponding fixture last season ended 2-1 to Leicester, goals from Albrighton & Ricardo cancelling out Bernardo's opener.
My score prediction is a battling 1-1 draw.
Leicester City v Chelsea
Premier League
01 February 2020
Leicester entertain Chelsea, in the early kick off, looking to bounce back after the (controversial) defeat in the Carabao Cup semi.
This is a 3rd v 4th clash and a win for the Foxes will go a long way to bringing Champions League football back to the King Power next season.
Last season this fixture was the last of the season and not suprisingly it ended in a dour 0-0 draw meaning thst in 12 attempts as a manager Brendan Rodgers has failed to beat Chelsea. This run was extended in August at Stamford Bridge when Wilf Ndidi cancelled out Mason Mount's opener in a 1-1 draw.
Foxes fans and management team alike will hope that top scorer Jamie Vardy is fully fit to start, it will also be interesting to see if BR makes changes and I would not be surprised to see both Fuchs and Choudury start.
Chelsea have their own striker issues with fellow England International Tammy Abraham set to miss out again, due to the injury he sustained against Arsenal, with Belgian International Batshuayi again set to deputise.
Personally i think it will be a tough game for the Foxes but I believe they will have enough to get a 1-1 draw against their star studded visitors.
Premier League
01 February 2020
Leicester entertain Chelsea, in the early kick off, looking to bounce back after the (controversial) defeat in the Carabao Cup semi.
This is a 3rd v 4th clash and a win for the Foxes will go a long way to bringing Champions League football back to the King Power next season.
Last season this fixture was the last of the season and not suprisingly it ended in a dour 0-0 draw meaning thst in 12 attempts as a manager Brendan Rodgers has failed to beat Chelsea. This run was extended in August at Stamford Bridge when Wilf Ndidi cancelled out Mason Mount's opener in a 1-1 draw.
Foxes fans and management team alike will hope that top scorer Jamie Vardy is fully fit to start, it will also be interesting to see if BR makes changes and I would not be surprised to see both Fuchs and Choudury start.
Chelsea have their own striker issues with fellow England International Tammy Abraham set to miss out again, due to the injury he sustained against Arsenal, with Belgian International Batshuayi again set to deputise.
Personally i think it will be a tough game for the Foxes but I believe they will have enough to get a 1-1 draw against their star studded visitors.
Aston Villa v Leicester City
Carabao Cup - Semi Final 2nd Leg
28 January 2020
The Foxes face a Tuesday night trip across the midlands to Aston, a lovely suburb of Birmingham, for the crucial second leg of the league cup Semi Final.
After a very disappointing first leg for City they will hope for a much improved performance more like that in the 4-1 victory over Villa in the premier league.
Given that the winter break is not far away and that this us arguably our best chance of a trophy I fully expect a full strength Leicester team possibly without Jamie Vardy as he recovers from his glute injury.
The signs look good for Wilf Ndidi to start if Vardy does not make it then Iheanacho is in good scoring form and can fill the void if needed.
The man we need to pay attention to is Jack 'Tom Daley' Grealish, personally I would stick Ndidi on him similar to what Kamark did to Juninho at Wembley in 97.
If we stop him we go a long way to stopping Villa.
My heart says a comfortable 3-0 win for the Foxes but my head says 2-1 for us so my prediction is Villa 1-2 Leicester and a trip to Wembley.
Carabao Cup - Semi Final 2nd Leg
28 January 2020
The Foxes face a Tuesday night trip across the midlands to Aston, a lovely suburb of Birmingham, for the crucial second leg of the league cup Semi Final.
After a very disappointing first leg for City they will hope for a much improved performance more like that in the 4-1 victory over Villa in the premier league.
Given that the winter break is not far away and that this us arguably our best chance of a trophy I fully expect a full strength Leicester team possibly without Jamie Vardy as he recovers from his glute injury.
The signs look good for Wilf Ndidi to start if Vardy does not make it then Iheanacho is in good scoring form and can fill the void if needed.
The man we need to pay attention to is Jack 'Tom Daley' Grealish, personally I would stick Ndidi on him similar to what Kamark did to Juninho at Wembley in 97.
If we stop him we go a long way to stopping Villa.
My heart says a comfortable 3-0 win for the Foxes but my head says 2-1 for us so my prediction is Villa 1-2 Leicester and a trip to Wembley.
Brentford v Leicester City
FA Cup 4th round
25 January 2020
The Foxes face Brentford for only the 26th time in their history. Leicester have a good record with 11 wins, 10 draws and only 4 defeats.
This is Brentford's last season at Griffin Park so could this could possibly be the last ever FA Cup tie there, particularly as their manager has promised to rotate the squad. They currently sit 5th in the Championship so a cup run could distract them from their quest to finish in the play off places.
Their top scorer Ollie Watkins, 18 goals, may well play as their winger Said Benrahma is sadly unavailable due to his father's death.
Leicester are likely to rotate their squad too as they, rightly in my opinion, concentrate on next Tuesday's league semi 2nd leg. Two who definitely wont play are Jamie Vardy (who hopes to return on Tuesday) and Mendy who is likely to be out for 4-6 weeks with his knee injury, who both limped out against West Ham.
I suspect Brendan Rodgers to make at least 7 changes with a similar number for Brentford.
Leicester should be more than good enough to beat their hosts and my prediction is a 3-1 win for the Foxes
FA Cup 4th round
25 January 2020
The Foxes face Brentford for only the 26th time in their history. Leicester have a good record with 11 wins, 10 draws and only 4 defeats.
This is Brentford's last season at Griffin Park so could this could possibly be the last ever FA Cup tie there, particularly as their manager has promised to rotate the squad. They currently sit 5th in the Championship so a cup run could distract them from their quest to finish in the play off places.
Their top scorer Ollie Watkins, 18 goals, may well play as their winger Said Benrahma is sadly unavailable due to his father's death.
Leicester are likely to rotate their squad too as they, rightly in my opinion, concentrate on next Tuesday's league semi 2nd leg. Two who definitely wont play are Jamie Vardy (who hopes to return on Tuesday) and Mendy who is likely to be out for 4-6 weeks with his knee injury, who both limped out against West Ham.
I suspect Brendan Rodgers to make at least 7 changes with a similar number for Brentford.
Leicester should be more than good enough to beat their hosts and my prediction is a 3-1 win for the Foxes
West Ham United v Leicester City
Premier League
22 January 2020
Leicester host the Hammers looking to get back to winning ways after disappointing results against Southampton and Burnley that have seen the Foxes drop back to 3rd in the league.
Historically West Ham have a slightly better record with 52 wins compared to 48 for City with 33 draws to complete the picture.
The last 10 league meetings make better reading for the Foxes with 5 wins, 4 draws and just 1 West Ham win.
One of those victories came at the London Stadium on 28th December when both sides used to game to play squad players. Leicester goals came from Iheanacho & Gray either side of a Forlans goal giving Leicester a 2-1 away win.
The next 7 days are busy for the Foxes with an FA cup 4th round tie at Brentford on Saturday and a league cup semi 2nd leg on Tuesday at Villa Park as well ad this game. The team selected for this clash will show how Brendan Rodgers sees the priorities going forward.
I personally think he will recall both Chillwell & Choudury to the starting 11.
I am going to go with Mark Noble as the key man for the hammers.
Last season this match ended 1-1, I am going to predict a 3-1 Leicester win tonight!
Premier League
22 January 2020
Leicester host the Hammers looking to get back to winning ways after disappointing results against Southampton and Burnley that have seen the Foxes drop back to 3rd in the league.
Historically West Ham have a slightly better record with 52 wins compared to 48 for City with 33 draws to complete the picture.
The last 10 league meetings make better reading for the Foxes with 5 wins, 4 draws and just 1 West Ham win.
One of those victories came at the London Stadium on 28th December when both sides used to game to play squad players. Leicester goals came from Iheanacho & Gray either side of a Forlans goal giving Leicester a 2-1 away win.
The next 7 days are busy for the Foxes with an FA cup 4th round tie at Brentford on Saturday and a league cup semi 2nd leg on Tuesday at Villa Park as well ad this game. The team selected for this clash will show how Brendan Rodgers sees the priorities going forward.
I personally think he will recall both Chillwell & Choudury to the starting 11.
I am going to go with Mark Noble as the key man for the hammers.
Last season this match ended 1-1, I am going to predict a 3-1 Leicester win tonight!
Burnley v Leicester City
Premier League
19 January 2020
Burnley are seen as a bit of a bogey team by many Leicester fans and this is backed up by stats with The Foxes winning 37, Burnley 45 and 31 draws in the previous meetings.
The last 10 clashes have resulted in 6 wins for Leicester, 2 for Burnley and 2 draws.
Brendan Rodger's men could do with a bounce back win on Sunday after a 2-1 defeat to Southampton last time out which will probably be remembered more for VAR than anything else.
These two sides last met at the King Power on October 19th with Leicester coming back from an early strike from, former Fox, Chris Wood to win 2-1 with goals from Vardy & Tielemans.
Leicester will again be missing the influence of Wilfried Ndidi in midfield, with big Hamza likely to deputise again. I personally would recall Christian Fuchs at left back as we seem more solid with him there.
The key man (offensively) for Burnley will again be Chris Wood who seems to score regularly against us. Defensively their rock is James Tarkowski, the man touted as Slab Head's replacement before the emergence of Soyuncu.
The match at Turf Moor last season ended 2-1 with a 90th minute winner from Big Wes after City were pegged back after an earlier goal from Maddison.
I am going for a 3rd successive 2-1 Leicester win (at least i did on my prediction at my local bookies).
Premier League
19 January 2020
Burnley are seen as a bit of a bogey team by many Leicester fans and this is backed up by stats with The Foxes winning 37, Burnley 45 and 31 draws in the previous meetings.
The last 10 clashes have resulted in 6 wins for Leicester, 2 for Burnley and 2 draws.
Brendan Rodger's men could do with a bounce back win on Sunday after a 2-1 defeat to Southampton last time out which will probably be remembered more for VAR than anything else.
These two sides last met at the King Power on October 19th with Leicester coming back from an early strike from, former Fox, Chris Wood to win 2-1 with goals from Vardy & Tielemans.
Leicester will again be missing the influence of Wilfried Ndidi in midfield, with big Hamza likely to deputise again. I personally would recall Christian Fuchs at left back as we seem more solid with him there.
The key man (offensively) for Burnley will again be Chris Wood who seems to score regularly against us. Defensively their rock is James Tarkowski, the man touted as Slab Head's replacement before the emergence of Soyuncu.
The match at Turf Moor last season ended 2-1 with a 90th minute winner from Big Wes after City were pegged back after an earlier goal from Maddison.
I am going for a 3rd successive 2-1 Leicester win (at least i did on my prediction at my local bookies).
Leicester City v Southampton
Premier League
11 January 2020
The Foxes welcome the Saints to the King Power on the back of a disappointing 1-1 League Semi Final first leg draw with Villa.
The head to head historically is in Southampton's favour with 33 wins to Leicester's 29 with 28 draws.
However comparing the last 10 meetings gives a much better picture for City with 6 wins 2 draws and 2 defeats.
When we met at St Mary's earlier this season we famously won 9-0 which is a record Premier League away win.
The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 2-1 defeat for the Foxes with the consolation goal coming from Wilf Ndidi.
Ndidi will be a big miss against Saints as he comes back from a knee injury that required a 'minor operation'.
The key man for 12th placed Southampton is likely to be their top scorer Danny Ings who had scored 15 times for them this season but if City manage to keep him quiet there is very little other goal scoring threat.
I believe City will bounce back from Wednesday's disappointment with a 3-0 win.
Premier League
11 January 2020
The Foxes welcome the Saints to the King Power on the back of a disappointing 1-1 League Semi Final first leg draw with Villa.
The head to head historically is in Southampton's favour with 33 wins to Leicester's 29 with 28 draws.
However comparing the last 10 meetings gives a much better picture for City with 6 wins 2 draws and 2 defeats.
When we met at St Mary's earlier this season we famously won 9-0 which is a record Premier League away win.
The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 2-1 defeat for the Foxes with the consolation goal coming from Wilf Ndidi.
Ndidi will be a big miss against Saints as he comes back from a knee injury that required a 'minor operation'.
The key man for 12th placed Southampton is likely to be their top scorer Danny Ings who had scored 15 times for them this season but if City manage to keep him quiet there is very little other goal scoring threat.
I believe City will bounce back from Wednesday's disappointment with a 3-0 win.
Leicester City v Aston Villa
Carabao Cup - Semi Final 1st Leg
08 January 2020
Leicester entertain Villa in the first leg of a league cup semi final. This competition has provided the most success for Leicester historically but our last win was 20 years ago when we beat Tranmere in the final at Wembley.
Villa were runners up 10 years ago and they last lifted the cup in 1996.
Leicester reached the semi final by beating Everton on penalties after letting a 2-0 lead slip to draw 2-2 thanks to a long range injury time equaliser from Leighton Baines. Villa had a much easier 5-0 win over the youngest ever Liverpool side as their first team was away in Qatar en route to winning tge Club World Cup.
Our last meeting was exactly a month ago on December 8th at Villa Park. The Foxes beat Villa 4-1 on that Sunday afternoon with Jamie Vardy scoring 2 and other goals from Kelechi Iheanacho and a headed effort from Jonny Evans, the home side pulling a goal back through Jack Grealish.
Brendan Rodgers is expected to make numerous changes to the side that eased to a 2-0 FA cup win over Wigan, with the likes of Vardy, Tielemans, Soyuncu and Evans almost certain to play, assuming of course they are fit.
The key man for Villa is again likely to be Jack Grealish pulling the strings in midfield, clearly the best player in their side and likely to be called up by Gareth Southgate for some friendlies as he assesses his options for the summer.
My score prediction is 2-0 to the Foxes as they look to establish a decisive first leg lead.
Carabao Cup - Semi Final 1st Leg
08 January 2020
Leicester entertain Villa in the first leg of a league cup semi final. This competition has provided the most success for Leicester historically but our last win was 20 years ago when we beat Tranmere in the final at Wembley.
Villa were runners up 10 years ago and they last lifted the cup in 1996.
Leicester reached the semi final by beating Everton on penalties after letting a 2-0 lead slip to draw 2-2 thanks to a long range injury time equaliser from Leighton Baines. Villa had a much easier 5-0 win over the youngest ever Liverpool side as their first team was away in Qatar en route to winning tge Club World Cup.
Our last meeting was exactly a month ago on December 8th at Villa Park. The Foxes beat Villa 4-1 on that Sunday afternoon with Jamie Vardy scoring 2 and other goals from Kelechi Iheanacho and a headed effort from Jonny Evans, the home side pulling a goal back through Jack Grealish.
Brendan Rodgers is expected to make numerous changes to the side that eased to a 2-0 FA cup win over Wigan, with the likes of Vardy, Tielemans, Soyuncu and Evans almost certain to play, assuming of course they are fit.
The key man for Villa is again likely to be Jack Grealish pulling the strings in midfield, clearly the best player in their side and likely to be called up by Gareth Southgate for some friendlies as he assesses his options for the summer.
My score prediction is 2-0 to the Foxes as they look to establish a decisive first leg lead.
Leicester City v Wigan Athletic
FA Cup 3rd Round
04 January 2020
An FA Cup tie against a lower league side always fills me, and probably most Foxes fans, with trepidation.
We have famously lost against Wycombe in a quarter final and last year lost to Newport live on BBC, which is probabky why we have been chosen as their Saturday tea time game as we face Wigan.
We have previously met them on 4 occasions with the spoils being divided one win apiece and 2 draws.
Wigan currently sit 22nd in the Championship but just 1 point behind Stoke and safety, i'm sure many fellow Foxes would be delighted were these positions reversed given that our draw at Stoke saw us relegated to League 1.
Brendan Rodgers' team selection will be interesting on Saturday, as we play Villa in the first leg of the semi final of the EFL cup on Wednesday.
I expect Kasper will be rested for one of the games, probably Saturday as it makes sense to play the stronger side against Premier League opposition. In fact i suspect a similar side to that which played against West Ham but with both Johnny Evans and Schmeichel rested.
I must confess I know very little about Paul Cook's Wigan except they were unlucky when conceeding an injury time equaliser against Derby and also losing 1-0 to Notts Forest in their last 2 Championship matches.
I hope that whatever side we put out will be strong enough to win and I am going for a 3-1 win.
FA Cup 3rd Round
04 January 2020
An FA Cup tie against a lower league side always fills me, and probably most Foxes fans, with trepidation.
We have famously lost against Wycombe in a quarter final and last year lost to Newport live on BBC, which is probabky why we have been chosen as their Saturday tea time game as we face Wigan.
We have previously met them on 4 occasions with the spoils being divided one win apiece and 2 draws.
Wigan currently sit 22nd in the Championship but just 1 point behind Stoke and safety, i'm sure many fellow Foxes would be delighted were these positions reversed given that our draw at Stoke saw us relegated to League 1.
Brendan Rodgers' team selection will be interesting on Saturday, as we play Villa in the first leg of the semi final of the EFL cup on Wednesday.
I expect Kasper will be rested for one of the games, probably Saturday as it makes sense to play the stronger side against Premier League opposition. In fact i suspect a similar side to that which played against West Ham but with both Johnny Evans and Schmeichel rested.
I must confess I know very little about Paul Cook's Wigan except they were unlucky when conceeding an injury time equaliser against Derby and also losing 1-0 to Notts Forest in their last 2 Championship matches.
I hope that whatever side we put out will be strong enough to win and I am going for a 3-1 win.
Newcastle United v Leicester City
Premier League
01 January 2020
Leicester halted a run of 2 straight premier league defeats with the away win at West Ham, their 6th away win in the league which is the 2nd highest behind Liverpool.
Newcastle lost 2-1 at home to Everton, their first defeat in 9 home matches.
The head to head has the Magpies ahead with 53 wins to 46 for the Foxes with 27 draws. The last 10 league games makes better reading for City having won 6 & Drew 1 with just the 3 wins for Newcastle.
These two sides have already met at the King Power this season, with the Foxes registering a then record 5-0 premier league win. The goals on that occasion coming from Ricardo, Vardy(2), OG and Ndidi.
Leicester just edge it on their last 6 matches with 3 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats with Newcastle's record being W3 L3.
It is likely that Brendan Rodgers will recall many of the players he rested against West Ham then revert to that side for the FA cup tie on Saturday. The interesting ones for me would be whether Evans is rested and whether he chooses to give Chilwell and Barnes an extra game off.
Newcastle fans, despite their defeat on Saturday, will have been encouraged by the performance in particular Andy Carroll was a handful. My pick for their key man, however, is Miguel Almiron, the Paraguyan play maker is now showing the form that they signed him for and his first goal for the magpies recently will have settled his nerves.
Last season this fixture ended in a 2-0 win for the Foxes with goals from a Vardy penalty and Harry Maguire. This was a third successive win at St James's Park and I predict that run to continue with another 2-0 win
Premier League
01 January 2020
Leicester halted a run of 2 straight premier league defeats with the away win at West Ham, their 6th away win in the league which is the 2nd highest behind Liverpool.
Newcastle lost 2-1 at home to Everton, their first defeat in 9 home matches.
The head to head has the Magpies ahead with 53 wins to 46 for the Foxes with 27 draws. The last 10 league games makes better reading for City having won 6 & Drew 1 with just the 3 wins for Newcastle.
These two sides have already met at the King Power this season, with the Foxes registering a then record 5-0 premier league win. The goals on that occasion coming from Ricardo, Vardy(2), OG and Ndidi.
Leicester just edge it on their last 6 matches with 3 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats with Newcastle's record being W3 L3.
It is likely that Brendan Rodgers will recall many of the players he rested against West Ham then revert to that side for the FA cup tie on Saturday. The interesting ones for me would be whether Evans is rested and whether he chooses to give Chilwell and Barnes an extra game off.
Newcastle fans, despite their defeat on Saturday, will have been encouraged by the performance in particular Andy Carroll was a handful. My pick for their key man, however, is Miguel Almiron, the Paraguyan play maker is now showing the form that they signed him for and his first goal for the magpies recently will have settled his nerves.
Last season this fixture ended in a 2-0 win for the Foxes with goals from a Vardy penalty and Harry Maguire. This was a third successive win at St James's Park and I predict that run to continue with another 2-0 win
West Ham United v Leicester City
Premier League
28 December 2019
Leicester head into action less than 48 hours after a soul destroying 2nd defeat in a row against the best teams in the country. The record breaking run of straight wins seems a lifetime ago but was in fact only 3 games ago.
Their hosts, West Ham, lost their last game away at Crystal Palace on Boxing Day having had a free weekend due to Liverpool being in Qatar.
Leicester's overall record against West Ham is W47 D33 L52. The last 10 league meetings make more favourable reading W4 D4 L2.
Both meetings last season resulted in the points being shared with late equalisers in both for Leicester, big Wilf Ndidi scoring in the 89th minute to make it 1-1 at home and Harvey Barnes in the 90th minute to add to Jamie Vardy's earlier goal in a 2-2 draw in this corresponding fixture.
Even before the Boxing Day defeat Brendan Rodgers hinted he may make changes for this game as being 2 days later this is the day you feel it in your legs. Whilst i would not expect wholesale changes, I believe he will make 3 or 4 changes with the likes of Fuchs and Albrighton likely to start.
The Foxes have no fresh injury concerns going into the game, after boxing day at least, so other than Matty James there is a full strength squad to choose from. West Ham welcome Ryan Fredericks back from suspension and he will likely slot straight back in to the side.
The main goal threat for the Hammers thus far had come from Sebastian Haller with 5 goals but their key player, in my opinion, is England international Declan Rice when he plays well they play better.
This match last season 2-2
My prediction is for a bounce back 2-1 Leicester win against a West Ham team that sit 17th.
Premier League
28 December 2019
Leicester head into action less than 48 hours after a soul destroying 2nd defeat in a row against the best teams in the country. The record breaking run of straight wins seems a lifetime ago but was in fact only 3 games ago.
Their hosts, West Ham, lost their last game away at Crystal Palace on Boxing Day having had a free weekend due to Liverpool being in Qatar.
Leicester's overall record against West Ham is W47 D33 L52. The last 10 league meetings make more favourable reading W4 D4 L2.
Both meetings last season resulted in the points being shared with late equalisers in both for Leicester, big Wilf Ndidi scoring in the 89th minute to make it 1-1 at home and Harvey Barnes in the 90th minute to add to Jamie Vardy's earlier goal in a 2-2 draw in this corresponding fixture.
Even before the Boxing Day defeat Brendan Rodgers hinted he may make changes for this game as being 2 days later this is the day you feel it in your legs. Whilst i would not expect wholesale changes, I believe he will make 3 or 4 changes with the likes of Fuchs and Albrighton likely to start.
The Foxes have no fresh injury concerns going into the game, after boxing day at least, so other than Matty James there is a full strength squad to choose from. West Ham welcome Ryan Fredericks back from suspension and he will likely slot straight back in to the side.
The main goal threat for the Hammers thus far had come from Sebastian Haller with 5 goals but their key player, in my opinion, is England international Declan Rice when he plays well they play better.
This match last season 2-2
My prediction is for a bounce back 2-1 Leicester win against a West Ham team that sit 17th.
Leicester City v Liverpool
Premier League
26 December 2019
It is 2nd v 1st as the Foxes welcome Liverpool to the King Power in the controversial 8pm ko on Boxing Day.
Liverpool arrive from Qatar having won the Club Word Cup with Leicester receiving a wake up call and let's be honest a footballing lesson in the 3-1 defeat at the Etihad on Saturday.
When the two sides met at Anfield earlier this season Liverpool won 2-1 thanks to a dubious injury time penalty when Sadio Mane went down in the box after minimal contact and then held the wrong leg as he feigned injury.
This score line reflected LiVARpool's dominance both recently (last 10 league games W2 D2 L6) and overall W39 D25 L49.
If i was the manager i would try something different on Thursday and play both Fuchs and Chilwell with Fuchs on the left of a back three (as he used to play internationally) allowing Ricardo and Chillwell to play as flying wing backs.
Then bring Praet back in place of Perez with Vardy at top on his own.
Liverpool are missing Fabinho, Lovren and Matip with Oxlade-Chamberlain also a doubt after picking up a knock in Qatar.
The key man for the visitors is likely to be Roberto Firminho who re-discovered his goal scoring boots in Qatar scoring in both their matches.
The home match last season ended 2-1 to the visitors, Gazzel scoring a rare goal for City as a clanger from the keeper led to his goal.
Leicester have scored in 11 out of the last 12 matches against Liverpool so my prediction will be another tight game but i feel that Liverpool will feel the after effects of their trip to Qatar and we will nick it 2-1.
Hope you all have a Merry Christmas thanks for reading my preview(s). I will be back with a preview for the trip to West Ham on Saturday as soon as the final whistle blows against Liverpool.
Premier League
26 December 2019
It is 2nd v 1st as the Foxes welcome Liverpool to the King Power in the controversial 8pm ko on Boxing Day.
Liverpool arrive from Qatar having won the Club Word Cup with Leicester receiving a wake up call and let's be honest a footballing lesson in the 3-1 defeat at the Etihad on Saturday.
When the two sides met at Anfield earlier this season Liverpool won 2-1 thanks to a dubious injury time penalty when Sadio Mane went down in the box after minimal contact and then held the wrong leg as he feigned injury.
This score line reflected LiVARpool's dominance both recently (last 10 league games W2 D2 L6) and overall W39 D25 L49.
If i was the manager i would try something different on Thursday and play both Fuchs and Chilwell with Fuchs on the left of a back three (as he used to play internationally) allowing Ricardo and Chillwell to play as flying wing backs.
Then bring Praet back in place of Perez with Vardy at top on his own.
Liverpool are missing Fabinho, Lovren and Matip with Oxlade-Chamberlain also a doubt after picking up a knock in Qatar.
The key man for the visitors is likely to be Roberto Firminho who re-discovered his goal scoring boots in Qatar scoring in both their matches.
The home match last season ended 2-1 to the visitors, Gazzel scoring a rare goal for City as a clanger from the keeper led to his goal.
Leicester have scored in 11 out of the last 12 matches against Liverpool so my prediction will be another tight game but i feel that Liverpool will feel the after effects of their trip to Qatar and we will nick it 2-1.
Hope you all have a Merry Christmas thanks for reading my preview(s). I will be back with a preview for the trip to West Ham on Saturday as soon as the final whistle blows against Liverpool.
Manchester City v Leicester City
Premier League
21 December 2019
Second place Leicester start their festive period with a trip to Manchester City who currently sit 3rd with 4 points less than the Foxes. Liverpool will be watching the result, if not the match, keenly from Qatar where they are for the Club World Cup final.
A win for Leicester will trim Liverpool's lead to just 7 points but the history books rate that as unlikely with our record against City being W30, D29 & L59. The last 10 are not that encouraging either with only 3 wins for the Foxes compared to 6 for their hosts.
Last time out for a couple of minutes Jamie Vardy thought he had scored in his 9th successive league game only for Stockley Park to (correctly) adjudge that his original effort was not on target and therefore put it down as an own goal all this in a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Norwich. Meanwhile City romped to an easy 3-0 win against Arsenal away, a score line and a result which perhaps said more about the Gunners than the Citizens.
This game last season took place on May 6th and will be remembered for the absolute screamer from Vincent Kompany that took City's tally to 100 league goals and all but won the league as City retained their league title.
Leicester have a full strength squad (barring long term absentee Matty James) to choose from and will like go back to the side that won 7 of the 8 unless Brendan Rodgers and his staff have something up their sleeves.
It is difficult to pick out a key man for City because they have so many, but for me it is Kevin De Bruyne as the Belgian can change a game in seconds.
One interesting side show may be how the Foxes fan at The Etihad react to their former hero Mahrez who has been fairly vocal in his criticism of our club recently for not letting him leave sooner. My response to that is, how many PFA awards have you won there?
This match last season a 1-0 win to Manchester City thanks to a Kompnay wonder strike
A Leicester win would close the gap to Liverpool to just 7 points but whilst my heart would love that result my head says a 1-1 draw is much more likely to be the outcome.
Premier League
21 December 2019
Second place Leicester start their festive period with a trip to Manchester City who currently sit 3rd with 4 points less than the Foxes. Liverpool will be watching the result, if not the match, keenly from Qatar where they are for the Club World Cup final.
A win for Leicester will trim Liverpool's lead to just 7 points but the history books rate that as unlikely with our record against City being W30, D29 & L59. The last 10 are not that encouraging either with only 3 wins for the Foxes compared to 6 for their hosts.
Last time out for a couple of minutes Jamie Vardy thought he had scored in his 9th successive league game only for Stockley Park to (correctly) adjudge that his original effort was not on target and therefore put it down as an own goal all this in a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Norwich. Meanwhile City romped to an easy 3-0 win against Arsenal away, a score line and a result which perhaps said more about the Gunners than the Citizens.
This game last season took place on May 6th and will be remembered for the absolute screamer from Vincent Kompany that took City's tally to 100 league goals and all but won the league as City retained their league title.
Leicester have a full strength squad (barring long term absentee Matty James) to choose from and will like go back to the side that won 7 of the 8 unless Brendan Rodgers and his staff have something up their sleeves.
It is difficult to pick out a key man for City because they have so many, but for me it is Kevin De Bruyne as the Belgian can change a game in seconds.
One interesting side show may be how the Foxes fan at The Etihad react to their former hero Mahrez who has been fairly vocal in his criticism of our club recently for not letting him leave sooner. My response to that is, how many PFA awards have you won there?
This match last season a 1-0 win to Manchester City thanks to a Kompnay wonder strike
A Leicester win would close the gap to Liverpool to just 7 points but whilst my heart would love that result my head says a 1-1 draw is much more likely to be the outcome.
Leicester City v Norwich City
Premier League
14 December 2019
Record breaking Leicester are looking for their 9 successive top flight victory against a Norwich side who some will say were unlucky to lose 2-1 at home to Sheffield United at the same time as the Foxes were beating Villa 4-1 away.
The overall head to head record between the two teams is just in Leicester's favour with 23 wins, 21 defeats and 12 draws. More recently Norwich have edged the last 10 league meetings 5-4.
The last time the two met was during The Foxes title winning season where the boys in blue won 2-1 at Carrow Road with the goals from Vardy and Shlupp. The return fixture at the King Power on 27/2/16 was tighter with an 89th minute winner from Leonardo Ulloa proving decisive as Leicester completed their first league double over Norwich for 20 years.
Leicester go into the game with the luxury of maybe rotating the squad a little, I personally wouldn't be surprised to see James Justin get a start at right back to give Ricardo a well deserved break as he has done well from the bench (albeit at left back) in the last 2 games.
The key man for the Canaries is undoubtedly Teemu Pukki who has carried his goalscoring form from the Championship into the Premier League with 8 goals and 3 assists so far.
I don't foresee too many difficulties for the Foxes and my prediction is a 4-0 victory with Vardy making it 9 successive goalscoring victories as 2nd meet 19th.
Premier League
14 December 2019
Record breaking Leicester are looking for their 9 successive top flight victory against a Norwich side who some will say were unlucky to lose 2-1 at home to Sheffield United at the same time as the Foxes were beating Villa 4-1 away.
The overall head to head record between the two teams is just in Leicester's favour with 23 wins, 21 defeats and 12 draws. More recently Norwich have edged the last 10 league meetings 5-4.
The last time the two met was during The Foxes title winning season where the boys in blue won 2-1 at Carrow Road with the goals from Vardy and Shlupp. The return fixture at the King Power on 27/2/16 was tighter with an 89th minute winner from Leonardo Ulloa proving decisive as Leicester completed their first league double over Norwich for 20 years.
Leicester go into the game with the luxury of maybe rotating the squad a little, I personally wouldn't be surprised to see James Justin get a start at right back to give Ricardo a well deserved break as he has done well from the bench (albeit at left back) in the last 2 games.
The key man for the Canaries is undoubtedly Teemu Pukki who has carried his goalscoring form from the Championship into the Premier League with 8 goals and 3 assists so far.
I don't foresee too many difficulties for the Foxes and my prediction is a 4-0 victory with Vardy making it 9 successive goalscoring victories as 2nd meet 19th.
Aston Villa v Leicester City
Premier League
08 December 2019
The Foxes head into Sunday's clash on a record equalling run of 7 top flight wins in a row with the league's top scoring Jamie Vardy having scored in all of them as he chases down his own record of scoring in 11 consecutive (PL)games.
VILLA meanwhile are currently just 1 point above Everton who currently occupy the final relegation spot with their haul of 15 points from 15 games their last game ending in a 2-1 defeat away at Chelsea.
The overall head to head record W41 D24 L33 but the last 10 meetings are dimly on Villa' s favour with Leicester having just 3 wins to their 6 with the most recent game away at Villa park ending 1-1 with a goal from Okasaki for the Foxes leading to our only recent draw.
The other game in that, our title winning, season resulted in a remarkable come back win after Villa raced into a 2-0 lead before goals from De Last, Hardy and (on loan) Dyed secured a 3-2 win ay the King Power on September 13th 2015.
Last 6 PL matches obviously for City P6 W6 aggregate score of 19-1with Villa's record being P6 W2 D1 L3 EITH AGGREGATE 9-9 over the same period.
Key Villa man is likely to becoming England goalkeeper Tom Heaton if he is on form then the Foxes may find it hard to score, offensively Egypt's Mahmoud Trezeguet is the most likely to score although I can't see Leicester's backline conceding.
Team news, Ben Chilwell is likely to be fit to return but I woukdn' t be surprised to see Fuchs retain his spot, I also think after strong performance as subs that James Justin may get a start at right back with Praet also pushing for a starting spot.
Villa will undoubtedly play their strongest 11 which is likely to be the same 11 that narrowly lost to Chelsea unless they try to tighten things up at the back.
My prediction is for another hard fought 2-0 win. I hope and believe that Jamie Vardy will score in his 8th successive Leicester City (PL) victory.
Premier League
08 December 2019
The Foxes head into Sunday's clash on a record equalling run of 7 top flight wins in a row with the league's top scoring Jamie Vardy having scored in all of them as he chases down his own record of scoring in 11 consecutive (PL)games.
VILLA meanwhile are currently just 1 point above Everton who currently occupy the final relegation spot with their haul of 15 points from 15 games their last game ending in a 2-1 defeat away at Chelsea.
The overall head to head record W41 D24 L33 but the last 10 meetings are dimly on Villa' s favour with Leicester having just 3 wins to their 6 with the most recent game away at Villa park ending 1-1 with a goal from Okasaki for the Foxes leading to our only recent draw.
The other game in that, our title winning, season resulted in a remarkable come back win after Villa raced into a 2-0 lead before goals from De Last, Hardy and (on loan) Dyed secured a 3-2 win ay the King Power on September 13th 2015.
Last 6 PL matches obviously for City P6 W6 aggregate score of 19-1with Villa's record being P6 W2 D1 L3 EITH AGGREGATE 9-9 over the same period.
Key Villa man is likely to becoming England goalkeeper Tom Heaton if he is on form then the Foxes may find it hard to score, offensively Egypt's Mahmoud Trezeguet is the most likely to score although I can't see Leicester's backline conceding.
Team news, Ben Chilwell is likely to be fit to return but I woukdn' t be surprised to see Fuchs retain his spot, I also think after strong performance as subs that James Justin may get a start at right back with Praet also pushing for a starting spot.
Villa will undoubtedly play their strongest 11 which is likely to be the same 11 that narrowly lost to Chelsea unless they try to tighten things up at the back.
My prediction is for another hard fought 2-0 win. I hope and believe that Jamie Vardy will score in his 8th successive Leicester City (PL) victory.
Leicester City v Watford
Premier League
04 December 2019
The Foxes host The Hornets in a rare Wednesday night league game at the King Power stadium, this game being the meat in the sandwich after last Sunday's victory over Everton and before Sunday's trip to Villa Park.
The weekend saw contrasting fortunes with City coming from 1-0 down to win 2-1 and the exact opposite happening to Watford away at Southampton a result that sees them rooted to the foot of the table.
In terms of recent form Leicester's is W6 and Watford' s is W1 D1 L4 so on paper it should be a 7th straight win for the Foxes. Indeed in the head to head the last 10 matches have seen City win 6 and draw 1.
However the last meeting (Brendan Rodgers' first game as manager) saw City lose to a 90th minute winner despite Vardy pulling us level mid way through the second half at Vicarage Road. Speaking of Vardy he has now moved on to 93 PL goals. He is also the only player to score 2 PL hat tricks for the Foxes.
Leicester do not have any enforced changes but seeing at they are playing 3 times in 8 days then BR may well change a couple of players, don't be surprised to see the likes of Praet, Nacho and Fuchs play.
Watford's new caretaker manager will almost certainly shake things up but the real dangerman is still likely to be Gerrard Deloufeu who will almost certainly play.
This game last season 2-0 to City with a Vardy penalty and the second from Maddison in the first half proving enough on 1/12/18.
I predict a 3-0 win for The Foxes, should I be correct (or at least Leicester win) it will match their record of 7 straight top flight wins set in 1963.
Premier League
04 December 2019
The Foxes host The Hornets in a rare Wednesday night league game at the King Power stadium, this game being the meat in the sandwich after last Sunday's victory over Everton and before Sunday's trip to Villa Park.
The weekend saw contrasting fortunes with City coming from 1-0 down to win 2-1 and the exact opposite happening to Watford away at Southampton a result that sees them rooted to the foot of the table.
In terms of recent form Leicester's is W6 and Watford' s is W1 D1 L4 so on paper it should be a 7th straight win for the Foxes. Indeed in the head to head the last 10 matches have seen City win 6 and draw 1.
However the last meeting (Brendan Rodgers' first game as manager) saw City lose to a 90th minute winner despite Vardy pulling us level mid way through the second half at Vicarage Road. Speaking of Vardy he has now moved on to 93 PL goals. He is also the only player to score 2 PL hat tricks for the Foxes.
Leicester do not have any enforced changes but seeing at they are playing 3 times in 8 days then BR may well change a couple of players, don't be surprised to see the likes of Praet, Nacho and Fuchs play.
Watford's new caretaker manager will almost certainly shake things up but the real dangerman is still likely to be Gerrard Deloufeu who will almost certainly play.
This game last season 2-0 to City with a Vardy penalty and the second from Maddison in the first half proving enough on 1/12/18.
I predict a 3-0 win for The Foxes, should I be correct (or at least Leicester win) it will match their record of 7 straight top flight wins set in 1963.
Leicester City v Everton
Premier League
01 December 2019
Leicester head into Sunday's 430 kick off on a run of 5 straight league wins, with an aggregate score of 17-1, that has seen them power past Man City into 2nd.
Their visitors, Everton, meanwhile currently sit 16th having lost to (then) bottom club Norwich in their last game. Another defeat for the Toffeemen against the Foxes could spell the end for Marco Silva if, as suggested, he remains in charge for the game.
Historically Everton have edged out previous meetings with 42 wins to City's 36 with 32 draws. The last 5 seasons have been more even with 4 wins a piece. The most recent meeting ended with a 1-0 win through a Vardy strike at Goodison last season.
Leicester have 2 players in goalscoring form with Ayoze Perez scoring 4 in 4 and Jamie Vardy scoring in each game of the 5 win streak to take his overall tally under Brendan Rodgers to 21 goals in 23 games.
The key man for Everton is likely to be Brazilian playmaker Richarlison who is Everton's joint top scorer (along with Calvert-Lewin) with 5 goals.
This game last season Leicester 1 (Riccardo) Everton 2 (Richarlison, Sigurdsson)
Premier League
01 December 2019
Leicester head into Sunday's 430 kick off on a run of 5 straight league wins, with an aggregate score of 17-1, that has seen them power past Man City into 2nd.
Their visitors, Everton, meanwhile currently sit 16th having lost to (then) bottom club Norwich in their last game. Another defeat for the Toffeemen against the Foxes could spell the end for Marco Silva if, as suggested, he remains in charge for the game.
Historically Everton have edged out previous meetings with 42 wins to City's 36 with 32 draws. The last 5 seasons have been more even with 4 wins a piece. The most recent meeting ended with a 1-0 win through a Vardy strike at Goodison last season.
Leicester have 2 players in goalscoring form with Ayoze Perez scoring 4 in 4 and Jamie Vardy scoring in each game of the 5 win streak to take his overall tally under Brendan Rodgers to 21 goals in 23 games.
The key man for Everton is likely to be Brazilian playmaker Richarlison who is Everton's joint top scorer (along with Calvert-Lewin) with 5 goals.
This game last season Leicester 1 (Riccardo) Everton 2 (Richarlison, Sigurdsson)
Brighton & Hove Albion v Leicester City
Premier League
23 November 2019
Leicester return from the international break with something of a rarity a Saturday 3pm kick off.
The Foxes go into the game sittong 2nd and hunting (no pun intended -honest) a 5th straight win, Albion meanwhile are 11th and looking to bounce back from defeat to Man U last time out however they did win their last home game 2-0 against Norwich.
The last 10 meetings between the sides have been productive for City with 5 wins and 2 draws and an impressive 10 points from 12 over the past two seasons. The last meeting finished 2-1 with goals from Gray and Vardy for the Foxes.
Leicester emerged unscathed from the international break but Brighton have concerns over Belgian winger Leandro Trossard and Ireland's teenage striker Aaron Connolly. With these 2 responsible for 5 goals and an assist they will be a big miss if they don't feature.
The key player for them going forward is likely to be their top scorer Neal Maupay particularly if they get a penalty. Defenensively the stand out is Lewis Dunk who was linked with replacing Harry Maguire before the emergence of Cags.
This game last season 1-1
Premier League
23 November 2019
Leicester return from the international break with something of a rarity a Saturday 3pm kick off.
The Foxes go into the game sittong 2nd and hunting (no pun intended -honest) a 5th straight win, Albion meanwhile are 11th and looking to bounce back from defeat to Man U last time out however they did win their last home game 2-0 against Norwich.
The last 10 meetings between the sides have been productive for City with 5 wins and 2 draws and an impressive 10 points from 12 over the past two seasons. The last meeting finished 2-1 with goals from Gray and Vardy for the Foxes.
Leicester emerged unscathed from the international break but Brighton have concerns over Belgian winger Leandro Trossard and Ireland's teenage striker Aaron Connolly. With these 2 responsible for 5 goals and an assist they will be a big miss if they don't feature.
The key player for them going forward is likely to be their top scorer Neal Maupay particularly if they get a penalty. Defenensively the stand out is Lewis Dunk who was linked with replacing Harry Maguire before the emergence of Cags.
This game last season 1-1
Leicester City v Arsenal
Premier League
09 November 2019
The Foxes come into the late kick off on Saturday full of confidence after back to back away wins with an aggregate score of 11-0 and currently sitting 3rd in the league with 1 more point after 11 games than when the impossible happened in 2015!
Arsenal meanwhile sit 2 places and 6 points behind Leicester, fans of both sides will remember that the Gunners did the double over City when we won the league.
Indeed of the last 10 league games against Arsenal our record reads W 2, D2, L6 however our recent results have been better with us winning our last two meetings at the King Power but losing at the Emirates last season. Those two home wins are the first consecutive home wins against them since I was 5 years old in 1983!
Before May 2018 we had not even won in the league against Arsenal since November 1994 when we won 2-1 with goals from Ian 'Sticks' Ormondroyd (his only league goal that season) and David Lowe cancelling out Ian Wright's penalty.
This fixture last season ended in a 3-0 win for City, Tielemans opened the scoring with a brace from Jamie Vardy.
Leicester have no fresh injury injury concerns and indeed it could be the same team for the 4th game running, but i have a sneaky suspicion that Rodgers will try something a little different. The big question for Arsenal fans is will former captain Granit Xhaka be involved having this week been removed from the leadership pool.
The key man for Arsenal is undoubtedly Aubameyang, he is comfortably Arsenal's top scorer with 9 this season.
This match last season 3-0
Premier League
09 November 2019
The Foxes come into the late kick off on Saturday full of confidence after back to back away wins with an aggregate score of 11-0 and currently sitting 3rd in the league with 1 more point after 11 games than when the impossible happened in 2015!
Arsenal meanwhile sit 2 places and 6 points behind Leicester, fans of both sides will remember that the Gunners did the double over City when we won the league.
Indeed of the last 10 league games against Arsenal our record reads W 2, D2, L6 however our recent results have been better with us winning our last two meetings at the King Power but losing at the Emirates last season. Those two home wins are the first consecutive home wins against them since I was 5 years old in 1983!
Before May 2018 we had not even won in the league against Arsenal since November 1994 when we won 2-1 with goals from Ian 'Sticks' Ormondroyd (his only league goal that season) and David Lowe cancelling out Ian Wright's penalty.
This fixture last season ended in a 3-0 win for City, Tielemans opened the scoring with a brace from Jamie Vardy.
Leicester have no fresh injury injury concerns and indeed it could be the same team for the 4th game running, but i have a sneaky suspicion that Rodgers will try something a little different. The big question for Arsenal fans is will former captain Granit Xhaka be involved having this week been removed from the leadership pool.
The key man for Arsenal is undoubtedly Aubameyang, he is comfortably Arsenal's top scorer with 9 this season.
This match last season 3-0
Crystal Palace v Leicester City
Premier League
03 November 2019
Leicester enter Sunday's clash on a decent run having won 5/6 with Palace having won just 2/6 so a comfortable win should be in the offing.
Having said that the high flying Eagles (6th) have won the last 4 matches against the Foxes with a 13-1 aggregate score!
The last time City won was a 3-1 win at the King Power in October 2016 the goals that day being scored by Ahmed Musa, Okazaki and Fuuuuuuuuuuchs.
Of the players that started that game the only one who should start on Sunday is Kasper.
Of course the most famous match between the two sides (certainly in my lifetime) took place under the old Twin Towers on 27/5/96. A game in which we battered Palace but we're losing 1-0 until Muzzy Izzet was chopped down in the box for Garry Parker to slot home the equaliser to take the game to extra time. Then just as penalties were looming Martin O'Neill made a bizarre substitution taking of the dependable (but small) Kevin Poole and bringing on 6'7" giant Zeljko Kalac in goal. This change took place as we had an innocuous looking free kick on the half way line. It was then hooded long to the edge of the box and nodded down for Steve Claridge to smash it home off his right shin past England's Nigel Martin.
Back to 2019. Brendan Rodgers has the luxury of an almost full strength squad to choose from with (at time if writing) only Matty James unavailable so he MAY name an unchanged side for an unprecedented 3rd straight league game. Palace may well be unchanged from the side that came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at the Emirates on Sunday.
The key man for Palace is undoubtedly Wilfried Zaha but he will be ably assisted by the likes of Townsend and (particularly if they get a penalty) Milivojevic with a number of former foxes also in the frame including Jeff Schlupp and former loanee Van Aahnholt.
This match last season 1-0
On my Pick 3 coupon I went for a bold 4-0 to City but time will tell.
Premier League
03 November 2019
Leicester enter Sunday's clash on a decent run having won 5/6 with Palace having won just 2/6 so a comfortable win should be in the offing.
Having said that the high flying Eagles (6th) have won the last 4 matches against the Foxes with a 13-1 aggregate score!
The last time City won was a 3-1 win at the King Power in October 2016 the goals that day being scored by Ahmed Musa, Okazaki and Fuuuuuuuuuuchs.
Of the players that started that game the only one who should start on Sunday is Kasper.
Of course the most famous match between the two sides (certainly in my lifetime) took place under the old Twin Towers on 27/5/96. A game in which we battered Palace but we're losing 1-0 until Muzzy Izzet was chopped down in the box for Garry Parker to slot home the equaliser to take the game to extra time. Then just as penalties were looming Martin O'Neill made a bizarre substitution taking of the dependable (but small) Kevin Poole and bringing on 6'7" giant Zeljko Kalac in goal. This change took place as we had an innocuous looking free kick on the half way line. It was then hooded long to the edge of the box and nodded down for Steve Claridge to smash it home off his right shin past England's Nigel Martin.
Back to 2019. Brendan Rodgers has the luxury of an almost full strength squad to choose from with (at time if writing) only Matty James unavailable so he MAY name an unchanged side for an unprecedented 3rd straight league game. Palace may well be unchanged from the side that came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at the Emirates on Sunday.
The key man for Palace is undoubtedly Wilfried Zaha but he will be ably assisted by the likes of Townsend and (particularly if they get a penalty) Milivojevic with a number of former foxes also in the frame including Jeff Schlupp and former loanee Van Aahnholt.
This match last season 1-0
On my Pick 3 coupon I went for a bold 4-0 to City but time will tell.
Southampton v Leicester City
Premier League
25 October 2019
Foxes fans face the long journey to Southampton on the day most schools break up for half term, thanks premier league!
Sitting comfortably in 3rd a confident Leicester side will head to face an under pressure Southampton side who sit 17th so on paper it should be an easy win for the boys in blue.
With blue tinted glasses on off the last 5 head to head there have been no home wins with the Foxes winning the last two at St Mary's and the Saints winning the last game at the KP. But the the bigger picture shows just 3/10 for Leicester with 6/10 for Southampton. Both games last season ended 1-2.
Southampton look set to be without Cedric Soares and arguably their best player this season Moussa Djenepo, while the away side's only absentee is set to be Marty James.
Without Djenepo the Key man for saints is likely to be former Liverpool & Burnley forward Danny Ings having scored 4 and assisted 1 this season.
This match last season 1-2
The stats and form point to a City win but nothing is ever straight forward in football and a cold night in Southampton is not very welcoming. I think City have the class to win 2-1 again.
Premier League
25 October 2019
Foxes fans face the long journey to Southampton on the day most schools break up for half term, thanks premier league!
Sitting comfortably in 3rd a confident Leicester side will head to face an under pressure Southampton side who sit 17th so on paper it should be an easy win for the boys in blue.
With blue tinted glasses on off the last 5 head to head there have been no home wins with the Foxes winning the last two at St Mary's and the Saints winning the last game at the KP. But the the bigger picture shows just 3/10 for Leicester with 6/10 for Southampton. Both games last season ended 1-2.
Southampton look set to be without Cedric Soares and arguably their best player this season Moussa Djenepo, while the away side's only absentee is set to be Marty James.
Without Djenepo the Key man for saints is likely to be former Liverpool & Burnley forward Danny Ings having scored 4 and assisted 1 this season.
This match last season 1-2
The stats and form point to a City win but nothing is ever straight forward in football and a cold night in Southampton is not very welcoming. I think City have the class to win 2-1 again.
Leicester City v Burnley
Premier League
19 October 2019
This is an unexpected top half clash with Brendan Rodgers's Foxes sitting in the Champions League Places in 4th spot and Sean Dyche's Burnley a credible 7th just 2 points behind.
Burnley are seen by many City fans as something of a bogey team, but the form for the last 6 meeting is W3 D1 L2 with City taking 4 points off Burnley last season. And overall City are unbeaten at home v Burnley with W2 D2. Also in City's favour is that Brendan Rodgers has won five of his six previous meetings with Burnley in all competitions, losing only with Swansea in a Championship match in 2011.
Whereas Burnley's away from has been poor and in fact Burnley are win less in their last six away league games (D2 L4), though the last three have all been draws with late equaliser's.
Both teams played Merseyside opposition in their last league games with City losing 2-1 at Liverpool to a harsh injury time penalty after Sadio Mane made the most of minimal contact from Marc Albrighton and Burnley triumphing 1-0 over Everton.
Old boys include Chris Wood who finally seems to have found PL goal scoring form with Burnley and defenders Michael Keane and Ben Mee who both had loan spells with City in the Championship from Manchester United and Manchester City respectively.
One to watch from Burnley: Chris Wood
This match last season: 0-0
Score prediction 3-1 with James Maddison putting in a man of the match performance to silence his critics after the casino incident.
Premier League
19 October 2019
This is an unexpected top half clash with Brendan Rodgers's Foxes sitting in the Champions League Places in 4th spot and Sean Dyche's Burnley a credible 7th just 2 points behind.
Burnley are seen by many City fans as something of a bogey team, but the form for the last 6 meeting is W3 D1 L2 with City taking 4 points off Burnley last season. And overall City are unbeaten at home v Burnley with W2 D2. Also in City's favour is that Brendan Rodgers has won five of his six previous meetings with Burnley in all competitions, losing only with Swansea in a Championship match in 2011.
- Leicester are unbeaten in six home league games (W4 D2), winning the last three in a row by an aggregate score of 10-2. They last won more in a row at the King Power Stadium between February-May 2017 (five wins in a row).
Whereas Burnley's away from has been poor and in fact Burnley are win less in their last six away league games (D2 L4), though the last three have all been draws with late equaliser's.
Both teams played Merseyside opposition in their last league games with City losing 2-1 at Liverpool to a harsh injury time penalty after Sadio Mane made the most of minimal contact from Marc Albrighton and Burnley triumphing 1-0 over Everton.
Old boys include Chris Wood who finally seems to have found PL goal scoring form with Burnley and defenders Michael Keane and Ben Mee who both had loan spells with City in the Championship from Manchester United and Manchester City respectively.
One to watch from Burnley: Chris Wood
This match last season: 0-0
Score prediction 3-1 with James Maddison putting in a man of the match performance to silence his critics after the casino incident.
Liverpool v Leicester City
Premier League
05 October 2019
Only Liverpool (49) and Manchester City (41) have won more points than Leicester’s 31 since the arrival of Brendan Rodgers as manager and Jürgen Klopp has grounds for concern ahead of his predecessor’s visit.
Leicester were the last team to deny Liverpool a Premier League win at Anfield, back in January, but it is the impact of Wednesday’s frenetic Champions League win over Salzburg that is the main issue for Klopp.
The leaders are enjoying their best-ever winning run in the top flight, and a 17th consecutive league victory would feel significant even at this early stage in the title race, given the calibre of the opposition.
This is the ultimate test for Leicester. They are the real deal and could be close to breaking into the top six. They beat Tottenham and should have got something against Man Utd, but they will go to Anfield and take them on. Liverpool's defence isn't as good as last season and we knew that, but they are five points clear.
Brendan Rodgers knows how dangerous their front three will be, he will try to block the full-backs too and that isn't being defensive, it is being tactical. If Salzburg can score three times at Anfield then I'm sure Leicester could grab a goal. Liverpool have played well in some and stumbled in other, so this might be the one where they finally falter.
One to watch from Liverpool: Sadio Mane
This match last season: 1-1
Score prediction 2-1
The Guardian / Sky Sports
Premier League
05 October 2019
Only Liverpool (49) and Manchester City (41) have won more points than Leicester’s 31 since the arrival of Brendan Rodgers as manager and Jürgen Klopp has grounds for concern ahead of his predecessor’s visit.
Leicester were the last team to deny Liverpool a Premier League win at Anfield, back in January, but it is the impact of Wednesday’s frenetic Champions League win over Salzburg that is the main issue for Klopp.
The leaders are enjoying their best-ever winning run in the top flight, and a 17th consecutive league victory would feel significant even at this early stage in the title race, given the calibre of the opposition.
This is the ultimate test for Leicester. They are the real deal and could be close to breaking into the top six. They beat Tottenham and should have got something against Man Utd, but they will go to Anfield and take them on. Liverpool's defence isn't as good as last season and we knew that, but they are five points clear.
Brendan Rodgers knows how dangerous their front three will be, he will try to block the full-backs too and that isn't being defensive, it is being tactical. If Salzburg can score three times at Anfield then I'm sure Leicester could grab a goal. Liverpool have played well in some and stumbled in other, so this might be the one where they finally falter.
One to watch from Liverpool: Sadio Mane
This match last season: 1-1
Score prediction 2-1
The Guardian / Sky Sports
