Leicester vs Manchester City prediction: ENGLAND: Premier League betting tips on match 2024-12-28 14:30.
[p]Boxing Day brought about a third successive defeat for Leicester, who consequently sunk into the Premier League relegation zone for the first time this season. Boss Ruud van Nistelrooy insisted his side put in a âgood performanceâ in the 3-1 loss to Liverpool on Thursday, so the Dutchman will hope they can carry any positive feeling garnered from that display into their meeting with Manchester City.[/p]
[p]Rounding off 2024 with a clash against the defending champions doesnât bode well for Leicester, as theyâve lost four successive meetings with Pep Guardiolaâs side since winning the Community Shield in 2021. The Foxesâ return of one win from their last five home matches is equally troublesome (D1, L3), but at least there should be entertainment given that 14 of their 18 league games this term have seen both teams on the scoresheet.[/p]
[p]Like a lot of other teams in the Premier League, Leicester may sense opportunity when meeting a Manchester City side in a previously unthinkable rut. City gave up the lead and missed a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Everton on Boxing Day, a result that stretched their miserable run to just one win in 13 matches across all competitions (D3, L9), leaving them down in seventh and a whopping 14 points off the title pace.[/p]
[p]Despite winning four successive trips to the King Power Stadium âto nilâ, another away trip is unlikely to boost morale in the Cityzensâ camp as theyâve failed to win any of their last five league road matches (D1, L4) – their longest such run since a streak of six in December 2015. Rather ominously, the sixth result in that run was a goalless draw at Leicester, but another shutout here appears unlikely given that City have conceded 62 goals already in 2024 – their most in a calendar year since 2016 (67)![/p]
[p]Players to watch: Drafted in for his Premier League debut against Liverpool, Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk impressed by making four saves in a performance described as âexcellentâ by his manager. One of the players heâll need to keep at bay is Cityâs Bernardo Silva, who scored against Everton and netted the winner on this ground in September 2021.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Manchester City have dropped 12 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, more than in the entirety of 2023/24 (ten).[/p]
[p][i]Written by Ryan Fisher[/i][/p]