Leicester City will be keen to strengthen their grip on the top of the EFL Championship when they welcome high-flying Preston North End on Wednesday/
Leicester City will be keen to strengthen their position at the top of the EFL Championship standings when they take on third-placed Preston North End at the King Power Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Foxes bounced back from the League Cup exit to Liverpool with a stellar 4-1 win away to Blackburn Rovers, This has seen them take the top spot, a couple of points above second-placed Ipswich Town and four in front of Preston in the third position.
Enzo Maresca has enjoyed a fine start to his life as the Leicester City boss and will be keen to keep it going. Leicester are the favourites to secure the second division and this fast start should certainly point them in the right direction.
Preston North End, meanwhile are the surprise package and have put up a strong string of performances of late. Last weekend’s humbling against West Bromwich Albion was a wake-up call for the Lilywhites and they now have a quick opportunity to amend it.
Winning on the night will see Preston claw to within a point of Leicester while a Foxes victory will see them consolidate their position at the top. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on Sunday and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Leicester City
Keeping the ball moving ⚽ 😄 pic.twitter.com/YUEysbFX8D
— Leicester City (@LCFC) October 3, 2023
Enzo Maresca made a slew of changes for the team that travelled to Liverpool in the League Cup before restoring his best players to the lineup against Blackburn Rovers. This clearly shows where Leicester City’s focus is at this season.
Promotion back to the Premier League is the main point on the agenda and so far, their performances on the pitch speak for themselves. With eight wins from the first nine games, the Foxes are the team to beat in the second division this season.
However, the season is long and they will be wise to not drop key points against teams also in the fray for promotion. Maresca will be without Jannik Vestergaard, who is suspended for the game after picking up his fifth booking of the season last time around.
Kasey McAteer is also out with a hamstring injury and will join Dennis Praet, Thomas Cannon and Callum Doyle on the sidelines. Leicester have an otherwise fully fit roster to choose from. The 4-3-3 formation is likely to be retained with Mads Hermansen in goal. He should be protected by the backline of Ricardo Pereira, Wout Faes, Conor Coady and James Justin.
Harry Winks should hold the fort in the middle of the park with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Wilfred Ndidi pushing forward. Jamie Vardy is likely to lead the line again with Abdul Fatawu Issahaku and Stephy Mavididi in support. The Englishman has netted in three of his four recent matches and is in good form going into the game.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Hermansen; Pereira, Faes, Coady, Justin; Ndidi, Winks, Dewsbury-Hall; Fatawu, Vardy, Mavididi
Preston North End
Preston’s fast start this season puts them in contention for a promotion berth but the recent loss to West Brom was certainly an eye-opener. Ryan Lowe continues to be linked with the vacant managerial vacancy at Rangers and is expected to make a few changes on the night.
One man who is unlikely to make the playing XI is Will Keane who is not fully fit yet. Meanwhile, Ched Evans, Calvin Ramsey, and Emil Riis all miss out through injury. Preston are likely to continue with a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Freddie Woodman in goal. He will be protected by the back three of Jordan Storey, Liam Lindsay, and Andrew Hughes.
🗣️ “We’re going to go there with a smile on our face and play our football.” 😀
The gaffer previews our trip to the league leaders.#pnefc
— Preston North End FC (@pnefc) October 3, 2023
The duo of Ben Whiteman and Ryan Ledson should form the midfield pivot, giving Brad Potts and Robbie Brady the freedom to push forward on the wings.
Duane Holmes and Alan Browne should function as dual playmakers, hoping to provide striker Milutin Osmajic with goalscoring opportunities on the night. The trio will need to be at their best against a formidable Foxes side.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Potts, Whiteman, Ledson, Brady; Holmes, Browne; Osmajic
Key Stats
- This is the first league meeting between Preston and Leicester since the 2020-11 season.
- The home side has won a league game between these two teams only once in their last 12 encounters. This was all the way back in 2010 when Leicester City prevailed 1-0.
- Preston North End are on a four-game unbeaten streak in the league away from home, their best such run since October 2022.
- If Jamie Vardy scores on the night, it will be the first time since 2022 that he has scored in consecutive home games for Leicester City.
Player to Watch
Jamie Vardy
The veteran isn’t getting any younger but still appears to have one last hurrah left in him. Vardy is in a purple patch of sorts, having needed three goals in his last four games. He found the back of the net against Blackburn Rovers last time round and is expected to retain his spot up front against Preston.
Vardy’s ability to get in behind opposition defences and also make the most of goalscoring opportunities makes him a difference-maker for the home side. It will not come as a surprise if he is the one to put Preston to the sword on Wednesday night.
Prediction
Leicester City 2-0 Preston North End
The Foxes are at home and are also the team to beat in the EFL Championship this season. Solid all across the park, Maresca is putting together a formidable side that can challenge for promotion to the Premier League.
Confidence at Preston North End must be low following the humbling against West Bromwich Albion. But they will look to give the Foxes a proper fight. However, Leicester City’s quality and strength in depth should prove decisive in their favour. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 for the home side here.
