Manchester City will look to leapfrog Arsenal to the top spot on the Premier League table when they take on Leicester City on Saturday.
The 2022/23 Premier League season resumes this weekend with Gameweek 14. The action will kick off at the King Power Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with Leicester City playing hosts to reigning champions Manchester City.
2022/23 has been a torrid season thus far for Leicester City, with a slow summer transfer window not helping much. The Foxes barely added to last season’s squad and endured a difficult start to the campaign. But Brendan Rodgers has overseen a few solid results in October, with his team losing only one of the last five games. Such a run has lifted Leicester out of the drop zone.
On the other hand, Manchester City might be trailing Arsenal in the standings, but they remain the team to beat in the Premier League. The reigning champions are currently two points behind the Gunners, but they claimed a statement 3-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend. However, that came undone in the goalless draw with Borussia Dortmund, which came at a cost (more on that later).
The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 1-0 win for Manchester City, with Bernardo Silva scoring the game’s only goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Leicester City
James Maddison’s growth:
He is playing with maturity now and better responsibility in his overall game. Everyone can see his attacking talent and that is seen in his numbers. His pressing and aggression in defence is much better, he has really grown into an all-round player. pic.twitter.com/8LlXDjlZRF
— Leicester City (@LCFC) October 27, 2022
Brendan Rodgers does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of the visit of Manchester City. On Saturday, the Leicester City manager will be bereft of the services of four first-team players.
There is some good news, as Jonny Evans (calf) and Wilfred Ndidi (thigh) have resumed training. But Rodgers will likely ease the duo back into the thick of the action, considering the nature of their injuries. Ryan Bertrand (knee) and Ricardo Pereira (Achilles) are long-term absentees for Leicester.
Danny Ward has been the first-choice goalkeeper since the departure of Kasper Schmeichel. And the Welsh goalkeeper will take his place between the sticks on Saturday, with Leicester City lining up in a 4-1-4-1 formation in front of Manchester City.
Wout Faes has been an ingenious addition to the Leicester City squad this term. And the Belgian international will pair up with Daniel Amartey at the heart of the Foxes’ defence. Timothy Castagne and James Justin will likely continue as the two full-backs. The duo will remain pinned back for the most part but will also have offensive responsibilities.
Boubakary Soumare has stepped up well in Ndidi’s absence, and the Frenchman will hold the fort in the middle of the park. Youri Tielemans and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will provide defensive support to Soumare. And the duo will provide the forward thrust from the middle of the park.
Tielemans will be one of the chief creators for Leicester along with James Maddison, whose set-piece prowess will also be in the spotlight on Saturday. Harvey Barnes will be a more traditional winger on the left flank, with Jamie Vardy spearheading the attack against Manchester City.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Ward; Castagne, Amartey, Faes, Justin; Soumare; Maddison, Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall, Barnes; Vardy
Manchester City
Unlike his counterpart in the Leicester City dugout, Pep Guardiola has a few new issues to contend with ahead of the trip to the King Power Stadium. The Manchester City manager might be without four first-team players on Saturday.
Guardiola is sweating over the availability of Joao Cancelo (illness) and Erling Haaland (foot). The duo went off at half-time against Borussia Dortmund and are major doubts for the game versus Leicester City. But while Cancelo might be available to take on Leicester, Guardiola will unlikely take a chance with Haaland.
🎙️ "I really hope he plays…"
Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers is full of praise for Man City striker Erling Haaland 🙌🔵 pic.twitter.com/2GX5i8ZpuA
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 27, 2022
So Julian Alvarez will likely have a chance to impress by leading the line for Manchester City versus Leicester. Riyad Mahrez has been decent against his former side and might get a look-in on the right flank despite a sub-par display against Borussia Dortmund. Phil Foden should be the third attacker for the visitors in the final third.
Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne will be the chief creators for Manchester City, with the latter having the license to express himself. Rodri will sit at the base of the midfield, looking to protect the backline.
Guardiola has all his defensive resources at his disposal. But Aymeric Laporte will likely start at left-back instead of Sergio Gomez. So Manuel Akanji should pair up with Ruben Dias at the heart of the Manchester City defence. And John Stones will be in line to deputise for Cancelo if the Portuguese defender is unavailable. Finally, Ederson Moraes picks himself between the sticks.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ederson; Cancelo, Dias, Akanji, Laporte; Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Alvarez, Foden
Key Stats
- Leicester City have lost nine of their last 11 Premier League matches against Manchester City (W2), suffering a defeat the most recent three in a row.
- Since Pep Guardiola took charge of Manchester City in 2016/17, no side has scored more Premier League goals against the Citizens than Leicester (17), despite the Foxes losing nine of their 12 games against the Citizens in this time.
- Leicester are unbeaten in three Premier League games without conceding (W2 D1), winning their last two. They last kept four successive clean sheets in the competition in November 2019, while they most recently won three league games on the bounce in January 2021.
- Manchester City have won just two of their last six away matches in the Premier League (D3 L1), losing their most recent game on the road against Liverpool. The Citizens last suffered back-to-back defeats away from home in the competition in May/August 2021 (vs Brighton & Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur).
- Riyad Mahrez has scored in the last three Premier League seasons against his former club Leicester City (3 goals, all at the Etihad). Only Chris Wood (4) has netted more against the Foxes among players who previously played for them in the competition.
Player to Watch
Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez has had to bide his time since arriving at Manchester City from River Plate.But the Argentine international has a golden opportunity to stamp his authority in the Premier League. With Erling Haaland unlikely to be fit enough to start, Alvarez might get a rare chance to make an impression from the get-go.
While the 22-year-old was underwhelming against Borussia Dortmund, he will still be confident of making his mark. And considering Leicester City’s recent defensive exploits, Alvarez will have a formidable test for his credentials. Expect a decent outing from the Argentine striker.
Prediction
Leicester City 0-2 Manchester City
The game pits two teams that have had plenty of goals in their games thus far. While Manchester City’s Premier League matches have seen 47 goals so far this season (F36 A11), Leicester City’s have witnessed 45 (F21 A24) – the two highest totals so far in 2022/23. But with the Foxes shoring things up at the back in the last few games, Saturday’s match might not be a goal fest.
Leicester will likely frustrate Manchester City in the initial exchanges. But Pep Guardiola has incredible quality at his disposal, which will ultimately make a difference. Expect Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden to produce the goods for the reigning Premier League champions. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Manchester City on Saturday.
