Leicester City will go up vs Everton in the Premier League on Monday, and this could be a massive game in the context of the relegation battle.
Leicester City are currently 18th in the Premier League table and they will be desperate to get out of the bottom three with a win at home vs Everton. The Foxes have picked up a win and a draw in the last two league matches, and they will be hoping to build on those performances and pick up all three points here.
Meanwhile, Everton are 19th in the league table with just six wins in the top flight this season. They have lost three of the last four league matches and are winless in the last six. Both teams are in abysmal form right now and this could be a relegation six-pointer for them.
Dropping points against their relegation rivals could be a devastating blow for both teams, and they will be desperate to come out of this game with a positive result. Everton have enjoyed a great run of form against Leicester in recent seasons and they are unbeaten in five of the last six meetings against the Foxes.
Team News & Tactics
Leicester City
On squad strategy 👊
"What we can do is make our plan clear – what we’re trying to do and how we are trying to do it. What they can do is go in calm and have fire to win football games." pic.twitter.com/SpBVvUc8lb
— Leicester City (@LCFC) April 28, 2023
James Justin, Ryan Bertrand, Ricardo Pereira and Jannik Vestergaard are all absent through injury. Kelechi Iheanacho is already sidelined for the remainder of the season. The home side are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Daniel Iversen in goal.
Timothy Castagne and Victor Kristiansen will start as the full-backs here. The two players will look to protect the central defenders and contribute offensively as well. Wout Faes will start in the central defence along with Caglar Soyuncu.
In the midfield pivot, Youri Tielemans will start alongside Boubakary Soumare. The Belgian international will look to control the tempo of the game and add creativity to the side from the deep, while Soumare looks to break up the opposition’s attacks.
Brazilian winger, Tete and Harvey Barnes will be deployed as the wingers and the two players will look to add creativity and goals in the final third. James Maddison will start in the number ten role, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack and chip in with goals. Jamie Vardy is set to lead the line for the home side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Iversen; Castagne, Faes, Soyuncu, Kristiansen; Soumare, Tielemans; Tete, Maddison, Barnes; Vardy
Everton
The Toffees will be without the services of Andros Townsend (knee) and Seamus Coleman (hamstring). Ruben Vinagre is sidelined with a serious injury, and he is unlikely to return anytime soon.
Everton are likely to start in a 4-3-3 formation vs Leicester City, with Jordan Pickford in goal. Ben Godfrey and Vitaliy Mykolenko will start as the full-backs here, and the two players will look to keep the defensive unit compact and help set up counter-attacking opportunities. Michael Keane will start in the heart of the defence along with James Tarkowski.
In the middle of the park, Idrissa Gueye will be the defensive midfielder and he will look to protect the central defenders. Amadou Onana will look to win the ball back for his side and Abdoulaye Doucoure will add physicality and drive to the side. Dominic Calvert-Lewin will lead the line for the visitors, with Alex Iwobi and Dwight McNeil on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pickford; Godfrey, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Onana, Gueye, Doucoure; Iwobi, Calvert-Lewin, McNeil
Key Stats
- Leicester City have failed to win ten of their last 11 matches in the Premier League.
- Everton have failed to win their last six matches in the Premier League.
- Leicester City have conceded ten goals in the last six matches across all competitions.
- Everton have conceded 12 goals in the last six matches across all competitions.
- Both teams have scored in four of the last six meetings between these two sides.
Player to Watch
James Maddison
The Leicester City midfielder is our man to watch out for on Monday night. James Maddison has been Leicester City’s most consistent performer this season and he was outstanding against Leeds United in the last outing.
The 26-year-old has nine goals and seven assists to his name in the league. So Leicester will need him to perform at a high level in order to grind out all three points. The England international could help open up the Everton defence with his creativity and linkup play. He will look to get on the scoresheet as well.
Prediction
Leicester City 2-2 Everton
Both teams are in desperate need of a win here, and they will look to exploit each other’s defensive vulnerabilities. Everton and Leicester City have a number of quality attackers, and this is likely to be a close contest, with a fair few chances for either side.
However, the two teams are likely to cancel each other out eventually. A high-scoring draw is on the cards here. With that in mind, The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw for the Leicester City vs Everton game.