Leicester City will be determined to find some stability after sacking Steve Cooper, with Brentford the first team to face the Foxes since they parted ways with the English manager.
Gameweek 11 of the 2024/25 season will continue on Saturday after kicking off on Friday with the game between Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton. The action on Saturday will kick-start with four simultaneous matches, including Brentford vs Leicester City at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Brentford might have blown hot and cold throughout the 2024/25 season thus far, but they have been impressive in the first few months of the new Premier League campaign. While the Bees have faltered on their travels, managing only one point in six outings, they have the best home record in the top flight this term. So, Thomas Frank will be hopeful of a favourable result this weekend.
As for Leicester City, Steve Cooper did not last long at the King Power Stadium, even though the Foxes are not in the drop zone. While the Foxes are 16th in the standings, their position has become precarious in recent weeks after failing to win their last four Premier League games. So, the newly promoted club parted ways with Cooper, with Ruud van Nistelrooy closing in on taking over from the Englishman.
Leicester City came from a goal down to hold Brentford to a 1-1 draw the last time these two sides locked horns. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Brentford
Thomas Frank has greeted positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Brentford manager might be bereft of the services of only three first-team players vs Leicester City on Saturday.
Kristoffer Ajer (foot) and Gustavo Nunes (back) are closing in on returning to action and might be in the matchday squad. However, they are not ready to start a game yet. Meanwhile, Aaron Hickey (hamstring), Rico Henry (knee), and Joshua Dasilva (knee) remain on the sidelines.
Mark Flekken is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Brentford lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Leicester City on Saturday. The backline should feature Sepp van den Berg, Nathan Collins, Ethan Pinnock, and Keane Lewis-Potter.
As for the midfield unit, Christian Norgaard will hold the fort in the middle of the park, with Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen providing the forward thrust from the central areas. Finally, Yoane Wissa will lead the line for Brentford against Leicester City, with Mikkel Damsgaard and Bryan Mbeumo being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Flekken; van den Berg, Collins, Pinnock, Lewis-Potter; Jensen, Norgaard, Janelt; Mbeumo, Wissa, Damsgaard
Leicester City
Unlike his counterpart in the Brentford dugout, the Leicester City coach has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to the Gtech Community Stadium. The away side will be without four first-team players on Saturday.
Facundo Buonanotte is available after serving a suspension. However, Harry Winks will likely miss out against Brentford after picking up a groin injury. The English midfielder has joined Jakub Stolarczyk (ankle), Ricardo Pereira (hamstring), and Abdul Issahaku Fatawu (knee) on the sidelines.
Mads Hermansen will take his spot between the sticks, with Leicester City lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Brentford on Saturday. The backline should feature James Justin, Wout Faes, Caleb Okoli, and Victor Kristiansen.
As for the midfield unit, Wilfred Ndidi, Oliver Skipp, and Boubakary Soumare should combine in the middle of the park, looking to keep things tight in the central areas. Finally, Jamie Vardy will spearhead the Leicester City attack against Brentford, with Buonanotte and Stephy Mavididi being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Hermansen; Justin, Faes, Okoli, Kristiansen; Skipp, Ndidi, Soumare; Buonanotte, Vardy, Mavididi
Key Stats
- Brentford have won none of their four Premier League games vs Leicester City (D2 L2), only facing Newcastle United (6) more often in the competition without ever emerging victorious. The Foxes are unbeaten in their last eight league games against Brentford (W5 D3) since a 3-2 home loss in the second tier in March 1953.
- Leicester City have won only one of their last 13 Premier League away games against London sides (D3 L9), shipping two or more goals on their five most recent top-flight visits to the capital (D1 L4).
- Brentford have amassed more home points (16) and scored more home goals (18) than any other club in the Premier League this season. The Bees have won five of their six outings at the Gtech Community Stadium, and they are looking to win four successive games at home for the first time ever in the Premier League.
- Despite managing only two wins from their 12 league games this season, no side has scored in more different Premier League games thus far this term than Leicester City (11). Their only failure to score was in their last away match against Manchester United (0-3). On the other hand, no team has scored more first-half goals in the Premier League this season than Brentford (14), while no club have scored fewer in the opening 45 minutes than the Foxes (4).
- Jamie Vardy has scored four goals from five shots on target in the Premier League this season, the joint-best “shot on target conversion” of any player with 5+ (80%). Meanwhile, the best conversion rate of any player with 10+ shots on target is Brentford’s Yoane Wissa (70% – 7/10).
Player to Watch
Yoane Wissa
Wissa has been on fire since recovering from a minor fitness issue, sharing the goalscoring burden with Bryan Mbeumo. In addition, with Mbeumo not at his domineering best, his strike partner has ensured that has not affected Brentford.
The 28-year-old has been involved in nine goals in his last five Premier League home games for Brentford (7 goals, 2 assists), scoring in all five games. Thomas Frank will hope Wissa and Mbeumo can continue their excellent run to help Brentford extend the exemplary home run this weekend.
Prediction
Brentford 3-2 Leicester City
With Leicester City parting ways with Steve Cooper, the infamous “new manager bounce” might come into effect this weekend. Ruud van Nistelrooy will not have enough time to train his new charges even if he takes charge on Saturday. However, the players will be eager to prove a point and earn their incoming manager’s trust.
With Brentford struggling to keep clean sheets this season, Leicester City might find a way past Mark Flekken at least once. However, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa should run riot on the opposite end, earning the three points for the home side. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-2 win for Thomas Frank and his charges.
