Manchester City will look to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League when they host Leicester City on Boxing Day.
Venue: Etihad Stadium
Key statistics – Manchester City vs Leicester City
- Manchester City defeated Leicester City 1-0 in the reverse fixture this season.
- The Sky Blues have won eight of their last 10 games against Leicester in the Premier League. (L2)
- The home side are unbeaten in their last eight league games on Boxing Day (W6 D2)
- Leicester have managed only one win in their last 11 league games on Boxing Day ( D2 L8)
- The Foxes have lost three of their eight away games in the Premier League this season, already equalling last season’s tally.
- Pep Guardiola’s side have each of their last eight games in the Premier League this season.
- Man City are at the top of the league table with 44 points while Leicester are in the ninth position with 22 points.
Head to Head
Man City boast an impressive record against Leicester, winning 63 out of 124 games played between the two. The Foxes have managed only 32 wins.
Latest performances in all competitions
Manchester City: W L W W W
Leicester City: D L L W L
Manchester City
Manchester City are coming on the back of an empathic 4-0 victory over Newcastle United, which marked their eighth consecutive victory in the Premier League this season.
They are currently three points clear at the top of the table and will look to extend the lead when they face Leicester on Sunday.
City would also look to exact revenge for their 5-2 defeat in the Premier League home fixture last season. Guardiola’s men did beat Foxes 1-0 in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
Joao Cancelo is making a case for the best full-back in the Premier League following his consistent displays this season. He registered his first goal of the season against the Magpies last week.
Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus would have gained confidence after finding the scoresheet against Newcastle and they are expected to lead the attack against Leicester on Sunday.
Possible Manchester City line-up
Ederson; Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Zinchenko; Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne; Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus
Injured: Kyle Walker, Ferran Torres
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Leicester City
Leicester City’s fortunes have taken a turn for worse after a disappointing defeat against Liverpool in the EFL Cup quarter-finals. They were also eliminated from the Europa League by Napoli weeks ago.
They have also underperformed in the Premier League this season, as they currently sit ninth in the table with 22 points.
Brendan Rodgers’ side bounced back strongly after their relegation to Conference League by thrashing Newcastle United in the Premier League. Now, they would look to do a similar thing to the defending champions on Sunday.
James Maddison has found the nets in the last two games and he will be pivotal in the midfield against Man City. Jamie Vardy, who scored a brace against Liverpool days ago, would look to cause problems to City’s defence.
Possible Leicester City line-up
Kasper Schmeichel; Timothy Castagne, Jannik Vestergaard, Wilfred Ndidi, Luke Thomas; Dewsbury-Hall, Youri Tielemans, Soumare; James Maddison, Jamie Vardy, Harvey Barnes
Injured: Jonny Evans, Wesley Fofana, Caglar Soyuncu
Doubtful: Ayoze Perez, Ademola Lookman, Kelechi Iheanacho and Jannik Vestergaard
Suspended: None
Prediction
Manchester City 2 – 2 Leicester City
