Manchester City’s deepening gloom continued with a Boxing Day stalemate at home against Everton and now Pep Guardiola’s side travel to face relegation-fighting Leicester City in a Sunday Premier League clash. The Foxes will be hoping for a big home performance at the King Power Stadium as the Citizens come calling on Sunday, December 29 with a kick-off time of 14:30. Read on for our detailed in-depth analysis, predictions and betting tips ahead of this crucial clash.
Man City’s stumbling season continued as they found Everton too stubborn at the Etihad on Thursday, while Leicester made league leaders Liverpool work hard at Anfield despite leaving with nothing.
The Foxes will be hoping Jamie Vardy can recover from a knock that saw him sit out the loss at Liverpool in midweek.
Goalscorer Jordan Ayew also picked up a booking at Anfield and will serve a suspension now. Mads Hermansen, Wilfred Ndidi, Issahaku Fatuwu and Ricardo Pereira are all set to miss out again for the home side.
Manager Ruud van Nistelrooy would have taken some encouragement from the showing at the league leaders, albeit his side had just one shot on target and were starved of possession.
With other results going against them on Boxing Day, Leicester have dropped into the relegation zone.
Leicester Predicted XI: Stolarczyk; Justin, Coady, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Winks, Soumare; Buonanotte, El Khannouss, Mavididi; Vardy.
For Guardiola, the miserable run of results continues following a tame stalemate with the Toffees.
Ederson and Matheus Nunes were absentees on Thursday, along with Ruben Dias, Jack Grealish, John Stones and Kyle Walker, while Rodri and Oscar Bobb are out long term.
City, in seventh place, are a whopping 14 points adrift of Liverpool despite the Reds having played a game less and the worst run of Guardiola’s managerial career shows few signs of abating.
Man City Predicted XI: Ortega; Lewis, Akanji, Gvardiol, Ake; Bernardo Silva, Kovacic; Savinho, Foden, Doku; Haaland.
Erling Haaland’s form is indicative of Man City’s struggles overall. The striker made a blistering start to the campaign when netting 10 goals in his first five games, but has only managed three in 13 since.
If City are to overcome their woes, the Norwegian needs to find his scoring touch.
Man City have won the last five Premier League meetings between these clubs, while the visiting Citizens have emerged with maximum points from their last four trips to the King Power Stadium.
When Leicester were last in the top-flight, in the 2022/23 season, Kevin De Bruyne scored the only goal to give City a single goal success, ending a run of three competitive away games without a goal at the time.
Guardiola has faced the Foxes 17 times as manager, winning 13 and losing four – there has yet to be a draw. Leicester have failed to score in four successive home games against the men from Manchester.
Man City have won just three of their nine Premier League away games this season and none of the last five. The Foxes have won just two from nine at home, one of five most recently.
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