Leicester City vs Leeds United
Date: 31/01/2021
K/O: 14:00
Venue: King Power Stadium
Referee: Chris Kavanagh
TV: Sky Sports
Leicester City look to continue their unbeaten run and maintain their place in the title race when they host Leeds United on Sunday afternoon, with their opponents seeking revenge for a crushing defeat earlier in the season and three points to build on their narrow win over Newcastle United last week.
Considering the nature of Leicester’s win over the Whites away at Elland Road, a 4-1 thumping, this game holds the potential to either be another comfortable three points for the Foxes – or an opportunity for Marcelo Bielsa to learn from the defeat and their progress. Whichever way it goes, these two style-focused sides will surely put on a show.
No Vardy? No problem?
Leicester may have been without Jamie Vardy on Wednesday, but the Foxes battled back from a goal down to produce a performance that Brendan Rodgers said was worthy of all three points. A defensive misstep allowed James Rodriguez to take the lead for the Toffees with a sweet strike, but Leicester fought back with a brilliant second-half performance against an Everton team who took their four centre-back backline and parked the bus against them.
Vardy’s replacement for the game was Ayozé Perez, who played in a slightly different role to his striking counterpart. While Vardy plays on the back of the last defender, seeking to make runs in behind, Perez drops into the space between the lines, drawing players out of position and creating space to run into behind him. This was especially effective with Leicester’s use of pacy winger Harvey Barnes, who took advantage of the space to maraud the Everton backline.
Both of these players were vital to gaining the point, but neither were the true star of the show. Youri Tielemans has been, for the whole of this season, an absolute force in midfield. It is telling that the 23-year-old has already established his place in a Belgium team that is considered the best in the world, as he is a master at dictating and controlling play from midfield – and isn’t shy of a goal either. Tielemans has scored three in his last five while being the midfield lynchpin vital to Foxes’ success.
Expect these three players to be crucial pieces when they come up against Leeds on Sunday. Since the Whites’ won’t be holding back, or playing a low block as Everton did, Leicester will be able to utilise the space available to them just as they did at Elland Road. The Foxes will surely be looking to exploit it to the fullest extent and add another three points to the hefty total they have already accrued.
What sort of end is in sight for Leeds?
Now that we are past the half-way mark, prospective ending-places can start to be thought of for teams, but this is a difficult task for Leeds. They arrived in the Premier League with the backing of the popular pundits and traditional media, harking their return to the top-flight as a restoration of the traditional order, and maybe outlets went as far as to predict them being in and around the European places.
Their actual return has not been as glamorous as these expectations – but that is not to fault Leeds. In that sense, they were a victim of such expectations, as it is rare that a team is able to transition flawlessly from the Championship up to the Premier League. Leeds have actually had a really good first season back in the top division and showed themselves able to go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the division (for example, a draw at home with Manchester City).
Where Leeds will, or should end up, however, is less clear. They clearly have the quality and points to avoid relegation or to even be dragged into the race, but their 26 points is nine away from 7th place and probably out of reach for them unless they massively improve their form. In lieu of either of those, Leeds should hypothetically be aiming for a top-half finish. But with teams such as Aston Villa in tenth, Arsenal in ninth, and Chelsea in eighth, that goal could be a difficult one, but certainly not out of reach. Keep your eye on Leeds to make a second half of the season push – one that might begin with an unexpected win away against the Foxes.
Team News
Leicester
Jamie Vardy remains out after surgery for a Hernia issue, with his return expected for the Foxes’ game against Liverpool. Wilfred Ndidi suffered a hamstring issue at Goodison Park, so won’t feature at Elland Road. Johnny Evans also had to be substituted with a vision issue, and although it is not serious he may be side-lined just to give him some rest. Dennis Praet’s hamstring tear also keeps him out of the squad, as he goes through a few months of recovery.
Leeds
Diego Llorente’s short-lived return from injury means that he will not feature for the Whites, but Leeds are looking to shake off their knocks from the Newcastle game and should have no further injuries hindering them.
Predicted Starting XIs
Leicester City (4-2-3-1): Schmeichel; Castagne, Fofana, Soyuncu, Justin; Mendy, Tielemans; Albrighton, Maddison, Barnes; Perez
Leeds United (4-1-4-1): Meslier; Dallas, Ayling, Cooper, Alioski; Raphina, Rodrigo, Klich, Harrison; Bamford
Predicted Score: Leicester 2-0 Leeds
I do not expect the Foxes to win so emphatically, but in their current form and with the way they brushed aside Leeds in the reverse fixture, I cannot see anything else but a victory for the Foxes.
