Leicester City vs Southampton
Date: 11/01/2020
K/O: 15:00
Venue: King Power Stadium
Referee: Lee Mason
All eyes will be on Southampton on Saturday afternoon as they will strive to avenge the 9-0 battering received at home to Leicester in the return fixture earlier in the season.
Brendan Rodgers will have his work cut out for him though as since the huge win at St. Marys, the Saints have only conceded 13 goals – the third-fewest in the Premier League for this time frame behind Liverpool (seven) and Leicester (11).
Brendan Rodgers and Ayoze Perez could both break some records this weekend. Rodgers and Leicester can break the record for goals scored against a single opponent in a season; with the current record held by Blackburn Rovers against Nottingham Forest in the 1995/6 season and Spurs against Wigan in the 2009/10 season (both with 12). Perez can become the first player in history to score three consecutive hattricks against the same opponent – the only player to have three consecutive trebles versus one team is Luis Suarez against Norwich.
The two most efficient strikers in the league come head-to-head at the King Power. Jamie Vardy, with a shot-conversion rate of 35%, against Danny Ings (27%) – the two highest in the league among players with at least five goals. Both individuals will be soaring with confidence which could really influence the dynamic of the game as neither side will want to allow the other an opportunity to release their prolific strikers. On the contrary, an attacking display from both sides could result in an entertaining affair, with plenty of goalscoring opportunities falling to both sides.
Team News
Leicester
Leicester fans can take a sigh of relief as James Maddison, who suffered a knock against Aston Villa, has been back training and looks okay to feature against the Saints on Saturday. Wilfred Ndidi, who has been central to the Foxes’ solidity, will be unavailable after completing knee surgery. Daniel Amartey and Matty James will not feature this weekend, both through ankle issues.
If it were not for Manchester City and Liverpool, Leicester would have been 18 games unbeaten in all competitions coming into this fixture, with their last loss coming away to Manchester United in September. Rodgers’ realistic hopes will lie within the realms of Champions League football, as they sit in second place one point ahead of City.
The Foxes sit 11 points ahead of Chelsea and 13 points behind Liverpool, who have a game in hand. Their position has an air of solidity and if Rodgers can maintain consistency against the smaller clubs, second place will be well fought between them and the reigning Champions as Liverpool look to be completely out in front with no plans to slow down any time soon. The Foxes will face a different kind of challenge this weekend as the Saints will be hungry for revenge – discipline will be necessary from Rodgers and his men if they are to see through a result.
Southampton
Southampton will only be without Yan Valery this weekend, who is still in recovery after an illness. This supplies Hasenhuttl with all the ammunition he needs to redeem his pride. After victories against Tottenham and Chelsea (both with clean sheets), the Saints are warranted some form of confidence coming into this game. To heighten the confidence within the squad, the Saints have accumulated 10 points from their last possible 12, accounting for almost half of their entire point tally for the season.
Southampton will be the dictators of their own future. They currently sit five points behind seventh and five points ahead of the relegation zone. A continuation of results could see them really secure themselves in the top half of the table. However, a dip in form could see them slip straight back into the relegation battle – important times for Hasenhuttl and his men.
Predicted Starting XIs
Leicester (4-1-4-1): Schmeichel; Pereira, Soyuncu, Evans, Chilwell; Choudhury; Barnes, Maddison, Tielemans, Perez; Vardy
Southampton (4-2-2-2): McCarthy; Cedric, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand; Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg; Redmond, Armstrong; Ings, Long
Score Prediction: Leicester 3-1 Southampton
The Saints will put up a good fight against the Foxes, but the strength and ability of Rodgers men will come to light.
