Manchester City – Leicester
A seemingly classic David-versus-Goliath duel: Manchester City, in 5th place, welcomes Leicester City, who are threatened by relegation and have Ruud van Nistelrooy as their interim coach, on Wednesday evening. While City are just one point behind Chelsea and one point ahead of Newcastle, the Foxes are already eight points behind the safety zone after five defeats in a row. City have also dominated the most recent direct encounters, leaving little cause for optimism for Leicester.
Manchester City – Leicester Info
- Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
- Date and Time: 02.04.2025, 20:45
- Competition: Premier League
Manchester City Form & Record Check
Manchester City’s current form raises questions: an annoying 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest was followed by a sluggish 2-2 draw against Brighton. At least they managed a 2-1 win over Bournemouth in the FA Cup, despite Erling Haaland missing a penalty and the team falling behind briefly. Late substitute Omar Marmoush played a key role in the win, scoring the decisive goal towards the end. Nevertheless, the former serial champions in the Premier League look vulnerable and have conceded goals in four of their last five league games. It is noteworthy that the defense is no longer as solid as it was in their heyday, which could be due to injury problems and the ongoing discussions off the pitch. With just one point behind Chelsea, the Champions League remains within reach, but City cannot afford any further slip-ups against their stubborn competitors.
At Manchester City, Pep Guardiola is likely to continue to rely on the familiar 4-3-3 system, although there are several painful absences. Rodri is out for the long term with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and Akanji (adductor problems), Stones (thigh) and Aké (foot surgery) are out on the defensive side. As a result, young Khusanov could start in defense, while Gündoğan takes over the role of Rodri in defensive midfield.
The offensive line of Haaland, Foden and possibly Marmoush, who has recently impressed as a substitute, should be exciting. Behind them, a midfield of De Bruyne, Silva and Nunes is to be expected, with Grealish, Kovačić and Doku as high-profile alternatives on the bench. Guardiola may still make tactical adjustments at short notice.
Leicester Form & Record Check
Leicester City’s form has been going downhill for weeks: five defeats in a row and not a single goal scored – the Foxes are in second-last place in the table with a meager 17 points. The most recent 3-0 defeat against Manchester United was a prime example of this, seamlessly following a series of similarly bleak results such as the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea or the 2-0 defeat against West Ham. The offense seems haphazard and often collapses in the second half, which is also backed up by the statistics: Leicester concede goals in 80% of second halves.
On top of that, their defense is shaky, with a goal difference of minus 40, making it one of the weakest in the league. The situation remains tense in terms of personnel: Hamza Choudhury has opted for the Bangladesh national team and is therefore missing, while potential signings for the second division are already being explored. Although Ipswich Town are level on points with the Foxes at the bottom of the table, the chances of a miracle are dwindling with every defeat.
At Leicester City, there is a strong case for interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system. Hermansen is likely to be in goal, with Faes, Coady and Thomas forming a back three. Justin, Ndidi, Winks and Soumaré are available in midfield, with El Khannouss and Daka expected to play behind veteran striker Vardy. Van Nistelrooy is unable to field the injured Oliver Skipp (groin) or Fatawu, who will not be able to play again until 2025 after his cruciate ligament surgery. Souttar is also out for the long term (Achilles tendon), which further exacerbates the Foxes’ personnel worries.
Manchester City – Leicester head-to-head comparison & statistics
The head-to-head speaks for itself: since September 2021, the Skyblues have won five straight duels, including a spectacular 6-3 at Christmas 2021 and a 3-1 in April 2023. Particularly striking is the goal difference: City scored a total of 13 times in this series and kept a clean sheet in four games. Leicester, on the other hand, only scored once, in April 2023. There was also a clear pattern after the break, with under 1.5 goals scored in four of the last five matches, although that did not stop City from regularly finding the back of the net.
