Ace Football previews the Premier League match between Leicester City and Southampton, and offers betting tips, odds, line-ups, and team news.
Leicester City and Southampton lock horns at the King Power Stadium on Saturday night for what could be an exciting attacking-minded affair.
Three points are all that separate the two clubs ahead of their latest clash. Leicester sit in the final top-four spot in the Premier League table, having collected 32 points out of a possible 51. Southampton, on the other hand, sit seventh but very much alive in the race for European qualification.
The Saints got their sweet revenge on Leicester last time out in a 2-1 victory at the King Power after suffering a 9-0 thrashing at home in October 2019. They’re also unbeaten in their last four trips to the Foxes’ home turf (W2 D2).
Leicester City Form & Stats
Leicester arrive on the back of a 4-0 victory over Stoke City in a FA Cup third-round tie last weekend. James Justin, Marc Albrighton, Ayoze Perez, and Harvey Barnes were all on target.
As impressive as the win was, though, Brendan Rodgers’ decision to play a strong XI caught many by surprise. In fact, Jamie Vardy and James Maddison were the only noticeable absentees. However, with the club going strong at the moment, the manager will be in a confident mood ahead of Southampton’s visit.
The Foxes appear set for another top-four challenge this term in a solid fourth-place. And who knows? Another shock title victory could still be on the cards, as Premier League pacesetters Manchester United are just four points ahead. The end of January could very well decide how their campaign turns out.
One thing worth noting is Leicester’s shady home form this season. They’ve lost four of their eight league games (W3 D1) at the King Power, with only 31% of their points tally coming from their own backyard.
Key Team Stats
- Unbeaten in their last 4 league games (W2 D2).
- Lost 4 of their 8 home league games (W3 D1).
- Over 2.5 goals in their last 3 games against Southampton in all competitions.
- Only 2 of Jamie Vardy’s 11 league goals have come at home.
Southampton Form & Stats
The Saints head to Leicester following a useful 12-day break from the action. A COVID-19 outbreak in the Shrewsbury Town squad last weekend forced their FA Cup tie to be postponed, giving the visitors a much-needed rest.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side will hope to use the rest to great effect ahead of their next six games, where they’ll have on average four days to recover from each fixture.
Southampton recently ended a four-match winless run by claiming a memorable 1-0 win over reigning champions Liverpool last time out. Danny Ings’ second-minute opener was enough for all three points.
Three clean sheets in a row have also been recorded for Southampton, who have lost just one of their eight away league games this season (W3 D4). They’ve also won their last two outings at Leicester 2-1.
But a positive COVID-19 test has left the club’s top-scorer Ings’ availability for Saturday night in doubt. Some key players, such as Jannik Vestergaard, are also missing.
Key Team Stats
- Kept a clean sheet in their last 3 league games.
- Scored just 1 goal in their last 4 league games.
- Unbeaten in their last 7 away league games (W3 D4).
- BTTS in 5 of their last 7 away league games.
- Beat Leicester City 2-1 in their last 2 visits to the King Power.
Team News
Leicester City
Out: Dennis Praet.
Doubts: Cengiz Under, Ricardo Pereira.
Southampton
Out: Nathan Redmond, Moussa Djenepo, Jannik Vestergaard, Michael Obafemi, Tella.
Doubts: Danny Ings, Oriol Romeu, Mohammed Salisu.,
Predicted Line-ups
(Note: The image will change to the official XI once they’re both announced)
Top Goalscorers in the Premier League
Head-To-Head Record
Below are some head-to-head stats on each team’s recent form in the Premier League.