Preview: Leicester City v Manchester United; Kick-off: December 23, 19:45; Venue: King Power Stadium; Referee: Jonathan Moss
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho will be looking for a reaction from his players in Saturday’s Premier League clash away to Leicester City.
United were dumped out of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night courtesy of a 2-1 defeat at high-flying Championship team Bristol City.
The quarter-final appeared to be heading for extra-time as the two teams remained locked at 1-1 entering the final moments, but Korey Smith came up with a stoppage-time winner for Lee Johnson’s side as the defending champions were embarrassingly eliminated from the League Cup.
Mourinho questioned the attitude of his players in the aftermath of the result, but the Red Devils cannot afford to dwell on the disappointment as they look to continue their pursuit of Premier League leaders Manchester City.
Second-placed United remain 11 points behind City after 18 matches of the 2017-18 campaign, but they still have a three-point gap over third-placed Chelsea.
It is also worth noting that Mourinho’s side have won six of their last seven in the Premier League – including their last two. Indeed, a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth on December 13 was followed by a narrow 2-1 success away to struggling West Bromwich Albion last weekend.
United have now won their last three Premier League matches on the road – scoring nine times and conceding four, which suggests that their trip to the King Power Stadium this weekend will produce an entertaining contest.
The Red Devils will play four times in the Premier League before hosting Derby County in the third round of the FA Cup on January 5. After travelling to Leicester, they will welcome Burnley and Southampton in back-to-back home games, before visiting an improving Everton on New Year’s Day.
Leicester, meanwhile, will also enter Saturday’s match off the back of a defeat in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup. Claude Puel’s side took City to penalties after a 1-1 draw at the King Power Stadium, but Jamie Vardy and Rihad Mahrez both missed in the shootout as the Citizens continued their incredible domestic form.
Between November 28 and December 13, Leicester won four straight Premier League matches to close the gap on the top six. The Foxes suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend, however, and have actually lost four times at the King Power Stadium in the league this season.
Indeed, Chelsea, Liverpool and City have all beaten Leicester on their own ground in the Premier League during the 2017-18 campaign, but a return of 26 points from 18 fixtures has left Puel’s side in a healthy eighth position in the table.
When considering that four of Leicester’s six Premier League defeats this season have come at the King Power Stadium, United will fancy their chances of making it three straight league wins this weekend.
The Red Devils have actually only lost on one of their last 12 league visits to Leicester, with that 5-3 defeat occurring in September 2014. They have also been victorious in each of their last three Premier League games with the Foxes – winning 3-0 and 2-0 in their two meetings during the 2016-17 campaign.
Mourinho has not exactly been the picture of positivity in recent weeks due to United’s inability to close the gap on City, but the Portuguese could certainly afford a smile if his team manage to collect all three points on Saturday night.
Team news
Leicester are expected to welcome Wilfred Ndidi back into their starting XI after the 21-year-old served his one-game ban against City in the EFL Cup.
Kasper Schmeichel, Wes Morgan and Danny Simpson will also return following Tuesday’s League Cup fixture, while Mahrez and Vardy will be included after starting on the bench against the Citizens.
Head coach Puel may well decide to select Christian Fuchs and Ben Chilwell down the left in a bid to contain United, although Marc Albrighton is expected to get the nod.
As for United, only Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw and Anthony Martial are expected to remain from the team that started against Bristol City in the EFL Cup.
David de Gea, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Ashley Young and Nemanja Matic will all start, while Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard are expected to be selected in the three behind leading scorer Romelu Lukaku.
Antonio Valencia misses out with the hamstring problem that he suffered against West Brom last weekend, which could see Shaw start in the Premier League for just the second time this season.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his first goal of the season against Bristol City, although the Swede is expected to be relegated to the bench. Michael Carrick, Marouane Fellaini and Eric Bailly, meanwhile, are all still on the sidelines.
Expected starting lineups:
Leicester: Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell; Iborra, Ndidi; Albrighton, Gray, Mahrez; Vardy
United: De Gea; Young, Smalling, Jones, Shaw; Pogba, Matic; Mata, Lingard, Martial; Lukaku
Did you know?
Mourinho has won five of his six Premier League matches against Leicester – the only exception being a 2-1 defeat in his final match as Chelsea boss in the latter stages of 2015.
Prediction
The King Power Stadium is sure to be bouncing under the lights on Saturday evening. Leicester will be desperate to return to winning ways in the Premier League, and United will not exactly enter the match full of confidence.
It would not be a surprise if either team collected all three points, but I expect an open and entertaining affair to end with a share of the spoils.
Score prediction: Leicester 2-2 Manchester United
