Leicester City vs. Crystal Palace
Venue: King Power Stadium
Kick Off: 2PM
Two sides locked together on 37 points in the Premier League table clash heads at the King Power Stadium this afternoon as Leicester City play host to Crystal Palace.
Brendan Rodgers’s side come into the game on the back of a 0-0 draw with PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarterfinal, while the Eagles thrashed Arsenal 3-0 last time out.
With any hopes of a top-seven finish seemingly dead in the water, the Conference League represents Leicester’s best shot at returning to Europe for the 2022-23 season, but they have it all to do in the Netherlands next week following a goalless stalemate with PSV on Wednesday night.
Neither that stalemate nor the recent one at Old Trafford were welcomed with open arms by the Leicester faithful, who saw three points turn to one after James Maddison’s late winner was ruled out for a foul on Manchester United’s Raphael Varane, but taking a point home from the Theatre of Dreams is still no mean feat.
However, a top-half finish in the Premier League is all that Leicester realistically have left to fight for on the domestic front this term, as Rodgers’s side occupy 10th spot in the rankings with Aston Villa and Southampton both within touching distance.
Leicester do have two games in hand on their upcoming opponents, but the European fatigue is not letting up for the Foxes, who have won just one of their last five in all competitions and have next week’s trip to PSV in the back of their minds.
On a brighter note, Leicester have now strung together a seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions at the King Power Stadium – winning four of their last five – but Palace are in no mood to let the momentum from Monday night take an immediate hit.
A dominant force in Arsenal’s midfield for several years, Patrick Vieira witnessed his Palace side dominate the Gunners in all areas of the field at Selhurst Park, and the Eagles deservedly claimed a 3-0 victory over their capital rivals in that London derby.
Seemingly winning every single duel with the lacklustre Gunners, Palace took a two-goal lead into half time through Jean-Philippe Mateta’s close-range finish and Jordan Ayew’s strike, while Wilfried Zaha made sure of the result from the penalty spot late on.
Teaching Arsenal a footballing lesson and holding Manchester City to a goalless draw were both ideal ways for Vieira to celebrate his induction into the Premier League’s Hall of Fame, and there is certainly a new wave of excitement surrounding the Frenchman’s young team after Monday’s showing.
The ninth-placed Eagles only sit above their upcoming hosts in the table on goal difference, but they have now gone seven games unbeaten in all tournaments and have kept clean sheets in each of their last four, while they are also yet to lose away from home since the turn of the year.
Leicester and Palace played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park back in October, and while that result means that the Eagles have now gone five games without a win against the Foxes, one would not put it past them to end that disappointing streak here.
Leicester City possible XI: Schmeichel, Justin, Fofana, Soyuncu, Castagne, Mendy, Tielemans, Lookman, Maddison, Barnes, Daka.
Crystal Palace possible XI: Guaita, Clyne, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell, Gallagher, Kouyate, Schlupp, Ayew, Mateta, Zaha.
