EPL Match Preview – Leicester City vs Tottenham Hotspur [VIDEO]

Early season flyers Leicester City play host to a sluggish Tottenham Hotspur side on Saturday in a contest that promises to be one of the highlights of this week’s fixtures.

The Foxes’ performances in their opening two matches have surprised many, with Claudio Ranieri continuing the good form that the side showed toward the tail-end of last season.

Leicester have been more than deserving of their six points, and have been one of the most exciting teams to watch to date. They were ruthless in dismantling a hapless Sunderland side in week one, before holding on to an early lead away to West Ham in week two. Mark Albrighton, Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy and Shinji Okazaki have all been instrumental in the side’s early season success.

Tottenham, on the other hand, have been underwhelming in their opening fixtures and would feel as though they should have more points on the board. In the Premier League opener against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Spurs were the better side in the opening stages but were unable to maintain the same level of football throughout. The side seemingly dropping their collective heads after Kyle Walker unluckily found the back of his own net.

At home to Stoke last week, Mauricio Pocchetino’s men were dominant in the first half, before costly mistakes and panic set in, allowing the determined Potters to earn a point. The visitors will be looking to rectify their incomplete performances with a good showing at the King Power Stadium this week.

Key matchup – Tottenham’s pressing vs Leicester’s counter attacking  

The two teams will go about their football in contrasting styles, but this will prove an enthralling encounter.

Leicester proved last week that even with 30% possession, they are still a serious goal threat, taking an early two-goal lead against the Hammers, despite having to defend for large periods of the match.

Tottenham, on the other hand, will look to dominate possession. Much like how they did to such great effect in the first half against Stoke. Without the ball, expect Pochettino’s men to press high in order to win the ball back quickly in dangerous areas. This will potentially provide Leicester with opportunities to punish Spurs on the break. Ranieri’s men have the pace within their ranks to exploit any mistakes or misplaced passes that have been an all too regular occurrence for the visitors in recent times.

Team News

Matthew James continues to be sidelined with an ACL injury and will be unavailable long-term for the Foxes. Aussie goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer will also be unavailable, suffering from illness. The home side have welcomed Swiss international midfielder Gokhan Inler to their club throughout the week from Napoli, which will no doubt prove to be a massive coup for the club. Inler, however, is unlikely to play much part in this fixture. The ‘Tinkerman’ has resisted the urge to change his side so far, so expect a similar side to the one that has been so effective in the two previous games.

Leicester City Expected XI (4-4-2): Schmeichel (GK); De Laet, Morgan, Huth, Schlupp; Mahrez, Drinkwater, King, Albrighton; Vardy, Okazaki.

Tottenham have a full squad to choose from, despite a minor calf complaint from Harry Kane, resulting in his precautionary substitution last week. Expect Danny Rose to push for a starting berth as he continues to regain full fitness from a quad strain suffered recently. New signing Clinton N’Jie may feature, however do not expect him to start as he will need time to become accustomed to Pochettino’s demanding style of play.

Tottenham Hotspur Expected XI (4-2-3-1): Lloris (GK); Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Mason, Dier; Dembele, Eriksen, Chadli; Kane.

Head-to-Head

The two sides faced each other three times last season and if recent encounters are to provide an indication on how things may unfold on Saturday, expect goals.

Previous Meeting

Their last meeting saw Tottenham win at home by a thrilling 4-3 score line, including a Harry Kane hat-trick. In the reverse fixture earlier in the season, Spurs were also victorious, perhaps lucky to escape with a 2-1 victory after looking rather unconvincing. Leicester did however win the FA Cup encounter, with hitman Leonardo Ulloa causing Spurs the most troubles in that game.

 Prediction

This will be an exciting game, in which goals are almost a certainty. The King Power Stadium will be a difficult place to visit, meaning a 2-2 draw seems a likely result. Expect late drama via a penalty or late equaliser as neither team are particularly convincing when playing to protect a lead.

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