Looking to boost their chances of a Champions League finish, Manchester City will welcome Championship-bound Leicester City to the Etihad on Wednesday night for a Premier League clash.
The Citizens booked their customary spot in the semi-finals of the FA Cup over the weekend, whereas the Foxes have been afforded two weeks to mull over yet another disappointing defeat in the top flight.
Match preview
Despite their struggles across all fronts in the 2024-25 campaign to date, Manchester City have managed to maintain a level of consistency in the FA Cup, with the English champions now into their seventh straight semi-final in the competition following victory over Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon.
The Citizens struggled to deal with the Cherries’ high-intensity gameplan initially and went into the half-time break trailing, however the second-half introduction of youngster Nico O’Reilly flipped the contest on its head, with the 20-year-old setting up goals for both Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush.
Largely down to the brilliance of the academy graduate, Pep Guardiola‘s troops have a Wembley date with high-flying Nottingham Forest to look forward to near the end of April, although the Premier League champions will first navigate a quartet of top-flight battles in their quest for Champions League qualification.
Victories over Plymouth Argyle and Bournemouth in the FA Cup sandwiched unsuccessful afternoons in the Premier League for the Citizens during March, when the current holders lost 1-0 at the City Ground to Nottingham Forest, a week before frustratingly sharing the spoils with Brighton & Hove Albion on the blue side of Manchester.
Arguably the most intimidating venue for visitors in club football since the turn of the decade, the Etihad has not always been a happy place in 2024-25 for Man City, who only rank sixth in the Premier League based on home form, with Guardiola’s side collecting just the single point from their last two home league contests.
Cantering to the Championship title under the stewardship of Enzo Maresca last season, Leicester City were tipped as a newly-promoted side who could buck recent trends and compete in the top flight, however the East Midlands club are currently cut adrift in the Premier League alongside fellow newcomers Ipswich Town and Southampton.
The frightened Foxes have lost each of their last six league contests without finding the net, conceding a staggering 16 goals in the painful process, breaking numerous unwanted records and raising concerns over the growing chasm in quality between England’s top 17 clubs and the rest.
Ruud van Nistelrooy‘s men suffered their seventh straight Premier League defeat at the King Power Stadium without making the net ripple prior to the international break, with goals Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes sealing a comfortable success for Manchester United.
Escaping their East Midlands nightmares for a moment, Leicester will travel North to the Etihad on Wednesday night possessing the leakiest defence on the road in the division to date, with the Foxes conceding an eye-watering 35 goals across 14 away matches in the Premier League.
Whilst the odds are stacked against Van Nistelrooy’s boys ahead of this week’s match in Manchester, the strugglers will take a slither of confidence from their big day out at the end of January, when second-half strikes from Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannous sealed a surprise success at Tottenham Hotspur.
Team News
Progression into the final four of the FA Cup came with a major injury concern for Man City, as leading marksman Haaland was forced off at the Vitality Stadium with a knee injury during the second half.
The forward was seen departing the South Coast ground wearing a protective boot and using crutches, meaning that Marmoush is likely to replace the Norwegian in the starting XI on Wednesday night.
After changing the course of the match versus the Cherries, academy graduate O’Reilly has certainly staked his claim for his first-ever Premier League start, with Matheus Nunes a candidate to make way.
The Citizens’ ageing midfield remains without the services of Rodri, who is supposedly targeting a return to action during this summer’s Club World Cup.
Leicester also have a long-term absentee in their ranks, with winger Abdul Fatawu sidelined until next season due to a serious knee injury.
The Foxes are hopeful of a positive update regarding the availability of full-back Ricardo Pereira, who missed the defeat to Manchester United last time out.
Crystal Palace loanee Odsonne Edouard has been frozen out of the first-team thinking by Van Nistelrooy, whilst Harry Souttar occupies a spot in the medical room because of an ankle problem.
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Nunes, Gvardiol, Dias, O’Reilly; Gonzalez, Gundogan, Savinho, De Bruyne, Doku; Marmoush
Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Hermansen; Faes, Coady, Okoli; Justin, Ndidi, Winks, Kristiansen; Buonanotte, El Khannous, Vardy
We say: Manchester City 2-0 Leicester City
Despite their stuttering form at the Etihad in recent times, Manchester City should be supremely confident of easing past the attentions of relegation-threatened Leicester.
The faltering Foxes are aiming to avoid their eighth straight defeat across all competitions, with Wednesday night set to be another sobering occasion for the East Midlands outfit.
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