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Premier League Stats
The Head-to-Head record is once again almost what you'd expect. We have played them a total of 19 times in the Premier League winning 10 of them (five home and five away). Surprisingly low no. of draws - only twice - between the two teams is what stands out. Another surprise is while they have won seven times, only two of them have come at home for them (while other five are away wins).
We haven't fared as well as we'd like against them in Recent Meetings having lost twice in the last five league meetings, but then if you go a bit further back that's the only two losses in the last ten meetings overall (albeit two of them were in the cups and both of them were eventually won on penalty shootouts).
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Their Form Guide is decent despite the amount of injuries they have had to endure and they have remained a firm top four side throughout the season. Their early departure from Europa League knockouts would probably help them towards the end of the season now to not fall away like last season and finish in the Champions League places.
The Season So Far puts Leicester in third, just a point behind Manchester United ... I won't be surprised if they actually finish a point or two above them ... or actually my hope for that (red) lot is that they just fall away completely out of the top four ... don't know about West Ham (and they might still join in) but Leicester has well and truly spoiled the top four party for at least one of the (self-professed) big boys this season.
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Before & After
I am going to list these ties for the clubs here (as a matter of fact only) but these aren't necessarily going to be the "before" games for our players as some of them would have played different games in different parts of the world during the international break and would have different minutes in their legs coming into this one.
Here are their and our games around this tie ...
Leicester City
Sun 21 Mar - 5:00pm - United (H) - FA Cup QF
Sat 3 Apr - 5:30pm - Manchester City (H) - PL
Sun 11 Apr - 2:05pm - West Ham (A) - PL
Manchester City
Sat 20 Mar - 5:30pm - Everton (A) - FA Cup QF
Sat 3 Apr - 5:30pm - Leicester City (A) - PL
Tue 6 Apr - 8:00pm - Dortmund (H) - CL QF
There is only one game everyone would be looking forward to ... whether it's the fans or players or even Pep himself ... no matter how much he denies it in public ... there is just no way he's not looking a couple of days ahead especially after players would be returning from the international break.
And rightly so ... all eyes on the big picture!
Pre-Match Thoughts
The game is too far ahead to write anything relevant about it right now, given lots could change between now and then ... for starters, there is this two week international break up ahead first and who knows who will return in what shape or form from that. I hope none of our players pick up any injury or even a slight niggle or knock while on international duty and then we will see when they return. It's not just injuries or niggles they need to avoid but also COVID-19. Let's just keep our fingers, toes, legs and whatever else we can crossed for them all to come back in the tip-top shape they are in right now so we are ready and set for the business end of the season.
Despite the game being so far ahead, there is something we can talk about this early on ... throw this game away. Yes you read it right ... I am asking Pep to throw this game away ... Don't worry about it. Don't care. Don't matter.
If this game came at any other time in the season, the revenge of that 2-5 reverse fixture would be on the cards; it would have been important to beat them as well so to try and leave no one in the league unbeaten by us as we go on to lift the title ... but not anymore.
I think this game now only has one purpose and that is to be used totally keeping in mind that first leg of the Champions League Quarter Final against Borussia Dortmund that we have three days after this one.
Anyone who needs a rest after a busy international break should be rested completely and only come in for that crucial tie in the mid-week ahead. And anyone who has perhaps rested a lot over the next two weeks and maybe needs some minutes in their legs to regain some sharpness should play this one. I won't mind if we are playing with eight defenders or defensive midfielders playing on wings or a goalie up front ... or absolutely whatever shape or form ... just use this as a friendly or training game to give minutes to who needs them, rest who needs wrapping in the proverbial cotton wool and play the kids if that's what is needed ...
Match Prediction
I for one don't really care about the result here (as long as Pep doesn't put out the strongest XI and actually uses the squad as I have suggested above - with not one, but both eyes on that next CL tie ahead) ... this is exactly what we have accumulated that huge 14 points lead at the top of the Premier League for ... I for one won't bat an eyelid if we dropped any points here ... or got none.
Leicester City 2 - 2 Manchester City
