Leicester City is off to another surprising start in the 2019-20 English Premier League. They are in second place in the table after 17 matches, ten points behind Liverpool and five points clear of Manchester City — where they head on Saturday. The side started the season with a pair of draws against Wolves and Chelsea, but then they won 12 of 14 matches before settling for a disappointing home draw against Norwich City last week. Now comes a major test in the form of Manchester City. The Citizens took a disappointing home loss against Manchester United in their derby two weeks ago but then went to Arsenal last week and bounced back in a major way, rolling over the Gunners in 3-0 fashion. Can Manchester City make up some ground on the Foxes this week? Or will Leicester City continue their stellar run with a big away win? Peruse our Premier League preview as you consider your sports betting choices.
Manchester City vs Leicester City 2019 Premier League Odds & Game Preview
Thursday’s back page headlines… #ManCity https://t.co/Z7dsYxrhsk
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 19, 2019
- When: Saturday, December 21, 2019, 12:30 pm ET
- Where: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
- TV: NBC Universo
- Radio: None
- Live Stream: fuboTV
- Soccer Odds: Leicester City +1.5 / Manchester City -1.5
Why should you bet on Leicester City?
Leicester City was aggressive in their game against Norwich City, but the coordination as a team was not quite there, as the side could not get out of their own way at times. Some mistakes on their back end led to the visitors putting Leicester City down, 1-0, after a goal from Teemu Pukki in the 26th minute. The Foxes responded with an uptick in the pressure, which led to an awkward equalizer in the form of an own goal in the 38th minute, but there would be no more scoring after that.
For the match, Leicester prevailed in shots (18-10, 5-3 on target) and possessed for 57 percent of the game. They completed a serviceable 84 percent of their passes, but they could not get the finishes that they have delivered so regularly this season. Norwich City took the game to Leicester City physically, committing 15 fouls and drawing five yellow cards, and Leicester City responded with enough pressure to elicit a dozen corners. Even with all of those set pieces, though, Leicester could not push through for the win as they have in prior weeks. This could be an outlier, or it could be a sign that Leicester City has been figured out.
Why should you put your money on Manchester City?
The Citizens got things going from the opening whistle, as Kevin De Bruyne found the back of the Arsenal net just two minutes into the contest. Then Raheem Sterling opened the margin to 2-0 in the 15th minute, but City was not done, as De Bruyne completed his brace in the 40th minute to finish the scoring for the match. That was the energetic sort of start that City had used to such devastating effect in prior seasons en route to EPL titles but which had been missing from much of their play this season.
City dominated in shots (14-6, 7-1 on target) despite possessing for just 58 percent of the game. Their passing was surgical, as they completed 90 percent of their attempts, and their game was bruising; the team committed 24 fouls on the day and drew four yellow cards. From the beginning, it does not seem that the Gunners knew what hit them, as City brought an onslaught in all phases of the game. If you like Manchester City this week, you see them drawing encouragement from their play and coming out just as aggressively (well, perhaps not quite as aggressively, as one does not want four cautions each week) against the visiting Foxes, whom they likely see as interlopers near the top of the table.
Final Score Prediction
I was somewhat worried about Manchester City after seeing them lose that derby match, but perhaps it was just the boost they needed, as they looked as solid against Arsenal as they have at any point this season. I see the Citizens posting another win this week, with a 2-1 home win over the Foxes.
