Man City vs Leicester LIVE: Premier League team news, line-ups and more today

12/26/2021

Manchester City host Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon as part of the Premier League’s Boxing Day action.

With Covid hitting the schedule hard, Brendan Rodgers’ side face an uphill task to stop the defending champions.

With Pep Guardiola’s side hitting top form and with the opportunity to move six points clear at the top of the table, the Foxes will need to show immense character after a crushing penalty shoot-out loss to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup. Leicester are ninth in the table and can close the gap on those above them in the European spots, with Tottenham in seventh just four points ahead.

City can make it eight straight domestic wins today as both Liverpool and Chelsea struggle to keep pace, with Bernardo Silva in scintillating form after inspiring another dominant win last time out against Newcastle. Guardiola has also urged supporters to continue doing their bit to ensure games do not return to behind closed doors, while also helping to ensure society is as safe as possible: “I want to trust the people who know and they say this is the safest way – take a vaccine. People don’t die when they take a vaccine. Wearing a mask is so important, like social distancing and hand sanitisers, so let’s try to do it. Otherwise, it may (come back) again and again and again.”

Follow live updates from the Etihad Stadium with goal and score updates, reaction and analysis from what promises to be an entertaining game:

Man City vs Leicester: Premier League standings

The unpredictability of the spreading coronavirus cases means that only seven of the 20 Premier League team have completed their full compliment of 18 fixtures.

Tottenham and Burnley have only played 15 games each – the lowest amount of any team in the top flight.

In terms of standings Manchester City lead the way with 44 points from 18 games and have a three point lead over closest rivals Liverpool who have also played 18 matches but have had their fixture against Leeds today postponed.

Leicester City are ninth after 16 matches but could jump ahead of Wolves into eighth if the manage to defeat City today.

Aston Villa vs Chelsea: Covid leads to more postponements

Aston Villa have released a statement confirming that their Premier League fixture against Leeds on Tuesday 28th December has been postponed due to the number of positive Covid cases in Leeds United’s squad.

Villa have Covid concerns of their own as manager Steven Gerrard will miss today’s fixture against Chelsea after testing positive for the virus himself.

Today’s fixture is still due to go ahead though.

Man City vs Leicester: Guardiola explains why City don’t concede lots of goals

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side have conceded just nine goals in 18 matches so far this season and there has only been 37 shots on target against during this run.

The City coach was asked during his pre-macth press conference why his team have been so solid defensively and Guardiola explained that possession is key for defence. He said:

It’s the ball. The ball is the only reason why you are stable. What you do with it is the only reason. You create chances, it’s the ball, you concede few because of the ball.
“It’s how you play in the middle, in the situations there, how you handle that, you’ll be stable behind, you’ll be productive up front without that, the same players concede lot of chances. You have the ball, you’re in order.
“Stability is the ball. It’s not to defend 40 metres behind or up front, or high pressing or defend deep or long balls, to be stable as a team is the ball.”

Man City vs Leicester: Boxing Day football

Three Premier League fixtures have already been postponed from Boxing Day’s line up with Liverpool vs Leeds, Wolves vs Watford and Burnley vs Everton all being called off during the week due to rising coronavirus cases.

That being said there is still plenty of action to look forward to today. Four games from the English top flight kick off at 3pm, we’ll be focusing on the action from Manchester City vs Leicester but will also cover goal updatescfrom Nowich vs Arsenal, Tottenham vs Crystal Palace and West Ham vs Southampton.

At 5:30pm Aston Villa host Chelsea then Brighton take on Brentford in the late kick off (8pm).

Man City vs Leicester: Head-to-head

Manchester City have won eight of their last 10 Premier League games against Leicester but the Foxes won 5-2 in last season’s corresponding fixture, with Jamie Vardy scoring a hat-trick.

But, Leicester have never beaten Manchester City away from home in consecutive league seasons.

Man City vs Leicester: Recent results

Manchester City have won their last eight Premier League fixtures which has propelled them to the top of the table and given Pep Guardiola’s men a three point lead over second placed Liverpool. Last time out they cruised to a 4-0 win over Newcastle having also battered Leeds 7-0 in their previous fixture. Kevin De Bruyne is fit again and Raheem Sterling is back in form making City formidable oppenents for Leicester today.

The Foxes meanwhile have been fit with the Covid outbreak. Their last league fixture was also a 4-0 victory over Newcastle but that game was played on the 12th December. Leicester have had two Premier League matches postponed through Covid before playing a midweek Carabao Cup quarter-final against Liverpool on Wednesday. The match was drawn 3-3 after a remarkable comeback from the Reds who then progressed via a penalty shootout dumping Leicester out of the competition.

Pep Guardiola remains wary of Leicester despite this season’s drop in form

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has warned that Leicester remain exceptional opponents despite their mixed form this season.

After two successive fifth-placed finishes, Brendan Rodgers’ FA Cup winners have lacked their usual spark this term, winning just six of their 16 Premier League matches.

By contrast, City have won their last eight in the competition to open up a three-point lead at the top of the table.

Pep Guardiola remains wary of Leicester despite this season’s drop in form

The Foxes still pose a threat which the Manchester City boss has warned his players about ahead of their meeting on Boxing Day

Pep Guardiola urges fans to wear masks at games to limit spread of coronavirus

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has urged supporters to wear masks in stadiums to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Under recently-introduced Government Plan B regulations, fans now need to show proof of double vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test to attend games.

There has been speculation, however, that the authorities could go further and force games back behind closed doors – as they were during Project Restart and for most of last season – amid surging case numbers in England.

Pep Guardiola urges fans to wear masks at games to limit spread of coronavirus

The Manchester City boss does not want to see any more matches played behind closed doors.

Man City vs Leicester team news

Kyle Walker will miss out again due to illness, but City have not reported any more positive Covid tests. Liam Delap, Benjamin Mendy and Ferran Torres are the only other absentees.

Leicester will test Ricardo Pereira and Caglar Soyuncu’s fitness after picking up knocks against Liverpool. While Timothy Castagne and Jonny Evans are also doubts.

Man City vs Leicester predicted line-ups

Man City: Ederson; Cancelo, Dias, Laporte, Zinchenko; Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Sterling, Jesus

Leicester: Schmeichel; Albrighton, Vestergaard, Ndidi, Thomas; Dewsbury-Hall, Tielemans, Soumare; Maddison, Daka, Lookman

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