Man City V Leicester City: Match Preview, Team news and Betting Predictions

While this fixture always looked like a tasty way to head into Christmas for both sides, at the start of the season few would have expected it to have the significance it does now.

Man City know that even a victory would not be enough to leapfrog Leicester in the table, and that victory is by no means guaranteed considering how impressive Brendan Rodgers’s side have been.

The Foxes have won more games, lost half as many and conceded eight fewer goals than Saturday’s hosts so far this season, while they also boast the division’s best goal difference ahead of even Liverpool.

Pep Guardiola’s side will still go into the match as favourites, particularly having steadied the ship with three successive wins since their derby defeat to Manchester United, but there are plenty of warning signs for the champions.

Perhaps the main one is that their four defeats this season have all come against teams who punished them with pace on the counter-attack, something Leicester and Premier League top-scorer Jamie Vardy are perfectly equipped to do too.

Team News

David Silva could be in contention to return from a kick to his leg having missed the last three games with the problem, which could in turn end Phil Foden’s run in the starting lineup.

Sergio Aguero is also pushing to be ready for this match, although the Argentine is considered a much bigger doubt and may have to settle for the visit to Wolverhampton Wanderers after Christmas.

Certainly, the fact that Gabriel Jesus was one of a host of stars rested in midweek suggests that he will start this game up front, with Raheem Sterling moving back out wide following his brace.

Other starters such as Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Kyle Walker and Ederson are expected to be recalled too, while Nicolas Otamendi will also come in as John Stones and Aymeric Laporte remain sidelined.

Leicester only have one injury concern with Matty James still out, although Rodgers named a strong team for their EFL Cup quarter-final in midweek.

Caglar Soyuncu and Youri Tielemans were two first-team players given a rest and both are expected to return to the starting lineup, while Harvey Barnes will be hopeful of a recall with Leicester unlikely to go for two up front away to Man City.

Vardy, who thought he had scored in a ninth league game in a row last weekend only to see it chalked up as an own goal instead, will be looking to improve his league-best tally of 16 goals this season.

Betting Tip

Manchester City cannot afford to lose another league match, especially at home. They should win @1.38