- Manchester City hosts Leicester in the most interesting matchup of EPL Gameweek 19.
- The Citizens are topping the standings before this clash.
- Meanwhile, Leicester struggles to find consistency.
Guardiola and his boys are again in the familiar position, holding the top spot in the Premiership, alone, with all the rivals looking in their back.
Leicester is out of the top-six zone, which is a bit odd. We’ve got used to seeing the Foxes battling for the European competitions. Right now, they are in the middle of the standings.
Manchester City vs. Leicester City Schedule
- Where: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
- When: Sunday, December 26, 10 am ET
- How to Watch: ESPN, NBC
Manchester City vs. Leicester Odds
| Man City | Draw | Leicester |
|---|---|---|
| -500 | +550 | +1200 |
Citizens Acting as Unstoppable Force
We’ve waited for this period of the season, knowing about City’s acceleration. They usually start a bit slower, and around the New Year, start pounding and breaking anything that stands in their way. It is a recipe Guardiola has successfully used in the last few years.
At the moment, Manchester City has eight consecutive wins in the domestic championship and is in the best form out of all EPL teams. Nine conceded goals are the fewest in the league, and in the past three games, Cancelo, Dias, and the rest of the defenders successfully prevented the rivals from scoring.
When City plays at home, the guests usually have nothing to hope for. Only one draw and one loss in the past 10 contests tell pretty much everything about this claim, with the note that the champions have six straight victories at the Etihad.
Leicester’s Problematic Defense
The Foxes have finally won one game and protected their net in the last contest. It was against sorry Newcastle, whom they defeated 4-0 on December 12. The previous event Leicester should have played (vs. Everton) was postponed due to COVID-19 issues.
Brendan Rodgers’ crew underachieved in the past two months, posting only three triumphs across all competitions. Still, we need to admit that when Leicester plays, it is very amusing to watch that event. The most recent seven saw over 2.5 goals, and five of them finished with hits on both ends of the field.
Defense on the road games is the weak spot. Just one clean sheet in the previous 10 outings is too low for a team of Leicester’s ambitions and caliber.
Head to Head
These teams already met twice this season. The first clash was in the Community Shield before the start of the EPL campaign when Leicester won 1-0. Ihenacho scored a goal from the penalty one minute before the end of the regulations.
After that City visited the Foxes, winning 0-1 at Kings Power stadium. Bernardo Silva was the only scorer.
Prediction and Pick
Manchester City is the absolute favorite here, and they will win, that is for sure. Only the odds on that are low, so we suggest betting on the hosts to cover a -1.5 goal spread. That will increase the profits significantly, because the bookies offer -115 for that pick. We strongly believe in champions’ ability to overcome this challenge routinely and confidently.
Pick: Manchester City -1.5
