Leicester City will be aiming to continue their seven-match unbeaten run in all competitions on Saturday evening as they take on Tottenham Hotspur at the King Power Stadium.
It will be a tough test for Claude Puel’s men as they take on a Spurs side aiming to consolidate their position within the Premier League top four having bounced back from their North London defeat to Arsenal last weekend.
Key Battle
One player that the Leicester defence will have to marshal with expert efficiency is Tottenham hitman Harry Kane. The Englishman, who spent a stint on-loan at the club back in the 2012/13 season has scored 13 goals in his last 11 games in all competitions against the Foxes. The 25-year-old is also enjoying another prolific campaign having scored nine goals so far – only Arsenal forward Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang has scored more.
It is imperative then that Leicester keep their former striker quiet if they hope to get anything out of the game. Leicester have experienced plenty of problems at centre-back in recent weeks with the likes of Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire both only just returning to action. The men that will be charged with the task of marshalling Kane then will likely be captain Wes Morgan and Caglar Soyuncu.
Morgan has looked much-improved this season after a difficult period last year and keeping Kane quiet would be a huge boost for the relatively inexperienced Soyuncu.
What happened the last time the two teams met?
Tottenham and Leicester last came together on the final day of the 2017/18 campaign at Wembley Stadium and fans in the capital were treated to an absolute thriller. Jamie Vardy gave the Foxes a perfect start after only four minutes before Kane equalised only three minutes later. Puel’s troops looked like they had secured a memorable win as goals from Riyad Mahrez and Kelechi Iheanacho either side of the break made it 3-1.
Spurs though roared ahead as two strikes from Erik Lamela sandwiched a Christian Fuchs own goal to complete an impressive comeback for the hosts.
Vardy’s afternoon was not over though as he scored yet again with just over a quarter of the game remaining to make the scores level. Pochettino’s troops were to secure a memorable victory as Kane yet again scored after only a few minutes to make the final score 5-4.
Team News
Both sides could have quite extensive injury lists for the clash the King Power Stadium. Long-term Spurs absentees Victor Wanyama, Mousa Dembele and Vincent Janssen are all ruled out for the trip to the East-Midlands.
The trio are joined on the treatment table by the likes of Kieran Trippier, who is out with groin injury, and Davinson Sanchez, who is struggling with a hamstring problem. Erik Lamela is not quite yet ready to return to action, whilst Juan Foyth is also not available due to a hamstring injury.
However, Jan Vertonghen can return to the starting lineup after serving his suspension for the red card picked up in the 4-2 defeat to Arsenal last weekend.
Meanwhile, Leicester could be boosted by the returns of Jonny Evans, Rachid Ghezzal and Harry Maguire, who are all eligible to return. Jamie Vardy, who missed the draw with Fulham in midweek, is still out with a groin injury. Long-term absentees Matty James and Daniel Amartey are still ruled out until at least next year.
Predicted lineups
Leicester City: Schmeichel; Pereira, Morgan, Soyuncu, Chilwell; Gray, Mendy, Ndidi, Albrighton; Maddison, Vardy.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris; Davies, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Aurier; Dier, Alli, Eriksen; Son, Kane, Moura.
Managers’ thoughts
Pochettino has already made it clear how much of a tough match he is expecting as Spurs travel to the East Midlands. Speaking to the media, he said: “I think Leicester are a very good team. I think they have a very good squad. It is a team that plays so well with clear ideas. Of course, they are doing a fantastic job. For me it is going to be a tough game.”
Elsewhere, Foxes' boss Claude Puel has suggested that his side are more than capable of getting a victory against Spurs. Highlighting the team’s previous clashes against the top six this season, he said: “We had good performances against [Manchester] United, Arsenal and Liverpool without having success. I hope we can find the solution tomorrow.”