Leicester City welcome the visit of Manchester City at the weekend, with the game set to be an entertaining one. The last one between the sides ended in a seven goal thriller as Leicester came away with a spectacular 2-5 win. There may be a goal fest again on Saturday, with both sides in a good vein of form. 

Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester come into the tie of the back of a cup win over Manchester United, beating the Red Devils comfortably to progress into the semi-finals of the Emirates FA Cup. Meanwhile, for Manchester City, they also secured their passage to Wembley. Pep Guardiola's side beat Everton with two late goals to enter the next stage of the cup.

We can expect another exciting game, but a win for Rodgers’ men could be a fantastic boost for the players heading into a crucial part of the Premier League season. Here’s why a win at the King Power Stadium could deem pivotal to Leicester's surge for a UEFA Champions League spot. 

  • A great place to be in

A win over Manchester City on Saturday would be fantastic, and would put the Foxes in a brilliant position heading into the final fixtures of the Premier League. Rodgers’ side will be eager of claiming a spot for the Champions League, after missing out so narrowly last season. 

The East-Midlanders currently sit third in the league, with 56 points. A win would send them onto a total of 59 points. If Leicester were to win the tie against the Citizens, Rodgers’ men would be confident of securing a top four finish. 

Based off of the past 20 years of Premier League football Leicester need 13 points to receive a Champions League spot. That would mean four wins and a draw from the next nine games would likely send Leicester in Europe’s best competition. 

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  • A double over the league leaders

Earlier on in this Premier League campaign, the Foxes stunned  Guardiola’s side with a memorable win at the Etihad Stadium. Jamie Vardy lead his team to glory, after scoring a hat-trick.  James Maddison and Youri Tielemans were also on the scoresheet that afternoon. 

Brendan Rodgers could be setting himself up for a performance similar to that one. Despite having only 28% possession, Leicester were able to make use of it, being ruthless on the counter-attack. Leicester’s game plan was to soak up the Manchester City pressure, and then hit them on the break. 

Leicester have never won both the home and away fixture in a Premier League season against the Citizens, but this time round that record could end. The injury return of Maddison and Ricardo Pereira will also be a boost for Brendan Rodgers’ men. 

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  • Relieve pressure off of last three fixtures

A win over Man City on the weekend would see the Foxes move ever closer to getting a well-deserved Champions League spot. Going towards the back end of the season, Leicester have a tough run in, making the quest for a top four finish more difficult. 

Leicester’s last three fixtures are against Manchester United (away), Chelsea (away) and Tottenham Hotspur (home). The three fixtures for the Foxes at the end of the season are extremely tough, and Brendan Rodgers will be hoping to secure a top four spot before them games. All three of them sides are European hopefuls, with them being six pointer games. 

Finishing in the top four was the aim for Leicester at the start of the season, as is still the target for Rodgers’ side to be playing in Europe next season. A win over the run-away league leaders, would see Leicester in a comfortable position to secure the spot they so desperately want.