Manchester City will go top of the Premier League if they can take maximum points from their trip to Leicester on Saturday lunchtime.
A City win is exactly what the layers expect - Pep Guardiola's side are just 3/10 with Betfred to get the job done and leapfrog Arsenal at the Premier League summit. Leicester are 9/1 to win their third game on the bounce.
However, City's rampant form has hit the buffers a touch, so much so that they have failed to even score a goal in three of their last four games and although they put three past Brighton last weekend, a shot count of nine was their lowest of the season at the Etihad.
There were mitigating circumstances to their midweek stalemate with Borussia Dortmund in that the game was effectively a dead rubber with both sides virtually assured of their place in the knockout stages of the competition. However, the half-time withdrawl of Erling Haaland raises the possibility that the Norwegian star may not be available for this fixture.
City have won the last three renewals of this fixture without conceding a goal but they have all been fairly low-key games in terms of goals (all under 2.5) and Leicester have already played out a drab 0-0 (against Crystal palace) in the Saturday lunchtime time slot this season.
Leicester have been castigated in most quarters for their inability to defend but they go into this fixture having kept three clean sheets on the bounce.
The Foxes' 4-0 win at Wolves last weekend was remarkable because they had ony five shots on target in the whole game and were outperformed by the hosts in terms of xG. For a side to generate inferior xG and win by four goals is almost unheard of.
Although last week's scoreline suggests something different, Leicester are actually struggling to create big chances, indeed they haven't generated an xGF greater than 1.0 in any of their last four games. That's an issue against a City side that don't give up many big chances (xGA of 8.2 is comfortably the best in the division) and anyone looking to back City to win to nil (13/10 with Betfred ) in this fixture is probably on a decent wager.
Leicester vs Man City prediction
City's away form isn't exactly perfect - they have actually only won two of their five road trips this season - and there is plenty of evidence pointing us in the direction of this being a low-scoring encounter.
If City can get their noses in front then they should be able to see this out the wager that appeals most is a City win and under 2.5 goals, which is a huge 7/2 chance with Betfred. It's a wager that would have collected in the last three editions of this Premier League fixture and the early Saturday kick-offs tend not to be explosive affairs as a general rule.
Leicester vs Man City prediction: Man City to win and Under 2.5 Goals - 7/2
Leicester vs Man City odds with Betfred
- Leicester - 9/1
- Draw - 5/1
- Man City - 3/10
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