Brendan Rodgers’ stuttering Leicester City side will be looking to get back to winning ways in the league when they welcome David Moyes and his West Ham United team to the King Power Stadium on Wednesday. The Foxes have been showcasing their worst run of form in a long time over recent weeks, and the gaffer will surely be eager to put things right once again.
Their loss to Burnley was unexpected, and this is precisely the kind of situation that the Hammers will be looking to take advantage of. The London club themselves picked up a decent result against Everton on the weekend, and Moyes will also be keen to prove himself right in front of the travelling support. With two proven Premier League managers at the helm for either side, this promises to be a gripping ninety minutes of midweek football.
Team News
Leicester City
Wilfried Ndidi’s sudden and unexpected return from injury undoubtedly the biggest need for Brendan Rodgers this week, and the fact that he could be in the squad for the game tonight could be a gamechanger. Matthew James and Daniel Amartey are both still out injured and aren’t expected to be back in time for this fixture.
Predicted Lineup: Schmeichel; Pereira, Evans, Soyunçu, Fuchs; Mendy; Perez, Tielemans, Maddison, Barnes; Vardy
West Ham United
Jack Wilshere and Andriy Yarmolenko are two high-profile names that David Moyes currently doesn’t have available for selection, and neither of them are set to return at least until the middle of next month. Ryan Fredricks and Felipe Anderson also find themselves in the same boat, with a February return in sight. Michael Antonio could make a return to the squad though.
Predicted Lineup: Randolph; Diop, Balbuena, Ogbonna; Zabaleta, Noble, Rice, Masuaku; Snodgrass, Haller, Lanzini
Talking Tactics
Leicester City
For all the brilliant football that Leicester City have showcased since the start of the season, they’ve come undone over the last couple of months. The recent defeat to Burnley highlighted their vulnerabilities quite drastically, and Brendan Rodgers is sure to demand a tireless work-rate from his players for this fixture. Expects the Foxes to start strong and put the away side under pressure straight away.
West Ham United
Since David Moyes’ takeover at the London Stadium, the Hammers have gone on to pick up some extremely mixed results. Despite their best attempts to play expansive attacking football, the lack of quality in the final third has shown on multiple occasions. It’s essential for the manager to ensure that he sets his team up in such a way that they’re able to make full use of Sebastian Haller’s height and physical advantage.
Key Men
Leicester City
Jamie Vardy’s run of goalscoring form seems to have come to a pretty abrupt halt in recent weeks, with the Englishman yet to find the net in the league since the turn of the year. The Foxes need to ensure that their most prolific striker regains his form in the upcoming fixture.
West Ham United
The importance of big Sebastian Haller leading the West Ham United lone simply cannot be underplayed, and despite his lack of goals, the Frenchman’s overall play has been quite good indeed. He’s good at holding the ball up and tries extremely hard to bring teammates into the game as well.
Betting Odds
The Foxes have lost just once to the Hammers in over 11 fixtures now, and they are the favourites to regain winning form at 8/15.
