Manchester City vs Leicester Preview

• City to win
• Marmoush to score

Manchester City return from the international break looking to reignite their stalling Premier League campaign, with a home clash against struggling Leicester City offering a timely opportunity to get back on track.

While Pep Guardiola’s side remain in contention for the FA Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup, their domestic title defence has faltered, and even UEFA Champions League qualification is not yet guaranteed with nine games remaining.

As for Leicester, the situation is far more bleak. Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men are staring down the barrel of relegation, having lost six straight Premier League matches without scoring, and they return to action nine points from safety.

A visit to the Etihad, where they’ve lost five in a row, couldn’t come at a worse time.

Manchester City: Still Searching for Rhythm

It’s been a surprisingly underwhelming campaign for City, who are now focused on ensuring they finish in the top four.

Despite being four-time defending champions, they’ve won just one of their last four league games (D1, L2), and they could go three straight Premier League home matches without a win for the first time since December 2023.

The Etihad Stadium has long been a fortress, but recent inconsistency has raised questions about City’s sharpness.

However, Leicester’s visit offers a golden chance to regain form, especially given City’s dominant home record in this fixture, winning eight of the last 10 H2Hs here.

Encouragingly, those meetings have also produced an average of 4.6 goals per game, suggesting that City’s attacking stars could rediscover their fluency against the Premier League’s most out-of-form side.

Leicester City: Slipping Towards the Championship

Leicester’s Premier League survival hopes are hanging by a thread, with a run of six defeats without scoring leaving them nine points adrift of safety. If they fail to score again, they’ll become just the fourth team in English top-flight history to lose seven consecutive matches without finding the net, joining an unwanted group alongside Sunderland (1977), Ipswich (1995), and Crystal Palace (2017).

The Foxes’ away form is dire—only bottom-placed Southampton have collected fewer points on the road this season. With morale low and confidence evaporating, the prospect of pulling off an upset at the Etihad feels remote.

Leicester’s last win came away to Tottenham in January, but since then, they’ve offered little attacking threat, and even the international break is unlikely to have been enough to arrest the slide.

Head-to-Head: City’s Etihad Dominance

• Man City have won 8 of the last 10 home H2Hs vs Leicester
• City have won their last 5 games in all competitions vs Leicester
• Leicester have lost 6 league matches in a row without scoring
• Average of 4.6 goals per game in last 10 Etihad meetings
• Leicester are 9 points from safety and second-worst in away form

Players to Watch

Omar Marmoush (Manchester City)

A January signing making an impact, Marmoush has scored five times since joining City, including the FA Cup winner against Bournemouth.

Notably, all four of his league goals have come between the 15th and 40th minutes, making him a first-half threat. If he starts, expect him to be involved early.

Bilal El Khannouss (Leicester City)

One of the few bright spots in a poor run, El Khannouss scored the winner in Leicester’s last league victory and recently netted away from home for Morocco during the international break. He could be the key to breaking Leicester’s goalscoring drought—if they can get him on the ball.

Prediction: Routine Win for City on Home Soil

Leicester’s form is too poor to ignore, and their complete lack of attacking output makes a shock result incredibly unlikely. Manchester City, despite their inconsistencies, should find this the perfect opportunity to restore confidence and get their top-four push back on track.

Expect Guardiola’s side to dominate possession, create plenty of chances, and cruise to victory, especially given their historic scoring record in this fixture.

Predicted Score: Manchester City 4-0 Leicester City

City get back to winning ways in style, while Leicester edge ever closer to relegation, with their goalless streak likely continuing.

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Man City v Leicester, 2024/25 | Premier League