Leicester vs Southampton Preview
- Leicester to win
- Under 3.5 goals
A game stripped of meaning
When the Premier League calendar was announced last June, this clash between Leicester and Southampton looked destined to be a high-stakes relegation decider.
Fast forward to May, however, and both clubs have already been relegated. Leicester enter the match with only half as many points as West Ham in 17th, while Southampton have already sunk to rock bottom of the table.
Another historic low for Leicester?
Manager Ruud van Nistelrooy is set to depart at the end of the season, and there’s little left for the Foxes to play for other than a shred of dignity. But that’s proven hard to come by at the King Power Stadium, where Leicester have lost nine straight home Premier League games without scoring, conceding 22 goals in the process.
That dismal stretch means Leicester could become only the second team in the top four tiers of English football history to fail to score in ten consecutive home league games.
The perfect opponent?
If ever there was a team to end such a run against, it might just be Southampton. The Saints have shipped a league-high 80 goals in the Premier League this term, and their campaign has been so dismal that they are now seven points adrift of Leicester. To avoid matching Derby County’s all-time Premier League low of 11 points (2007/08), Southampton need just a single point from their remaining four matches.
Despite sitting at the bottom of the table, Southampton have shown marginal improvement under Simon Rusk. The caretaker boss has managed a higher points-per-game average (0.5) than predecessors Russell Martin (0.31) or Ivan Jurić (0.29). That hasn’t translated to wins though, as the Saints remain winless in ten league matches (D2, L8). Their last win? A 2-1 away triumph at Ipswich – another promoted side.
Players to watch
Bobby De Cordova-Reid (Leicester)
The last Leicester player to score at home, way back in December. Eight of his last ten Premier League goals have come after half-time.
Cameron Archer (Southampton)
Has either opened or closed the scoring in each of his last seven club scoring appearances, though the last three of those matches have ended in defeat – including the reverse fixture against Leicester.
Hot stat
Southampton have faced more total shots (605) and shots on target (234) than any other team in the Premier League this season.
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Leicester v Southampton, 2024/25 | Premier League