Boxing Day Match: Manchester City v Leicester Preview

Manchester City playing Leicester City is becoming a weekly occurrence

LEICESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 18: A view outside of the stadium ahead of the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Leicester City and Manchester United at The King Power Stadium on December 18, 2018 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

These games are almost like buses. Two come along at once. But make no mistakes, the Manchester City game away at Leicester City in the Premier League on Boxing Day will be a remarkably different affair. It will not just be the personnel which are different on both sides, but also the desire and willingness to succeed.

In preparation for this game – since we last played each other – two things have happened. Firstly Leicester have secured an improbable win against Chelsea, which probably vindicated the decisions made by Claude Puel to rest certain players in the Carabao Cup game. Secondly, Manchester City have fallen to a lower ranked team in a display characterised by a failure to step up a gear.

Accordingly we will face a Leicester side buoyed by a win and full of belief. Belief that not only can they win but that City can be beaten by anyone, if a side just works hard enough. It does not have to be a multi million top tier side that is Manchester City’s kryptonite – anyone can be that.

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City on the other hand, stand another defeat away from a catastrophe of their own making. A potential title ending run of three defeats in for games.

This requires City to step up the gears and exert their superiority on Leicester. It needs Guardiola to not second guess the opposition but to go with his strongest available side. This needs a full throttle attack and if we are winning then he can rotate players and save their legs. Not before.

It is my belief we will start with our usual 4-3-3 formation and will take the game to Leicester. Stones and Laporte should start at centre back, with Delph on the left and Danilo on the right. Walker has looked a liability and should be rested. Fernandinho should be defensive midfield. If not fit then Ilkay Gundogan must afford the cover. Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva should complete our midfield.

This is no time for sentimentality so attack should be Sterling, Sane and Aguero. Mahrez will have to wait his turn on the bench.

Leicester will have a pretty much full strength side to pick from and will have Jamie Vardy back to scavenge the scraps. That is why we need some pace in our defence with Laporte and Stones.

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After the defeat to Crystal Palace I am less confident about this game. But one thing is certain, we need 6 points from our two remaining games in 2018 to stay within touching distance of league leaders Liverpool and to prevent the home match against Liverpool on 3 January from turning into a title procession.