Team news, stats and predictions ahead of Man City vs Leicester in the Premier League on Boxing Day; kick-off 15:00.
Team news
Manchester City duo Jack Grealish and Phil Foden could return against Leicester on Boxing Day.
The English duo were left on the bench at Newcastle last week after an apparent disciplinary problem.
Kyle Walker is hoping to return after a fitness problem while Ferran Torres, currently sidelined with a broken foot, appears to have played his last game for the club as he approaches the move to Barcelona.
Leicester will make late assessments on a number of players before the trip to Etihad.
Striker Jamie Vardy played the final 20 minutes of the Carabao Cup midweek defeat to Liverpool with a hamstring, a match in which right-back Ricardo Pereira (shin) and midfielder Caglar Soyuncu (hamstring) were both forced to leave for problems.
Winger Timothy Castagne is back in training after missing the trip to Anfield, but may not be ready yet, while winger Harvey Barnes and center-back Jonny Evans (thigh) are still absent.
How to follow
Follow Manchester City vs Leicester on our live match blog. The highlights will also be published on Sky Sport’s digital platforms and on the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel starting at 5.15pm on Boxing Day.
The last time…
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The highlights of the Carabao Cup quarter-final match between Liverpool and Leicester
Jones Knows Prediction
Manchester City have won their last eight games, scoring 24 goals, but I have the impression that there are other cogs to work on. It’s scary. This explains why they are now 1/3 favorites to win the Premier League title, despite talking about one of the most exciting title contests in years.
This game usually goes against the grain of Manchester City and Leicester games when it comes to cards. Both clubs have been down for yellow cards for the past five seasons, but when they face off at Etihad Stadium their styles turn the game into a card frenzy. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, Man City vs Leicester at Etihad has produced an average of 4.8 cards every 90 minutes. Only City vs Liverpool have a higher average when it comes to games that City have played at home (minimum three matches). When you add referee Chris Kavanagh’s sympathy for a card, this game should see a lot of action in that regard. In 12 games this season between the Premier League and the Sky Bet Championship, referee Kavanagh averages 4.3 yellow cards every 90 minutes. This makes 10/11 with Sky Bet for the game to produce 40 or more booking points one of the best bets of the weekend.
SCORE FORECAST: 3-0
BET ANGLE: Back 40 or more reservation points (10/11 with Sky Bet)
Eight statistics
- Manchester City are unbeaten at home in eight league games in Boxing Day (W6, D2), each winning their last six in a row. The last such defeat dates back to 1996-97 against Port Vale in the second division (0-1).
- Leicester have only won one of their last 11 Premier League games in Boxing Day (D2 L8), although that victory came against defending champions Manchester City in 2018-19.
- Leicester have lost three of their eight league away games this season (W2, D3), as many as last season (W11, D5, L3). Both of the Foxes’ away wins this season have come against promoted sides (2-1 against Norwich and Brentford).
- Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez has been on the losing side in all five of his Premier League appearances on Boxing Day, the worst 100% match-day record in competition history. His only previous match for Manchester City was in 2018-19, which ended in a defeat against former club Leicester.
- Leicester’s Jamie Vardy has never scored in six Premier League appearances in Boxing Day: he is one of only three players to score over 100 goals in the competition but never in Boxing Day, alongside Sergio Agüero and Les Ferdinand.
