Southampton vs Leicester City: Saints looking to avenge FA Cup defeat
- Cameron Loftus
- 30 April 2021
Victory for Leicester would create a ten point gap to fifth-placed West Ham, cementing their Champions League qualification credentials.
When: Friday, 30 April, 20:00 GMT
How to watch: Sky Sports
Best bets
Leicester City manager, Brendan Rodgers
FA Cup finalists Leicester come into tonight's game on the back of three consecutive victories.
A 1-0 win in the FA Cup semi-final against this week's opponents marked the start of this mini-run. The Foxes then returned to league action against West Brom and made light work of their relegation-threatened opponents, securing a 3-0 victory.
Last Monday night, Kelechi Iheanacho's terrific strike helped Leicester seal a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace which kept them within reach of second-placed Manchester United.
Southampton, on the other hand, boast contrasting form having lost three consecutive matches in all competitions. Their 3-0 loss to West Brom was followed by a 1-0 FA Cup semi-final defeat to Leicester.
Their last game was against Tottenham but once again Southampton could not find a positive result and a late Son penalty dealt them a 2-1 defeat.
Last three Premier League meetings:
Leicester City 2-0 Southampton (January 16, 2021)
James Maddison found the roof of the net to make it 1-0 from a seemingly impossible angle. The flamboyant midfielder created a 'socially distant' celebration which did the rounds on social media.
Saints tried to respond quickly but Ryan Bertrand's shot was saved by Kasper Schmeichel. The goalkeeper also came to Leicester's rescue by keeping out young midfielder Will Smallbone. Southampton came even closer through Stuart Armstrong when his fierce drive crashed against the crossbar.
Jamie Vardy failed to wrap the game up on the counter attack, however Harvey Barnes showed the former England striker how it's done with a cultured finish in the 90th minute.
Leicester City 1-2 Southampton (January 11, 2020)
In-form Danny Ings fired in his 16th goal in all competitions as Saints gained some payback for their 9-0 drubbing to Leicester only a few months earlier.
A simple attacking move from the home team caught out Southampton as Dennis Praet was left with an easy finish.
Southampton heaped the pressure on and Danny Ings hit the crossbar twice in quick succession. Ings did get his reward late in the game, finishing through the legs of the onrushing Schmeichel to secure his team all three points.
Southampton 0-9 Leicester City (October 25, 2019)
They put nine goals past a dismal Southampton outfit who also had a man sent off. Hat-tricks from Ayoze Perez and Jamie Vardy along with goals from Ben Chilwell, Youri Tielemans and James Maddison helped Leicester to their largest ever margin of victory.
The victory moved Leicester up to second in the table and although on the end of a heavy defeat, Southampton stuck with their manager.
Interestingly, Leicester are 200/1 to repeat that scoreline this weekend.
Premier League head-to-head
Played: 29
Southampton wins: 8
Draws: 9
Leicester City wins: 12
Southampton scored: 39
Leicester City scored: 50
Brendan Rodgers and Kelechi Iheanacho
In Kelechi Iheanacho, Leicester have arguably the most in-form striker in the league. The former Manchester City starlet has grabbed 14 goals in his last 14 games, including a hat-trick against Sheffield United.
Iheanacho has produced a variety of goals showing that he does have what it takes to be successful in the Premier League and he has been rewarded with a new contract in recent weeks.
His form has been so impressive that it has prompted Brendan Rodgers to change formation, allowing Iheanacho and the evergreen Jamie Vardy to form a formidable strike partnership.
With James Maddison nearing full fitness, he should resume in the attacking midfielder slot for the FA Cup final against Chelsea. Those front three spell danger for any defence in the Premier League and they could be the catalyst for a strong end to the season.
Scoreline prediction: Southampton 0-2 Leicester
There is more riding on this game for Leicester even though Southampton are not mathematically clear of relegation danger. For that reason, there is more incentive for the Foxes to go out and grab the win that would give them a 10-point buffer on fifth-placed West Ham.
The home side might be without Danny Ings which will leave the side without any fire power up front. Leicester themselves are not shy of scoring a goal and have only lost two away games this season.
Goalscorer bets
Can James Maddison get amongst the goals?
