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The Premier League returns with several fixtures as the high flying Leicester City takes on Crystal Palace.
Leicester have been performing well since they signed Brendan Rodgers as their manager. Hence, it is no surprise as they are third in the table only behind Manchester City and Manchester United.
Crystal Palace have not been that good, but the Eagles have been closer to the top half of the table than the bottom and with Roy Hodgson at the helm relegation, is not their concern. The South London side have suffered from inconsistency which has caused the maximum trouble for them this season. They will be coming to this match after a 1-4 thrashing against Chelsea in their last Premier League fixture.
The Foxes will enter this match on the back of an emphatic 3-0 win over the relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion last week. Hence Rodgers’ men will bring in more confidence to this fixture.
On April 27, Leicester will miss Harvey Barnes and James Justin, who were ruled out due to injuries. While centre-back Wes Morgan may also miss out as he is carrying a knock. Other than that, Rodgers have a fully fit squad ready to take on Palace who have been struggling with fitness issues throughout the season.
Injuries to Mamadou Sakho, James McCarthy, James Tomkins, Nathaniel Clyne, Wayne Hennessey, and Nathan Ferguson will have a huge impact as they won’t be able to take any part in the game.
Even to add to that huge list Conor Wickham and James McArthur may also miss out as they are carrying niggles and may not risk their health.
Leicester have the slightest of supremacy in this matchup as they have won 28 times in 74 meetings between the two teams. Whereas Palace have won 27 fixtures, only one less than their counterparts. The last time both these sides met each other was in December last year and the match ended 1-1.
Key Players
Jamie Vardy has already netted 13 goals along with eight assists in the Premier League and has been the main driving force behind the Foxes and their aim to finish in a Champions League spot. Despite not being at his best recently, the former England international has helped Kelechi Iheanacho to score goals creating spaces for him to utilise.
The French centre-back Wesley Fofana has been a breakthrough talent for the Foxes. He is currently linked with multiple top European clubs, and the 20-year-old defender has given enough reasons for that to happen. The France U-21 international has been in great form for Leicester City alongside more experienced defenders. Fofana is a player who knows how to adapt, and therefore he can play in a back four or five without many issues. He is someone who is dominant in the air and has managed to win duels against someone of the top forwards in the league. His maturity as a player is already beyond his years, and he will be a vital cog for Rodgers in the coming matches.
With nine goals in the Premier League this season, it is hard to ignore someone like Wilfried Zaha. Although he has not scored since January 16 when they lost 2-3 against West Ham United, he will look to regain his form and break the deadlock against the Foxes just like their last meeting. He is someone who can take on defenders at will and has that physicality to hold of players and create space for the likes of Eberechi Eze or Christian Benteke in the final third.
The veteran Belgian Christian Bentek has taken up the responsibility of scoring goals of late since Zaha has been misfiring for Roy Hodgson’s men. An experienced striker has already scored six goals this season and is the second-highest goalscorer for Palace. He has been in great touch recently as he scored the solitary goals against Chelsea in the 1-4 defeat and also scored against Spurs in another 1-4 loss. Benteke will look to attack the aerial balls as he is known for his aerial prowess and will also look for loose balls near the final third as he is also a great poacher.
Prediction
It will be a tight game than what the Premier League points table suggests. There may be a gulf in class in terms of their position on the league table. But in terms of personnel, both teams have some wonderful players who can be the difference on their day.
Considering Leicester City’s solid defence, it will be difficult for Crystal Palace to find the back of the net. Especially with their talisman Zaha misfiring. So we predict a Leicester City win by a margin of two goals. Leicester City 2-0 Crystal Palace.
