AFC Bournemouth Vs Leicester City: Foxes look to end win drought
It’s rock bottom and the only way is up – that’s what Leicester City must be saying to themselves as they prepare to face AFC Bournemouth at Dean Court on Saturday. Will they be able to lift their shattered self up, though? Or will it be the same-old story?
Leicester City
A 2-3 defeat to Liverpool sank a sinking Leicester City ship even further, but the good news is, it really can’t get any more worse, unless, of course, Craig Shakespeare’s can find a whole new level of being dreadful. Impossible as it may seem against AFC Bournemouth, anything can happen if you go by what the Foxes’ fortunes have been like.
The Cherries are in deep trouble themselves, and that’s probably what the visitors have to pounce upon. Having picked just one win from six games, Bournemouth need a win equally as much as Leicester do, meaning that they are under just as much pressure as well.
If Leicester City can pick the right team and start the game with intensity, there’s always a chance of killing the game off early on. If they do, however, prowl around on the pitch, then even Eddie Howe’s side may prove too good.
Man to watch
Shinji Okazaki has arguably been Leicester City’s best player this season. He has three goals from five games already, and if he continues with the kind of industry that we are used to seeing from him, he’d undoubtedly be the difference between the two sides.
Quotes
"“I think it is a big challenge,“ said Craig Shakespeare.“They had a good season and finished ninth last year. Eddie Howe has put a good squad together, although they haven’t had the best of starts.“It is not a must-win. They are all important.“It ranks normal in terms of the pressure. If you have been in football all your life pressure is what you put on yourself.“Of course there can be outside influences, media and press, whatever, but I think the pressure we put on ourselves every week in intense.“It is an atmosphere I am used to.”"
Possible XI
Schmeichel; Fuchs, Maguire, Morgan, Simpson; Iborra, Ndidi, Gray, Albrighton; Okazaki, Vardy.
AFC Bournemouth
When Bournemouth finished ninth last season, this is not the start they would have had in their mind. Unlike Leicester City, whose defeats are more down to the opponent’s quality than necessarily their own, Howe’s side have only faced two of last season’s top six, yet lost five games already, grabbing their only victory against Brighton and Hove Albion.
One might feel that the Cherries have got enough and they are only one good performance away from getting back to their best. At home against a side that has got just a point more than them, they just have to fancy their chances of getting something, maybe all three points.
Man to watch
Jermain Defoe, the goal machine has to be the man to look up to for AFC Bournemouth. He is a natural goalscorer, a poacher in the word’s truest sense, and Leicester City will inevitably give him his chances to convert. He scores early and his side can really pick up from thereon.
Quotes
"“It is a huge game for us, every game in the Premier League is,” Eddie Howe said.“If we’d have had a couple of draws that we maybe deserved things would look a little different.“But the games don’t get any easier and Leicester come here eager themselves to win.“They have a huge counter attacking threat and Jamie Vardy is essential to that. He’s got pace that all good number nines have and he’s a real handful.“We’ll be preparing as if he’s going to play, he’s done very well against us in previous games but he’s not their only threat for sure.”"
Possible XI
Begovic; A Smith, Francis, Ake, Daniels; Ibe, Gosling, Surman, Stanislas, King; Defoe.