Preview: Downbeat Leicester City take on doomed Southampton
Two consecutive defeats, and there are a few jitters in the Leicester City camp as they now eye to salvage their Premier League season.
A couple of weeks back, the Foxes had their campaign pretty much under their control. The East Midlands, still full of optimism, could smell the UEFA Europa League, and hear the iconic anthem already. Maybe they got a bit too much ahead of themselves.
After the way Leicester had recently played, the writing was on the wall, wasn’t it? We had been lauding the way Leicester performed in Claude Puel’s early days, but now there’s barely anyone who is not losing his mind over the way Puel has apparently stagnated a “team supposedly on the rise”.
In truth, Leicester City have stagnated, but, where they currently are, they are still far better than where they were the last season, and in this season’s early stages, too. The fans should probably be thankful to Claude Puel for the fact that they are not placed where Southampton are, who Leicester next host on Thursday, of course.
To be fair to the Saints, they have been very unlucky to not have got at least a point each in their last two games against Arsenal and Chelsea, both of which ended as 3-2 defeats. It took a mammoth effort for the Gunners to beat Mark Hughes’ side, and it didn’t require any less of Chelsea, who found their hero in Olivier Giroud late on.
If those two defeats are anything to go by, then Southampton have got more than enough in them to beat Leicester City, and especially at a time when the home side are desperate to turn things around. That 1-4 defeat at the St. Mary’s Stadium seems like a distant memory now.
Main Man
Jamie Vardy must be tired of scoring goals late on in a game for a last cause. The 31-year old has been an unstoppable force as the spearhead of the attack, finding the net 17 times in the league – his best return since the title-winning campaign of 2015/16.
He’d be a threat as always, no matter how good the side is, but he now needs his teammates to up their game, so he doesn’t end up scoring another goal of no importance.
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Quotes
"“We can play with more freedom and we can enjoy our football without pressure,” said Claude Puel.“It is always about trying to give a good response, to be strong with quality, solidity, and good play.“We played very well away [in the second half at Burnley] and created a lot of chances against probably the best defensive unit in the Premier League, this way is a good way.“The right way, it is important to keep this momentum until the end and we will see when the players start in the game. [They must] give their best and maintain a good level in the team.“We keep a serious ambition and we need to secure our place in the top half of the table. A lot of teams are close behind us so we need to continue.“At this moment we cannot take the points but it is important to come back with real games and get good results at the end.”"
Next: Leicester City defender Harry Maguire is not for sale, insists Claude Puel
Possible XI
Jakupovic; Chilwell, Maguire, Morgan, Simpson; Albrighton, Ndidi, Silva, Mahrez, Diabate; Vardy.