Carabao Cup preview: Leicester City Vs Manchester City

Leicester City have been here before. They have faced Manchester City in a Carabao Cup quarter-final before. They have been left enveloped in agony by the Citizens before.

It was nearly around the same time last year that Leicester met Pep Guardiola’s side at the same stage of the league cup. In what turns out to be another coincidence, it was preceded by a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, too. Leicester may have only lost by 1-0 to the Eagles this time around, but the chances of getting beaten at the hands of the English champions are just the same. In fact, higher.

In 2017, the Foxes had come into the quarter-final with a seriously good run of form. They did lose to Palace just three days back, but they had recorded four consecutive Premier League wins before that against Tottenham Hotspur, Burnley, Newcastle United and Southampton. A year later, they would be facing the English champions with a wretched run of no wins in three games, and just two wins in 11. Basically, every inch of all the odds is against Claude Puel’s Leicester.

Generally, there’s no dragging along when clubs are in such a mire. Either you sink further and further or there is some sort of resurrection – there certainly are no in-betweens. Leicester remain very capable of a resurrection, however poor they try to convince us they are. We’ve previously seen that they can go well into Hell before rising all the way to where the Paradise is.

This is Hell, and the tie tomorrow offers a shortcut to Paradise.

Main Man

When it comes to performing in a big game against a big team, there’s no one who beats Jamie Vardy. He has not really been at his best in front of goal this season, but you just get the feeling that in a game of such importance, he will almost certainly deliver the goods – and more so when you see his record.

Since Guardiola has taken over at the Etihad Stadium, Vardy has netted five goals in five appearances against City – including a hat-trick on the Spaniard’s first visit to the King Power Stadium.

Although Puel has hinted that he may have to rest Vardy because he is yet to completely recover from his groin injury, it is unlikely that he will not start the man who gives his side a chance in an encounter that has a defeat written all over it. And it’s not just his goals that can help Leicester but the work off the ball as well.

Remember, City are a team that, if pressed at pace, can be found wanting, as we have seen time a few times. If Leicester are to do the same, there’s no way they can do it without Vardy.

Quotes

"“We know this team. It is a team that has the ability to improve their [performance] against any opponent,” said Puel.“All the opponents need to adapt their play against them. It’s a strength and with Barcelona I think they are the only team with the ability to improve their game in all circumstances.“They have all the solutions. But we have [enough] to realise a good performance and to play a full game against them. It is a cup game. It is a different game than the Premier League. I think we will have opportunities tomorrow [Tuesday] if we play with our intensity, fighting spirit.”"

Possible XI

Schmeichel; Pereira, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs; Albrighton, Iborra, Ndidi, Gray, Maddison; Vardy.