The historical rivalry between Leicester City and Southampton is a storied one, with the two clubs having faced off over 100 times across all competitions. According to Transfermarkt, the overall head-to-head record is incredibly tight, showing the Saints with a marginal lead of 37 wins to the Foxes' 36.
While Leicester fans will fondly remember the record-equalling 9-0 demolition at St Mary's in 2019, the pendulum has swung significantly in recent meetings. The South Coasters dominated the reverse fixture earlier this season with a convincing 3-0 victory, signaling a shift in momentum that defines the stakes of tonight's King Power Stadium clash.
A state of crisis
The upcoming game finds LCFC in a state of crisis. Plunged into a relegation scrap following a recent six-point deduction for financial breaches, they are currently languishing just above the drop zone. The departure of manager Marti Cifuentes has left the squad under the interim guidance of Andy King.
Though consecutive league defeats have drained optimism from the stands. In contrast, Southampton arrives with the wind in their sails, sitting mid-table and buoyed by the immediate impact of new signing Cyle Larin.
Leicester City expectations
Journalists and analytical outlets are almost unanimous in predicting a difficult night for the hosts. Sports Mole highlight a 41.7 per cent away win probability. They specifically forecast a 2-1 victory for the hosts.
Squawka experts concur, pointing to Southampton's superior shot accuracy and possession stats as the deciding factors. Meanwhile, former striker turned pundit Sam Parkin has described the East Midlands team's current situation as a 'nightmare week'.
"Going into this one with the way Southampton are performed in those narrow two victories, I’m going to have to go for an away win. Something tells me Leicester will be ok."Parkin, The72
Parkin noted that the psychological toll of their off-field issues is obviously negatively impacting events. Most forecasts, including those from WhoScored, lean toward a City defeat. They envision defensive fragility to be the Foxes' undoing. This outlet went for 2-2, diplomatically.