It’s the final gameweek of Premier League fixtures of 2024 and while Man City exit it as defending champions, something tells us they won’t be all that sad to say goodbye to a year that has seen their previously almost invincible side take on a more fragile look.
Whether strugglers Leicester can take advantage remains to be seen, but recently-installed ex-United goal-machine Ruud van Nistelrooy will hope his charges can cause more head-scratching for Pep Guardiola
Shane O’Brien checks in on both sides in his Leicester v Man City bet builder.
And, of course, our Super Sub offer covers your player bets, so if your selection is subbed your bet rolls on to their replacement. Talk about a Christmas cracker.
Leicester v Man City Bet Builder Tips
Man City to win
Both teams to score: Yes
Leicester City over 2.5 cards
Leicester City goal keeper to make 5+ saves
Man City over 8.5 corners
- A Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 19/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
WHEN: Sunday, 29th December, 2:30pm
WHERE: King Power Stadium, Leicester
TV: Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Premier League
Man City to win
Manchester City’s current horror show simply cannot continue forever. Guardiola’s side have picked up just five points – and one win – in their last nine Premier League outings in a run that defies any sort of logic.
No club has picked up fewer points in the league over the last nine games than City, a mind-boggling statistic, considering they dropped just four points in their opening nine games of the season.
Luckily for City, they face one of the other two clubs who have picked up five points from their last nine games as they travel to Leicester on Sunday.
Both Leicester and Southampton have mirrored City in the past nine games, with each of the promoted clubs also winning once and drawing twice, in between six defeats.
Leicester performed reasonably well in their 3-1 defeat at Liverpool on Boxing Day, but they have lost three games on the bounce, conceding 10 goals in the process.
City simply have to come away from the King Power with three points on Sunday.
Both teams to score: Yes
City’s defensive woes have been well documented in this 13-game run in all competitions, where they have conceded a whopping 28 goals.
In the league, City have conceded 26 goals since the start of the season, with only six teams shipping more than Guardiola’s side.
They seem almost incapable of keeping clean sheets at present and there’s every chance they will concede again on Sunday at Leicester.
Van Nistelrooy’s charges took an early lead at Anfield and are likely to get goal scoring opportunities against this porous City defence.
At the other end, there is almost no chance of Leicester keeping a clean sheet.
The Foxes have conceded 40 times in 18 league games – the most of any team in the division – and have kept one clean sheet all season, in a 1-0 home win over Bournemouth at the beginning of October.
The hosts have struggled badly in their current nine-game league run, but they have still scored ten times and will almost certainly find the back of the net at the King Power – they may just have to do so at least twice to claim the three points.
Leicester City over 2.5 cards
Leicester’s record of 45 bookings in 18 games is among the worst in the Premier League.
Van Nistelrooy’s side are close to averaging three bookings per game, with Leicester receiving the fourth-highest number of cards in the top-flight.
They are by no means the most persistent foulers in the division, but they spend a significant amount of time on the back foot, so it’s no surprise they have accumulated so many cards as the season reaches its mid-way point.
Sunday’s clash with Guardiola is likely to see Leicester starved of possession for lengthy periods, and it would be no great surprise if they receive a few more cards, while defending their own goal.
Leicester City goal keeper to make 5+ saves
Leicester’s stand-in goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk endured a busy night at Anfield on Boxing Day, facing 19 shots and seven on target.
It’s hardly a great surprise, considering Leicester face the third-highest number of shots in the league this season, via over 18 shots per game.
That record has not exactly improved in Van Nistelrooy’s first six games in charge, with Leicester facing 114 shots and 45 shots on target, at a rate of 19 shots per game and almost eight shots on target per match.
There is every chance the visitors will reach similar figures on Sunday, with Stolarczyk or whoever starts in goal for Leicester, likely to be active between the posts.
Man City over 8.5 corners
It’s equally unsurprising Leicester have faced an average of almost exactly eight corners per game since Van Nistelrooy took over.
The Foxes face so many shots and so much pressure in their own third that is simply logical they will also face a high number of corners.
They have faced the fifth-highest number of corners in the league this season and take on a team who has won the most corners in the league this year.
The away team average eight corners per game, and could easily better that average in their trip to Leicester, which will see them more desperate than ever to end 2024 on a high note and put an awful run of form behind them.
Leicester v Man City betting tips
Man City to win
Both teams to score: Yes
Leicester City over 2.5 cards
Leicester City goal keeper to make 5+ saves
Man City over 8.5 corners
- A Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 19/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
READ MORE
- Shoot on over to Paddy Power News for the best Football Betting Tips & News
- Premier League top scorer odds: Who are the favourites to win the Golden Boot this season?
- Paddy’s Super Sub totaliser: Almost 100,000 EPL bets win from our ace offer so far in 2024/25
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO SAFER GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
