Leicester City will face Southampton at the St. Mary’s Stadium this afternoon in what has shaped into a must-win game for both managers.
The Foxes sit 15th in the league standings, with the Saints four positions below with just a single point from their seven league games. Reports have stated that Leicester’s Steve Cooper and Southampton’s Russell Martin have been told by their respective hierarchy that they will be sacked should they fail to win this game.
In addition to being a vital game for the managers, this clash is crucial to either team’s survival hopes. Southampton and Leicester are two of the three promoted teams in the Premier League this season and are among the favourites to get relegated. Although the Foxes have a five-point gap to Southampton, a home win for the Saints will put them within two points of Leicester. Similarly, an away win will put the Foxes in a very comfortable position–eight points above their relegation rivals.
Southampton vs Leicester City – Match Details
Date: October 19, 2024
Time: 15:00 BST
Venue: St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton
Southampton vs Leicester City – Team News
Cooper has confirmed that Hamza Choudhury, Patson Daka, and Jakub Stolarczyk will be the only absentees for the Foxes as they recover from their long-term injuries.
Southampton will have Will Smallbone and Kamaldeen Sulemana available for selection. Gavin Bazunu, Ross Stewart, and Jack Stephens will miss the match.
Southampton vs Leicester City – Match Preview
Both teams line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. However, there is a big difference in the player roles, especially the fullbacks and wingers. Southampton’s widemen usually keep their width and stay in their respective flanks. On the other hand, Leicester have a fullback and a winger (on the opposite flank) invert inside during build-up play. This creates a 3-2-4-1 formation in possession for the Foxes.
Southampton have performed better than Leicester in almost every key metric. They have a higher xG, and have recorded more passes and touches in the opposition box. However, the Foxes lead in arguably the most decisive stat–goals scored. Leicester have managed nine goals from an xG of 5.1, while the Saints have managed just four goals from their 8.2 xG. Although the Foxes have been doing better, they must be wary of Southampton, who seem to be playing better but lacking clinical finishing. Prolonged spells of both underperforming and overperforming xG usually balance over time.
Southampton will try to take the initiative as the home side, but the Foxes will be confident about walking away with points. They battered the Saints home and away last season and have looked the better side this season. Martin is still experimenting with his front line, and his team lacks the synergy that Leicester have built.
Leicester will be the favourites, but it will be a close match that can go either way.
Southampton vs Leicester City – Predicted Starting Lineup
Cooper will likely keep a lineup similar to the one he deployed against Bournemouth. Harry Winks may replace Jordan Ayew to give Leicester a better passing range.
Southampton Predicted Lineup vs Leicester City: Ramsdale; Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis, Walker-Peters; Sugawara, Aribo, Fernandes, Downes, Manning; Dibling, Archer
Leicester City Predicted Lineup vs Southampton: Mads Hermansen; James Justin, Caleb Okoli, Wout Faes, Victor Kristiansen; Harry Winks, Oliver Skipp; Wilfred Ndidi; Facundo Buonanotte, Jamie Vardy, Stephy Mavididi.
