Leicester City v Everton: match preview
Everton travel to the midlands tomorrow for their next Premier League game as they take on Leicester City.
This will not be an easy match for Everton. The Foxes have had a decent start to the season and are picking up momentum after winning their last three games including last weekend away at Newcastle United.
The Blues have failed to win any away games this season and they will find Leicester a tough side to crack at the King Power stadium.
Although the midlands club conceded a few goals early on they have tightened up a lot at the back and have only let in one goal in those three games.
England defender Harry Maguire is having an excellent season marshalling the Foxes defence and is maintaining his form after the World Cup.
He was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer but stayed put and given the way United’s season is going that looks a wise decision at this time!
Another player who has been a key to Leicester’s improving form, is midfielder James Maddison.
Maddison was a player linked heavily with Everton in the summer but despite the rumours the Blues didn’t make a concrete move for him and he eventually moved to Leicester instead.
At the time I thought Maddison represented just the type of player the Toffees needed; a creative and goalscoring midfielder. He is 21 and given that the fee being quoted by his former club Norwich was very reasonable, he seemed a good prospect and a worthwhile investment to make.
And so far he is proving that investment by Leicester was worth it. He is currently the Foxes top scorer and leading in assists too. How the Toffees could have done with that kind of contribution from their midfield!
He’s also been called up to the senior England squad as a result of his excellent form.
With Blues summer loan signing Andre Gomes still not 100% fit and not yet ready to make his debut, Everton could have done with Maddison this season.
Leicester are overall a solid team, sound defensively and good at taking their chances as well as coming from behind in matches.
They are also strong in aerial duels, making them a real threat at set-pieces, an area where Everton have been defensively vulnerable all season.
But Leicester have had their disciplinary problems and like Everton, have already had two red cards this season.
And although they have scored quite a few goals recently, after Maddison, their next highest scorer is Maguire. So the Foxes forwards have not made a huge contribution in terms of goals.
One other area Everton might be able to exploit is that Leicester are not the quickest at the back. Maguire and Wesley Morgan are very strong, powerful centre-backs but neither are perhaps the fastest. Can Richarlison and Theo Walcott make the most of that?
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For the Blues once again injuries curtail manager Marco Silva’s options. Of possible starters, both Seamus Coleman and Yerry Mina, (no surprise there!), are still not fit to play in defence.
With Jordan Pickford certain to return in-goal and Lucas Digne likely to come in for Leighton Baines after the League Cup debacle on Tuesday night, it will probably be the same team as featured against Fulham.
It will be one positive if Everton are able to pick the same eleven two weeks running. A bit of stability in team selection is certainly welcome after so many changes.
I think this is a tough game for the Toffees to win. Given the number of goals the Blues have conceded it’s hard to envisage them keeping a clean sheet so I think to be honest a point at Leicester will represent a decent result.