As they take on Sunderland at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday, Leicester City will be eager to maintain their stellar start to the season.
When Leicester City hosts an inconsistent Sunderland team at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night, the reigning EFL Championship leaders will be eager to increase their lead at the top of the standings.
The Foxes are favorites to return to the Premier League at the conclusion of the season after winning 11 of their first 12 league games. It would be a huge shock if they give up the lead when Enzo Maresca has the talent at his disposal to rule the second division. Conversely, Sunderland advanced to the Championship playoff semi-finals the previous season but lost out on the opportunity to advance further. A severe case of inconsistency has destroyed their chances of going two steps further this time. After two straight losses, Sunderland is now in sixth place. They are vying for a postseason berth. But it’s far from certain because of the inconsistent behavior. This might be another lackluster season at the Stadium of Light unless they can turn things around. If Sunderland loses, they could fall down the league as they are only three points behind Blackburn Rovers in 15th position. Tony Mowbray, who recently faced defeat at the hands of Stoke City, will be
But, there is simply too much separation between the two teams, and unless the Black Cats can play above their circumstances, this might end up being just another Leicester parade leading to the Championship title. The Hard Tackle examines potential lineups and strategies for both teams on Sunday.
The Foxes extended their lead atop the Championship rankings with a 3-1 victory over Swansea City in their first game back after the international break. They will now take on Sunderland at the King Power Stadium.
The four injured talents that Enzo Maresca is still missing are Dennis Praet, Thomas Cannon, Callum Doyle, and Kasey McAteer. The Foxes manager will start the game in his preferred 4-3-3 formation and has a fully fit roster to pick from. The Foxes’ dependable last line of defense, Mads Hermansen, ought to start in goal behind the back four of James Justin, Ricardo Pereira, Wout Faes, and Jannik Vestergaard.
As he keeps up his impressive play in midfield, Harry Winks will continue to start alongside Wilfred Ndidi and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall at the base of the three-man formation. Carrying the ball forward and creating chances for the front three will fall to the latter two.
Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku ought to start wide, and Jamie Vardy should give place to Kelechi Iheanacho up top. The Nigerian will be eager to continue his winning streak after scoring against Swansea City the previous weekend.
Sunderland
Despite having a respectable team, the Black Cats are nonetheless inconsistent. Their ambitions of climbing the ladder have been severely damaged by consecutive defeats to Middlesbrough and Stoke City. Now, they have to contend with what is possibly the hardest task in the Championship—Leicester.
Tony Mowbray has a dismal track record against the Foxes and hasn’t triumphed over them in the league since he managed West Bromwich Albion in 2007. Because of the depth and skill of Enzo Maresca’s team, Sunderland enters the match as the underdog once more.
The absence of multiple injured players will make the task difficult. The five players that are out for Mowbray are Dennis Cirkin, Jay Matete, Aji Alese, Corry Evans, and Ross Stewart.
Anthony Patterson in goal seems to be the answer for the team this evening in a 4-4-2 shape. Luke O’Nien, Daniel Ballard, Trai Hume, and Niall Huggins form the back four that should guard him.
Mason Burstow and Jack Clarke should occupy the sides, while Jobe Bellingham and Pierre Ekwah should maintain the fort in the center of the park. The latter is the most productive player for Sunderland and will be their biggest danger going forward that evening. Alex Pritchard and Patrick Roberts are anticipated to start up front.
Patterson; Huggins, Ballard, O’Nien, Hume; Burstow, Ekwah, Bellingham, Clarke; Pritchard, Roberts is the most likely lineup (4-4-2).
Important Statistics
Since the 2016–17 campaign, Leicester City and Sunderland have not faced each other in the league.
Sunderland is currently without a win in three games as they travel to Leicester City. Under Roy Keane, they have not defeated Leicester since 2007.
If Leicester City wins tonight, it will be the first time since the 2019–20 season that they have won five of their first six league games.
In their nine prior matches, Tony Mowbray has only triumphed once against Leicester City. When he was managing West Bromwich Albion back in 2007, this happened.
If Leicester can win four games in a row without giving up a goal, they could create history. They didn’t succeed in extending this streak to four games since 1973.
The former Tottenham Hotspur player is loving his newfound freedom at Sunderland and has been the team’s best player thus far this year. This season, in 12 Championship games, the 22-year-old has scored eight goals, spearheading his team’s push for promotion to the Premier League.
A number of elite teams have also taken notice of Clarke because of his performances. As the January transfer window of 2024 draws near, the Sunderland winger can make a lasting impression on potential suitors. A great performance against Leicester City, the club to beat in the second division this season, would be an incredible opportunity for Clarke to make his debut.
Expectation
Leicester defeats Sunderland 2-0.
Sunderland’s performance has been patchy, and they heavily rely on Jack Clarke for motivation up front. Therefore, marking him out should make things simple for Leicester City, the favorites going into the match.
Enzo Maresca will have all the resources at his disposal to lead his team to an easy victory back at King Power Stadium, which should enable them keep onto the top spot. There should be moments for Sunderland. However, the Foxes are talented enough to win by a wide margin.
