Two sides still pursuing their first Premier League victory of the season will meet at the King Power Stadium on Saturday when Leicester City welcome Southampton. Both teams find themselves under similar scenarios after the first two gameweeks as they have dropped five points out of the possible six. Which team are the top football betting tips experts backing to end their winless run? Or is the tie going to end in a stalemate?
Leicester City
No manager would want possible departures dominating the headlines before a match, but Brendan Rodgers must acknowledge that it’s a part of his job description. Kasper Schmeichel has left a gaping hole in the goalkeeping department, as documented by Danny Wards’s lacklustre performance between the sticks against Arsenal. Chelsea’s interest in Wesley Fofana is no secret, Youri Tielemans is yet to renew his commitment to the club, and even the ever-loyal Jamie Vardy has been linked with a move away from the King Power. On the arrival end, Leicester are the only club across the top five European leagues to make additions to their squad.
But, Leicester must focus on their task at hand. After getting only one point from their first two matches, a struggling Southampton presents the perfect opportunity for the Foxes to add some momentum before playing Chelsea and Manchester United in the coming weeks.
Despite the strong links with Chelsea, Fofana will return to the heart of the Leicester defence. However, it might be Çağlar Söyüncü who partners the Frenchman in defence rather than Daniel Amartey, who has failed to impress in his first two outings of the season. Kelechi Iheanacho might partner Vardy in the front, which could reduce Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s involvement to a substitute appearance.
Southampton
Ralph Hasenhüttl is one of the bookies’ favourites to win the sack race this season. Southampton’s helpless surrendering to Spurs in the first matchweek did not help the Austrian to silence his critics. And it the criticisms appeared to become more scathing as the Saints were trailing 2-0 against Leeds with only 18 minutes of regular time to go last weekend.
But a late Southampton resurgence gave Hasenhüttl some respite. Joe Aribo cut the deficit before Kyle Walker-Peters fired in the equalizer. Southampton’s defensive frailties will continue to put wrinkles on the Southampton boss’s forehead. Still, he will feel that the comeback against Leeds will motivate his team to exploit the defensive woes of an equally leaky Leicester defence.
Joe Aribo can expect to start against Leicester following his Leeds performance. Adam Armstrong and Sekou Mara might also feature in the Saints’ attack. In midfield, Oriel Romeu might get the nod ahead of Romeo Lavia.
Our Prediction
There’s not a lot that currently splits these two sides. Both have identical problems, but we believe Leicester will capitalize on their home advantage and run away with all three points. We foresee a 3-1 win for the Foxes.
Our Tip
Leicester to win @ 1.92
