Stoke vs Leicester preview
Second-placed Leicester City travel to the Britannia Stadium looking to extend their explosive start to the season with an away victory against Stoke City on Saturday.
The Foxes have been overwhelming teams with incredible industry and movement, plus their star player Riyad Mahrez has arguably been the best player in the Premier League so far this season. Mahrez has been tormenting defenders with his dribbling abilities and has shown an impressive appetite for the game.
His ability to easily skip past defenders and score from range has made Leicester City a genuine force in the league so far. Claudio Ranieri’s men have largely relied on fast starts this term, but they were contained in the first hour by Aston Villa last weekend.
The Foxes were 0-2 down with 18 minutes left against the Villans, but Ranieri’s charges produced a sensational comeback to claim a 3-2 victory with new recruit Nathan Dyer showing the enthusiasm that Leicester have relied on this term.
While Leicester are enjoying a refreshingly strong start to the season, the Potters are enduring a disappointing campaign so far. All the euphoria stemming from recent arrivals of high-pedigree players, like Xherdan Shaqiri and Ibrahim Afellay, has now been replaced by frustration as Mark Hughes’ men languish in the relegation zone with no win to date.
The Potters miss their captain Ryan Shawcross, who is recovering from back surgery. The skipper is not only a rock-solid defender personally, but he organises Stoke’s defence and without him they have conceded in every game this season.
Hughes will hope for better fortunes on Saturday with the return to fitness of Bojan Krkic. The former Barcelona forward was Stoke City’s best player when he raptured his cruciate ligaments midway through last season. He is now ready for a full game after being gradually brought back into the team.
Stoke City team news
- Charlie Adam and Afellay are both suspended.
- Glen Johnson, Peter Odemwingie (both hamstring) and Jonathan Walters (knee) could be back in contention.
Leicester City team news
- Matty James is the only Leicester City player missing as he continues his long term recovery from an ACL knee injury.
Stoke City vs Leicester City prediction
Marc Muniesa continues to get the nod over Philipp Wollscheid at the back, so the Spaniard is likely to partner Geoff Cameron again at the heart of Stoke’s defence.
The Potters are expected to keep their usual 4-2-3-1 formation, with Marco Van Ginkel and Glenn Whelan as the central midfielders.
Bojan could start in his favoured number 10 position, with Marko Arnautovic as an inverted winger keeping the width on the left flank, while Shaqiri operates from the right side. Mame Biram Diouf should complete Stoke’s 4-2-3-1 formation as the centre forward.
Dyer will be hoping to dislodge Marc Albrighton as an inverted left winger in Leicester City’s 4-4-2 formation after his heroics last time out. Mahrez is likely to continue operating from the right side, where he will have the freedom to drift infield and run at defenders.
Gokhan Inler may start as the main holding midfielder, which allows Danny Drinkwater to push on and support play through the middle while Jamie Vardy and Shinji Okazaki complete the 4-4-2 system as the centre forwards.
Hughes’ men may be at home, but it is hard to see them becoming the first side to defeat the Foxes in 10 games, especially considering their defensive problems. A score draw seems likely.
Score prediction
Stoke City 2-2 Leicester City
