Leicester vs. Man City: Why Pep Guardiola's side are "primed for a Vardy masterclass"

Manchester City adept Steven McInerney of Esteemed Kompany has claimed that Pep Guardiola's broadside are susceptible to a Jamie Vardy "masterclass" successful Sunday's Premier League meeting with Leicester City.

Man City were incapable to assertion maximum points successful their Boxing Day clash against Everton, playing retired a 1-1 draw aft Erling Haaland saw his second-half punishment saved by Jordan Pickford.

As a result, the Citizens person present gone 4 Premier League matches without a triumph since they eased to a 3-0 triumph implicit Nottingham Forest earlier this month.

Having taken 28 points from 18 league matches, Man City's rubric defence is efficaciously implicit with 14 points separating them from apical spot.

They besides person their enactment chopped retired to execute Champions League qualification, fixed the information that determination is simply a four-point spread betwixt themselves and the apical four.

They volition present crook their absorption to Sunday's clash against Leicester astatine the King Power Stadium, with the visitors looking to extremity a five-game winless distant league run.

"Prime for a Vardy masterclass"

Despite their caller mediocre form, Man City volition beryllium the favourites to get the amended of a Leicester broadside that person mislaid 7 of their erstwhile 10 Premier League matches (W1, D2).

Leicester brag Ruud van Nistelrooy is hopeful that Vardy volition beryllium capable to diagnostic successful Sunday's brushwood aft sitting retired the 3-1 decision to Liverpool connected Boxing Day.

"Jamie had a tiny injury, a mates of knocks implicit the past week," Van Nistelrooy told reporters pursuing the decision to Liverpool.

"He wasn't wholly acceptable for contiguous truthful we gave him immoderate clip to recover. Hopefully, helium tin marque it for Sunday. He has a bully chance."

If helium does play, McInerney believes that the seasoned striker has the prime to animate Leicester against Man City contempt the information the Foxes person had their ain struggles this season.

"Leicester, I'm a spot tense astir conscionable due to the fact that of Jamie Vardy," McInerney told Sports Mole. "I cognize he's not the aforesaid Jamie Vardy of old, but that antheral loves a narrative. City are precise primed for a Vardy masterclass. If he's going to get a hat-trick successful immoderate crippled this season, it'll beryllium against Man City successful the existent form.

"It's distant from location arsenic well; we've had a batch of atrocious experiences astatine that stadium successful years past. I'm not arsenic assured successful Leicester, adjacent though they're astir apt a overmuch poorer squad than Everton close now, conscionable due to the fact that of the circumstances, Vardy and the channels, City can't support astatine all, and it's away.

"But they are shipping goals. They were abysmal against Newcastle, Wolves battered them astatine home, and adjacent though the crippled was a batch much adjacent than the scoreline suggested, you'd deliberation City would person thing there.

"I would beryllium amazed if City aren't getting 4 points from these 2 games [against Everton and Leicester], adjacent fixed the existent slide, due to the fact that they are, connected paper, precise invited fixtures.

Vardy has erstwhile acquisition of occurrence successful this fixture, having scored 2 of his 3 Premier League hat-tricks against Man City.

The erstwhile England planetary netted 3 goals successful a 4-2 location triumph successful December 2016, earlier helium scored different hat-trick successful a 5-2 distant triumph successful September 2020.

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McInerney: "Everyone tin get astatine us"

Man City person struggled to support teams astatine bay successful caller times, having conceded astatine slightest 2 goals successful 7 of their past 9 league matches.

They besides failed to support a cleanable expanse successful immoderate of their erstwhile 8 distant league games since they recorded a shutout successful their opening Premier League lucifer against Chelsea.

McInerney believes a "soft underbelly" offers immoderate of Man City's opponents the accidental to 'get astatine them', including a relegation-threatened broadside similar Leicester.

"I've noticed a inclination that teams aren't truly acrophobic of City close now," McInerney said. "Teams are going astatine City due to the fact that they cognize City person that brushed underbelly, and it mightiness invitation Leicester guardant a small spot and springiness them a small spot of confidence.

"That could besides play into City's hands, due to the fact that if they bash play Savinho, Doku, De Bruyne, there's a small spot of accomplishment and gait there. That small spot of abstraction could assistance City, due to the fact that we're not precise originative astatine the infinitesimal successful presumption of erstwhile everyone sits down the ball, the debased artifact and each that.

"City conflict to interruption it down, truthful if Leicester consciousness a small spot much emboldened, they could travel retired a small spot more, and that could assistance City.

"But past City's worst force is themselves close now, truthful it could beryllium that Josko Gvardiol, who's successful truly mediocre form, misplaces a walk to Kyle Walker, and past helium plays it backmost to Jamie Vardy, who puts it backmost connected the net.

"That's however City are conceding goals close present - it's silly nonsense - and I'd beryllium amazed if we don't concede against Leicester. We person to people much than them.

"Everyone tin get astatine us, everyone's faster and stronger than City close now. Everyone. Everyone's fitter, faster, stronger and hungrier, and that is concerning."

With Man City debased connected confidence, they whitethorn beryllium capable to gully inspiration from the information they person won 19 of their erstwhile 20 Premier League matches against promoted teams (D1).

The visitors volition surely beryllium keen to assertion each 3 points successful what volition Guardiola's 500th game successful complaint of the club.

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