The Big Match Tactical View: Leicester v Man City

Leicester v Manchester City
Tuesday, 19:45
Live Sky Sports 1

Match Odds: Leicester 4.20, Manchester City 1.93, The Draw 4.10

This should be a fascinating tactical battle between two sides who play in entirely contrasting manners, but the real intrigue comes from this being such an incredibly unlikely top-of-the-table clash.

Leicester's title chances took a blow with their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Boxing Day - but they, Manchester City and Arsenal have all taken three points from the previous two Premier League rounds, so essentially the status quo has been preserved.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Leicester's defeat to Liverpool was the fact Claudio Ranieri substituted both Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez in the second half, which meant the Foxes were without their best two attackers when attempting a fightback, but means they might be a little sharper for this contest.

Ranieri clearly considered this game against City particularly important, and will be determined to Vardy and Mahrez to prove him right with a couple of starring performances here.

We know exactly how Leicester will play here. They'll give City plenty of time on the ball, likely to sit back and defend deep to ensure Sergio Aguero's pace doesn't expose Wes Morgan and Robert Huth's lack of mobility. The full-backs will probably tuck inside and afford City a fair amount of space in wide areas, which should suit Aleksandar Kolarov, who consistently provides great service from the left flank. Jesus Navas might also be a decent bet for City, despite his frustrating inconsistency - this could be a good game for a proper winger.

The area where Leicester should be particularly worried is between the lines, however. At least one of David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne will operate in that zone, and attempt to thread passes through for Aguero. Leicester work hard without possession but realistically their organisation isn't what you'd expect for a truly top-level side, with opponents often able to find space either side of the two central midfielders - theoretically perfect for Silva.

Where Leicester will really fancy their chances, though, is going forward. As always, the two key players are Mahrez and Vardy, and City will have to be extremely careful of being exposed on the counter-attack.

Mahrez is excellent at dribbling forward from deep and might relish the chance to break into the space behind Kolarov - assuming the Serbian starts rather than the more cautious Gael Clichy. City won't want Eliaquim Mangala to be forced out wide to cover for the left-back - he tends to make curious decisions in those situations.

Vardy will look to work the channels on the outside of Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi. The latter likes to stick tight to opponents but can get carried away with the physical side of things, notably collecting a ridiculous booking for fouling Olivier Giroud in City's recent defeat to Arsenal.

It will be interesting to see how Otamendi plays against Vardy, who catches the eye mainly with his pace, but also has the physical edge you expect from a player who spent so much time in non-league.

The pattern of the game is fairly obvious: City to dominate possession, Leicester to counter-attack quickly in the channels through their two key men. Both sides will probably be more cautious than usual, but you'd expect to see goals at both ends here.